"Mottainai"

In English, this Japanese word means "not letting things that have value go to waste." With gas prices nearly double the price of a year ago, the US dollar at 107 yen (last year the Japanese yen was around 125 and the Japanese economy is not all that hot to start with), coupled by jobs evaporating thanks to companies who would rather give jobs to China and India allowing them to have the income to own a car which is driving up the gas prices. On America's Independence Day we should reflect on why we are in this position and how we can correct the problem.

For starters, we must conserve gas. This means no more trips to the beach and lake dragging a boat or camper or making useless trips out of town. Are there any incentives to carpool with your fellow co-workers? Some employers provide pay increases for those employees who can prove that they are a bachelors degree holder, why isn't their a pay increase for those employees who can prove that they are carpooling?

I've said this once before when I stood by my convictions when a former co-worker broke their contract to pursue other opportunities, but us Americans love to have our cake and eat it too. It is not your God given right to be a home owner or a parent if you simply can not afford it they walk away from your responsibilities why you get in over your head. Such indulgent and selfish behavior is the reason the US Dollar is a distant shadow of its former self.

Here's a link that I received from an alumni letter from the university that I graduated from, Cal State Dominguez Hills. I'll be the first to admit that I'm miles away from doing most of what this article calls for but I'm doing all I can which is more than most who have the resources to have more. I can only imagine the hard luck life they are living having walked a mile in their shoes.

In closing, let's not let things go to waste. While, its OK to have our cake, lets not continue to make the same mistakes.

Make this Independence Day a day of being independent from selfishness and indulgence.

Today's clip comes from Youtube and while it's a parody, it not too far from the truth.

Written on Independence Day 2008

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