This is No Andy Griffith Show

Hi.

Well, I suppose every blog needs to start somewhere, and that somewhere is right here for this blog. So allow me to make an introduction: Calling for Character, Reader. Reader, Calling for Character. There, now that we’re all nice and acquainted, let’s move on to the good stuff.

Ok, so I guess you want a real intro. Calling for character . . . why even bother? Good question, Reader. Let me put it this way: A mother once said to her husband in the beloved 1963 film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, “You keep forgetting if a girl is six-feet-five inches tall, she’s bound to have special problems.” Well said, Ginger. Where am I going with this? Well, I think we sometimes find ourselves forgetting that if a world has seven billion people (including the old bags), it’s bound to have special problems. Then again, the media sure doesn’t let us forget this fact with headlines such as 

“Cops nab Fla. sex offender traveling with missing teen in La.”

“Man pleads guilty in Aspen socialite killing, gets 20 years”

“Mommy blogger accused of poisoning her son, 5, to death”

Clearly, this is no Andy Griffith Show. Our world is no Mayberry, where the only bothersome happening is the town drunk occasionally making a ruckus. But even he has the decency to turn himself in every weekend. No, we do indeed live with some special problems. Living with the problems is universally agreed upon, but getting rid of them is another story which has stumped government official after government official.

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How do we get rid of the problems?

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I’m no expert, and I claim no originality in my thinking, but I do know a thing or two about how people work, seeing as I am a person myself. For example, I know that I like the feeling of doing things that are good. I also know that I don’t like the feeling of doing things that are bad. I would wager that you, Reader, probably feel the same way. Why do we feel this way? Morals. Values. Good character traits. Good examples who give us something to strive for. These are built into us, programmed into our very DNA. They are a part of who we are. We long to be good–it’s that simple. But that raises another problem that the Andy Griffith Show seems to missinterpret: Our world is not black and white. If you haven’t noticed by now, we live in a beautiful world of brilliant color and striking detail. It’s marvelous! But it’s not black and white. Who’s to say your good is the same as my good? Who’s to say morality means the same to you as it does to your neighbor? This is where life gets tricky.

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Tricky, yes, but not unmanageable. A squirrel is not a deer. A tree is not a whale. A skyscraper is not a muffin. Even in our vibrantly colored world of shades and hues we can still see clear differences. We can still have values, and we can still define good. So what is the answer to our question? The world needs men and women of character, never budging, never ceasing to be the best people they can be.

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No laws or policies can ultimately replace what is inside each and every one of us. Integrity is not enacted or repealed. Morality is not voted on, vetoed, or up for debate. These are values that live inside of us and grow as we choose to exercise them. They take prominence as we live by them. They fall quickly from the forefront when we neglect them. The call for character is a call for all of us to bring these values into the spotlight. If we have an entire audience watching us every day, what will they see? That’s for you to decide.

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The purpose of all of this is not to rant or point fingers, but to inspire and encourage us all to be even better than we already are. We are good. You are good. I know that. But without concerted effort, I fear our good won’t be good enough for the miles ahead. So I hope you join me in a selfie overhaul in the weeks, months, and years to come. Look at yourself and see what needs tweaking, then go on and help others do the same. What will be our compass? The men and women who have already shown us that character is at the root of all they do. From rape to obesity to theft and incivility, our problems don’t stand a chance against a world full of character.