In Search of Leading

When I started this blog, I did so because I like to write, and I could feed my once secret passion of being a politics junky, and to write about movies, education and any of the other things I feel like.  I have also been considering my political beliefs.

You see, I consider myself an information voter.  I don't vote one way or another because of a political slant.  I was a Republican years back, but I left the party because I have never voted for a party.  I vote on what I think is correct and best.

And what caused me to ponder my political leanings?   The other day, my son told me I was a left leaning blogger.  I have to admit that given recent events and topics, it's true of late.  I also have an advantage.  I actually have the time at my disposal to look up what I see online.  Still I think my wife and I have done pretty well.  My wife and I are both, I think, pretty much centered in our view points.  She is slightly right of center and as I've grown older, have become, at least on social matters, slightly left of center.  We've raised two really great kids who we are quite proud of.  My son is probably right of his mother and my daughter is probably left of her father.

Nevertheless, none of us is afraid to talk about our beliefs.  I believe we respect each other, and when one or the other of us starts going over the edge, or as my son put it leaning to far that we might fall over, we remind each other that heading for the extreme fringe is not a good idea.

I also admit that I may seem more left than I am but that is because the hate and fear brigade has offered so much material.  I may have built my reputation as a cynic, but in truth I am a bit of an idealist.  I keep hoping that the haters on the fringe will crawl back into the shadows. Perhaps this is naive. I so want to see the rise of a truly great leader, not just some politician running scared for his job.

I believe that greatness is not something that accidentally occurs. I don't believe the old adage of "some men are born great while others have greatness thrust upon them." It is clear to me that given the way so many who were born wealthy and powerful, that greatness is not something one is born to.  Too often, they care about no one but themselves.  They often live cowardly existence pushed by their own petty beliefs.  They are not great, but they may believe their money will buy them their place in history.  And so I live in hope that a Franklin or Douglass or Lincoln will rise and lead.  Great leaders lead by serving.


That may occasionally make me look too liberal or too conservative.  I've been accused of both.  But is hope for greatness so wrong?