Waiting For A Change?

I was recently listening to a jazz radio station and the song “Waiting On The World To Change” by John Mayer came on. Yeah, I know, I don't get the connection between Mayer and jazz either but that's a different story.

John Mayer is a terrific song writer but he's a terrible philosopher. If you are not familiar with the song the lyrics point out some issues that Mayer and all his friends have with the current state of the world. The song continues with acquiescence as he complains “it's hard to beat the system”. The appropriate plan of action according to Mayer is then, “waiting for the world to change.”

Catchy tune aside, this song is a perfect example of what is wrong with the system. So many of us are sitting around waiting for the world to change that control has been taken by people who take action. Change never just happens. It is effected.

What if Martin Luther King, Jr. had waited on the world to change? He could have taken the attitude that segregation and discrimination are wrong but really what can one black man do in a white controlled world? As Mayer sings, “It's not that we don't care, we just know that the fight ain't fair.” Neither was Dr. King's fight. But he didn't give up.

History is made up of those who fought unfair fights knowing they would probably lose. The Founding Fathers of this country, Nelson Mandela, William Wallace and oppressed peoples around the globe have risked everything they have for change. Those who wait for change are lost to the march of time. We don't write books or make movies about them.

In our time and in our country fighting for change does not typically have such a drastic cost. It just takes being involved, staying informed and informing others. There is no excuse in this electronic age for not know what is happening in your community, in your nation or in your world. If you then decide to wait for change to happen then you deserve what comes your way.

Apparently there are a lot of people who agree with Mayer's premise. In the last three presidential elections just over half the eligible population voted. Maybe more surprisingly, almost a third of registered voters stayed home. In the years a president is not running, just over a third of those eligible actually vote.

This past election was supposed to be about change. Both candidates made it part of their imaging. The reality is nothing really changes in Washington and depending on where you live, probably not in your state capitol or city hall either. The same governing class politicians keep making slightly different decisions while we keep hoping some good change will come of it all.

Our system of government was set up to work with the citizenry being involved. Our leaders are supposed to lead but they work for us. It's our job to keep up with what's happening and communicate what we think should happen to our elected representatives. If they become part of the problem we replace them. Yes, it is work but what desirable goal does not require work?

If we agree to wait on the world to change it never will. In the words of Gandhi, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Stop waiting and make it happen.