The Ultimate Gift
Apr 17th, 2008 by David Anderson
Once in a while a movie inspires me. I am particularly reminded of this fact with the recent passing of the modern conservative icon, Charlton Heston.
A recent movie which did not get a lot of media hype but should have is The Ultimate Gift. It was one to added to my favorites for sure. It speaks to what is truly important in life. The greatest gifts are not financial. They are the gifts of love, caring, and character. They are the gift to dream, the gift of friendship, the gift of family, the gift of work, and the gift of gratitude. This was a story about one young man given the ultimate gift by his grandfather.
I encourage you to watch this one. It is a great story which goes beyond a tried and true story line. It speaks to the greatness within each person. That greatness is so often lost in pettiness of day to day temptations. We have to remind ourselves about the gifts which give meaning to our lives.
A culture can be lost in one generation. This is why I so disagree with the material left. They believe that trashing our culture should be of no concern to the little people. We cling to God and tradition because we are scared and bitter. I say they want us to cling to the dollar and forget about virtue and tradition. They don’t get it. What truly matters in life is what still matters after our lives. We need to build policy with an eye to the here and now and the other eye to posterity.
Yes, everyone here should read Zimmerman’s “the Greek Commonwealth” if they want to learn how to build for posterity.
“Cold, dead hands, baby.” We’ll miss you, Chuck.
The material left? You mean all those unwashed hippies who don’t share the values of our material culture? The material LEFT? Like all those Democrats on Wall Street?
Stop trying to impose your old-fashioned values on people, Dave!
LOL, you’re funny G Rex.
In my neighborhood, they call it being old school. I am proud to believe in the old pathway. I will convince anyone who listens to join me, but impose nothing on anyone. (For those who might not have a sense of humor.)
I do try, David. It just kills me that if you go around telling people to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store you’re a crusader for the forces of goodness and light, but if you try to tell people to stop taking drugs and having children out of wedlock you’re an anachronism. I guess I’m just bitter.
Bitter, bitter, bitter; Its funny but I have found one cannot convince any of those who choose to hold their beliefs dear to their heart. (I should know, I take no ones word for anything).
However, by living one’s life to a higher (Godly) standard, I have found that one tends to wean converts from those who themselves, have tired of retracing the same circles they find themselves running over and over again.
In looking at those wiser than I, I have found that trusting in ones own instincts and abilities, eventually leads one down a path of disillusionment and bitterness. Old people carrying those traits, self sufficient and demanding of others, are always bitter. But trusting in something higher, I have noticed, tends to lead one to peace and inner prosperity. Those old people….. are full of love, hope, and joy.
Other readers may seen different evidence, and may have chosen to follow a different path……..but I think the symptom you show, that of worrying about those others who are taking drugs, and having babies out of wedlock, instead of helping those poor souls rid themselves of their drugs, as well as showing love and concern for those wonderful babies already born out of wedlock, would go along way of occupying your time, and as a result, take a big chunk out of that bitterness that seems to hang so heavy around your neck.
Some are hammer, some are anvil. And don’t confuse ‘bitterness’ with contempt, nor ‘instinct’ with intelligence. Mass psychology is an affront to individualism; collectivism is anathema to freedom. To thy own self be true.