The Alternative

A holistic thank you

     Back in 1966, I was walking down the street in Santa Monica and as I passed someone I said, “thank you” instead of “hello.” For years I’ve found it funny. Working at McDonalds I was instructed to say thank you like a broken record, so it just came out.

     Now I realize it may have been sincere after all.

     I have a lot to be thankful for. Being at the top of Haleakala Volcano on Maui was pretty cool; so was Hendrix at The Shrine. Seeing the look on my grandpa’s face when he thought we named our huge baby, Hans ‘Hoss’ was right up there as well.

     But out of 64 years the last half is what I’m most thankful for. It may be that in all communities across the globe, people feel the same way but it is still worth mentioning. This community deserves a heart-felt thanks and I can’t really put a finger on many specifics.

     I’ve mentioned the donuts at Korner Bakery before. We couldn’t have made a go at farming without neighbors and the ag business community. Whenever I go to Hampton’s Fareway I can talk to Ed about the Dodgers and the old fashioned meat counter is one of those things that hasn’t been ruined by progress just yet. I swear, if I was having a bad day it would work to go there for the cheerful “Hi, Fritz.”

     This area is full of businesses that are willing to help solve problems outside their desire for an immediate profit because it develops trust and a long-term relationship. I heard the mayor calling for local shopping habits and it made me sad that a lack of holistic thinking has made this necessary.

     We see this kind of thing all the time. People have harebrained ideas and with the power of media repetition and catch phrases, people demand politicians try to overcome the market; the one thing that makes our lives the envy of the rest of the world. Even with the climate change scam, renewable energy scam, and the wars on terror, drugs and poverty, we still have each other and our day-to-day relationships. The power of the market is so strong we persevere in spite of these outside influences draining and wasting resources.

     Someone, somewhere is grilling a steak out of one of our calves. And so far an executive order or law has only made that more expensive. That someone is also part of a society that gives all of us the opportunity to thrive or fail. If we fail because of someone’s force or fraud, the law should be there to punish that. If we thrive because of a favor granted by government, the law has failed.

     When I walk down the street and say thank you to a stranger for no apparent reason, it is only because I don’t know the specifics. But I do know he might have purchased a steak or delivered electrical supplies. And that makes him part of a community for which I am very grateful.

     Any comments or suggestions are always welcome at 4selfgovernment@gmail.com. The blog has other content that might interest you: www.alternativebyfritz.com.