Creating change

I had a really interesting conversation with a friend the other day. But anyways, this weekend we were talking about the problem of gas prices and alternative energy sources and all that great stuff that's a part of our country right now. But the conversation did me some good. Many times it's easy for me to focus in on something and forget the peripheral. While I am very concerned with our environment, and spending less, this friend focuses on how these things affect companies. Now, I have no idea how this person feels about Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc. But this person made a huge point about how if people are spending less, that may be good for them, but what about all the small companies they have been keeping in business.

My friend is right. Every issue is multi-faceted. There is no one perfect answer. I am spending less, and that's good, but I could be running another person out of business. And this friend made the point that when I stop shopping at Wal-Mart, I may put the CEO out of business, but they are the ones who will most likely be able to land on their feet. I may also be putting out tons of single parent families who need that one job.

So part of the problem is how materialistic our country is. I don't know the answer. I hope that there is an answer that can support the average American, and still cut out some of the materialism of our country.


Although I disagree with this friend the majority of the time, having the conversation brought me back down to earth. In my life I will have to work with people I disagree strongly with, and they will have good ideas and good points. And I believe in working with people who aren't exactly like me, because I don't have every experience in the book so how could I possibly come up with an answer for every situation. And I know that if I expect this friend to ever believe my experiences, I have to believe theirs. Everyone has their own experiences that are their truths, and one is not more right than another.