If I Could Give You - Haiku - TribeSteemUp Bi-Weekly QOTW - What Would I Do for Society If I had All the Resources I Needed?
If I could give you
what meant the most to me,
my gift: a passport.
Several years ago I read an interview with British musician Steven Wilson, and when asked what one gift he would like to give to the people of the world, his response was: a passport.
And I instantly thought it was the best possible answer he could have given.
In our current times, as we are seeing a resurgence of the intolerances and prejudice that have never been far beneath the surface in many parts of the world, it is more imperative than ever to bring people together, not to drive them further apart.
And what better way to bring people together than to do so physically, to take people our of their usual insular bubbles, out of their routines and comfort zones, and to give them the lure, excitement and adventure of travel to another land?
Few things are as mind-opening as exposure to different cultures, where people can see first hand that, just maybe, we might have a thing or two to learn from different people, not to mention the possibility of real discourse and making friends.
If anything can be an antidote to Donald Trump's pervasive brand of casual cruelty, it is meeting people in their own lands, on their own terms, and seeing first hand that such unnecessary and counterproductive cruelty is not, and has never been what made this country great.
What made, and makes, our country - and world - great, are our people: diverse, passionate, intelligent, creative, empathetic, kind and caring people.
So had I the power to make it happen, I would make getting a passport a similar right of passage to getting a driver's license, automatically granted to all citizens upon gaining legal adulthood at age eighteen, with their use encouraged by tax benefits for travel abroad.
And, obviously, available from birth for those whose families need or desire for them to travel sooner. International travel affords one an education few universities can come close to matching, and an educated populace leads to a better country - and world - for all.
I grew up in the seventies, when "America - Love it or Leave it" became a popular slogan, and although I understood the impetus behind it, I always felt that it missed much of the point.
Most of the people I knew and met who were convinced that "America is the best country ever in the history of the world and don't tell me different," had not only never been to a foreign country, many hadn't even really strayed far from their home towns.
And my question was, how can you know it is the best if you've never been anywhere else?
So passports for all, tax incentives to use them, and in the end, a kinder and more tolerant world, better able to handle differences, and to agree to disagree peacefully, when needed.
What a wonderful world it would be. ;-)
This post, and all those from now until the end of 2018, I am dedicating to the work of #tarc and #yah, aka @rhondak's nonprofit dog rescue and @sircork's charity @youarehope.
Half the liquid proceeds earned from my posts will be evenly split between the two organizations.
The photo above was taken by me, most likely using my Canon SX 30 iS camera.
#tribegloballove #tarc #yah #ecotrain #thewritersblock #smg #ghsc #thirtydayhaikuchallenge #teamgood #steemsugars #teamgirlpowa #womenofsteemit #steemusa #qurator #steemitbasicincome #bethechange #chooselove #photography #neighbors #beauty #love #animals #dogs #rescue #adoption #spayandneuter #homesteading #permaculture #naturalhealing #dogrescue #dogsofsteemit #grace #poetry #philosophy #beablessing #naturalremedy #gratitude #abundance #give #family #peace #tranquility #giving #donating #philanthropy #naturalhealing #passport #cryptocurrency #travel #international #culture #tolerance #peacemaking #peacemaker #friendship
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hi @crescendoofpeace
I didn't hear from you in a while so I decided to check your blog to see if you're still active or taking a break.
Im glad to see tht you're still around. Obviously upvoted :)
ps. I wanted to ask you a question. You mind telling me what's your view on latest HF20 introduced on steemit? Did it affect you in any way?
Obviously upvoted. Have a great upcoming week. Mondays always sucks :)
Yours, Piotr
Tak. Nie. Może . Oczywiście. Pewnie. (Not necessarily in that order). ;-)
Yes, I actually posted on this a few days back, and my feelings haven't changed much.
Yes, some of the changes needed to happen, but it was handled really badly, in essence hardforking us all, and gave the distinct impression that those in charge were both clueless - and largely uncaring - about how it affected the newest and least powerful users. Not a good showing of leadership.
I have no doubt that we've lost a lot of would-have-been quality Steemians in the process, not to mention needlessly harming MANY people who were RELYING on the miniscule income they were already earning, which quite frankly should never have happened.
That said, I am hopeful that those in charge of the cl&ST6rF$ck that was HF20 have learned a valuable lesson, will actively test the code - for real this time - before the next hardfork, and will actually consider those for whom a few cents in daily income makes the difference between feeding their kids or not.
As for @ned's big plans for US$multi-million investors, he screwed himself, and my guess is that they'll take a wait and see approach for now, which as a former financial professional is precisely what I would do in a similar circumstance.
He proved unequivocally that he doesn't know his market, or his platform, nearly as well as he thought he did, and that's a big red flag for big money investors of any sophistication.
As for how it affected me, it threw me off my stride of daily posting, and I'm having trouble getting it back. And, truthfully, that started when I took a new job, before the hardfork.
But having been let know, in no uncertain terms, that I am not considered valuable enough even to be considered by those in charge of the hardfork, which is true of pretty much everyone here but the whales, it made me seriously consider whether I was wasting my time after all, deluding myself that Steem would ever be more than a tiny player in the world of crypto.
And, frankly, that could still be true. But I'm here more for the friends I've made here than for the crypto. The crypto, while a factor, was always the lesser reason, as my primary impetus in starting my account was to gain readers for my writing, and from the engagement I've had thus far, in this I have already succeeded.
And I love the fact that, thanks to the crypto, I'm able to support a couple of causes close to my heart, @tarc and @youarehope, which I wouldn't even know about were it not for this blockchain, and which I plan to keep supporting even if it folds and disappears (which I'm not expecting to happen).
Wow. What an amazing reply @crescendoofpeace :)
You impressed me with your Polish hahahaha.
thx for that link. I love that you compared HF20 to "administration of George Bush the Elder" :) good one! :)
Yours,
Piotr
Thanks, @crypto-piotr, I'm told that I pronounce Polish like a native, too bad I still don't have enough vocabulary to hold a decent conversation! ;-)
Hopefully one of these days. I'd love to be able to speak with my mother-in-law in her native tongue. I know it would mean a lot to her.
YES!!! And travelling, getting to know other people, stepping outside our comfort zone and learning from other cultures is so important. I'm lucky I've been able to meet you in person, my friend. Grateful for that connection.
Me too. You're definitely one of my favorite Steemians, and not just because your poems (and songs) feel like lost pieces I'd forgotten I wrote. ;-)