Some Thoughts About Downsizing

My parents and grandparents were independent thinkers. They had their philosophies of life, one of which was “Don’t ask someone else to do what you aren’t willing to do yourself.” I have taken that philosophy into most of my life and especially about government. Regarding this downsizing of the federal government, I don’t know but some downsizing probably needs to happen. However, I disagree with the method by which it is presently being done. I would say, “Okay, let’s downsize. Let’s begin with the Executive branch and you downsize yourselves—shall we say--10%. After that let’s go to the Legislative branch and downsize 10%. Then we can go to the Judicial branch and downsize 10%. After these branches have completed their downsizing, then we go to those programs that affect us ordinary citizens. I would say to those doing the downsizing, begin with yourselves first and become good role models for us.

Life Changes

Ulysses in Troilus and Cressida has it, “Untune that string, and hark what discord follows.” (James Hollis, THE BROKEN MIRROR, page 154). When folks come to therapy, it is usually because some “string” in their life has become “untuned,” perhaps through disease, aging, divorce, death, dismissal of job, etc. The issue is the task to (1) put one’s life back together, i.e., tune the string again or (2) is this “unstring” a call to a different life? It is certainly a time for discord, confusion, anxiety, fear, etc. I suspect for many the effort is the first or let’s try to deny or not accept that my life is changing. It is the refrain “I don’t like change” and, therefore, I attempt to resist change. Perhaps, we want to remain young adults even as we age, or we want to have no decrease in our financial income even though it is our retirement time. Often, this “untuning of the string in our life” is a call to accept and enter a different life. Rather than discord, we are being called to learn a new life’s tune.