Even though his hands have been tied by Congress, President Obama has been advised to not just “run out the clock” of the remaining time of his presidency, just as football and basketball teams sometimes do. There is much more he can achieve without cooperation in the time he has left.
Enough about politics. As indicated in a recent column, we don’t give advice here - but we do pass worthwhile suggestions along to those willing to listen. Benjamin Franklin called it “a word to the wise.”
Other than a lame-duck president or a football or basketball coach with a lead, who would “run out the clock” and how would they go about it?
When a person finishes his or her work career at the age of 50, 55, 60, 63, 66, 70, 75, or whenever, what’s left for a healthy person to do - golf, fish, sit on the beach, lie in a hammock, sit in a rocking chair, play bridge, read or play shuffleboard? There must be more to life than leisure, no matter how much hard work has been put in and no matter how much deserved. We have an eternity to rest.
Look around. Communities that really work rely on volunteers - the young, the retired, the helpers, the part-timers, the service clubs and the non-profits. Even many money making businesses need part-timers.
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In your community - who takes seniors and the disabled fishing? Who feeds and cares for the homeless? Who cares for the needs of vets? Who stocks shelves in the food pantry? Who delivers Meals on Wheels? Who works in the thrift stores? Who visits the prison, the jail and the hospital? Who rings the bell for the Salvation Army? Who helps the Red Cross at flood time? Who joins the volunteer fire department, the auxiliary police? Who cleans the ditches? Who reads to kids in school? Who takes special needs children for a walk? Who are the scout masters and Little League coaches? Who joins the service clubs? Who directs and plays in the city band? Who acts in local dramas? Who serves on the city council and county board? Who teaches Sunday School, works in the kitchen, ushers and sings in the church choir? Who nurses the addicted? Who raises money to make it all work? WHO CARES?
Every community is filled with energy and talent - big talent, useful talent. Much of that energy and talent is not working fulltime in a job. Some is identified and well known, but some is below the surface or totally unknown. There is good use and a need for all of it. What isn’t ever used is wasted like flared gas at an oil well.
Fulltime employed people, the teachers, the parents, the professionals can’t make it work alone. They need friends, grandparents, the retired and volunteers including the subteens and teenagers (with their energy and talent) to make it work - people who CARE about more than their own comfort and leisure. The game goes on after the retirement party and that’s no time to start running out the clock.
