Fuel for the Fire

Do something! I hear that a lot these days, more than usual, a frantic tone to it, at least a fierce sense of urgency. No way, no how can we stand idly by while what we hold most dear circles the drain. Something has to be done, anything, desperate times, desperate measures.

When this kind of clarion call is sounded, a flurry of actions frequently follows, carried out with steadfast determination. That fire burns white hot. Satisfying results being elusive as they often are, steadfastness begins to flicker. Reasons to feel depressed and hopeless start piling up. Before you know it, fatigue sets in, then resignation. The fire is doused.

This all-too-familiar emotional cycle is playing out in many a household across our country. Americans have no shortage of reasons to be alarmed, but there are acute shortages of the kind of slow-burning fuel that can power the stamina required to bring about change.

What fuels many if not most actions in times like these is a mixture of outrage and desper…