LET'S TALK ABOUT . . .


                                                          "CALL OR RECALL?"


In recent days there have been numerous recalls issued in the marketplace, especially in relation to food and cars. This is usually done for the safety of the consumer.  The recalls often occur only after deaths have occurred.  It is good that recalls are issued but those affected are still sick or dead!

The irony is that in an attempt to save money it usually costs the manufacturer more money.  In an attempt to substitute a cheaper part the quality of their entire product is then in question.  Was it really worth it to attempt to cut corners, to surrender to the urgency of the shortcut? What happened to quality?  I often hear people comment that quality is a thing of the past, not something to be expected in the marketplace, especially since mass production came into being.

People are raising more and more concerns about quality control in the marketplace, in education, in government, in ideologies, even in personal development (diet, fitness, character development, recovery, therapy, spiritual development, etc.). When we opt for shortcuts in the name of economics or pragmatism, we may be sliding down a slippery slope.  We may miss our call only to find that we are in a position of "recall."  Is that really where we want to find ourselves?

There are some things in life that just simply take time.  I am humored by stories regarding shortcuts unto aging a product in order to increase the turn over time and the profit margin.  That may be true in some cases but not all.  We want instant everything!  We do not want to wait or to do the hard work toward an intended goal.  At what cost are we speeding toward instant everything?

I am especially concerned about this trend when it comes to human development.  Do we really want our children to grow up faster?  To face all the complexities of adolescent or adult life sooner or before they are really ready?  At what cost?  What will they have missed in their development if we encourage that?  In an age of social media, children and adolescents are being subjected younger and younger to realities they may not be ready to handle on all levels.  Is that really okay?

We are horrified when it comes to pornography, sexual abuse or the human trafficking of minors.  That is good! We generally take that position because minors are under the age of consent.  I have often wondered why consent implies we know what is really in our best interest.  I am sure we can all think of instances where the ability to consent did not imply a healthy choice. We should be horrified at these at any age or on any level.  They are attacks against our human dignity, whether we know that or not!

So when we as human beings end up living something less than that to which our human dignity calls us, we are in a position of needing "recall."  That takes many forms in our world.  I am convinced that while short-term therapy is a good fit for some presenting issues in therapy, the need to get back to long term therapies is on the rise.  As our world becomes increasingly complex, convoluted and traumatic, we need to be recalled to long term therapies.  If that to which we are called in our human dignity and development takes time, then recall and recovery may take time as well.  

I also believe this is true when it comes to character development or spiritual development.  These take time.  They are the combination of events and processes in our lives.  They occur both in moments and over periods of time.  In an age of "instant-s" we are almost scandalized by needing to give ourselves permission to not be whole, healed, complete in an instance.  We are impatient in the pursuit of good character--an oxymoron.  We work at grace--another oxymoron.

Some things just simply take time! Sometimes entities possess the form but lack the real substance over time. Perhaps this speaks to whether we see life as a destination or a journey!

Until next time . . . this is, Just Janice!