The Paradox

Lately it seems like I've been caught up so much in the rush of life it's been good for me to remind myself what really matters. Our country is going through scary times and I can't help take caution but also feel blessed for what we have. I read this the other day, it's something I've always liked and it always makes me think if I have my priorities straight and am enjoying all that I am blessed with these days.

The Paradox

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings,
But shorter tempers; wider freeways,
But narrower viewpoints; we spend more,
But have less; we buy more,
But enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences,
But less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge,
But less judgment; more experts,
But more problems; more medicine,
But less wellness.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We learned how to make a living, but not a life;
We’ve added years to life, not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We’ve conquered outer space,
But not inner space; we’ve cleaned up the air,
But polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom,
But not our prejudice; we have higher incomes,
But lower morals; we’ve become long on quantity,
But short on quality.

These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits,
And shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace,
But domestic warfare; more leisure,
But less fun; more kinds of food,
But less nutrition.

These are the days of two incomes,
But more divorce; of fancier houses,
But broken homes.

It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom.

-Anonymous