On this day we remember former president Ronald Reagan and learn how his manner of living gracefully can benefit us all. We kick off the HMGC-Have More Grace Challenge.
“Education is not the means of showing people how to get what they want. Education is an exercise by means of which enough men, it is hoped, will learn to want what is worth having.” Ronald ReaganWelcome to the C Thomas Printer Cooperative. We are gathered here today to remember the life of one of our greatest presidents, the 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan would have been 111 years young today and still wouldn’t hold youth and inexperience against Walter Mondale. If you are too young or don’t know what I am talking about- go to Youtube right now.
Austerity: Please don’t send them somewhere else on the internet. I am trying really hard to get an audience and as soon as I get them here you send them away?
C Thomas: Don’t worry, they will come back. They will like the clip and want to hear what I have to say. If they don’t like it, then they aren’t gonna be fans anyway and we are down to 7.999 billion other people to try and get to listen to us. We’ll be fine.
Are you back? Wasn’t that great? That actually happened in a debate. Did you see how Walter was laughing and so was the interviewer? That clip makes me laugh and I long for a time when we had candidates that could laugh and be civil to one another. Ronald had a great sense of humor and was a great communicator, but he was also a decent man. He had his beliefs and convictions and even though you might not agree with him, you could respect him as a man of grace.
This ability to disagree and still treat others decently is something I want to investigate more fully in this cooperative because having a debate with people that agree with you seldom results in much learning. Learning to disagree gracefully, learning to lose with grace (I’m talking to the Democrats in 2016 and Republicans in 2020), and realizing that not getting what we want and behaving appropriately should have been taught to us much younger in life than adulthood.
You will notice I have used a word repeatedly in these preceding paragraphs, this is on purpose. This brings us to the word of the week in its usage used here.
Grace- an attractively polite manner of behaving.
I find it not only scarce in society, but just about non-existent on social media. Therefore, we are starting the “Have More Grace Challenge.” Instead of sending this on to others and try to shame them into doing something to try and go viral here at CTPC we are asking you to join the HMGC and act with more grace. The best part is don’t tell anyone you are doing it. It will stand out because so few people are doing it and people will be confused at first. If they ask you why you are behaving so politely tell them “It’s for the kids” because it is. The reward is how you will feel about yourself when you are done.
Here is how we start the HMGC.
Be kind (if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all, or post, or reply, or comment, or clap back, or shut someone down on Twitter).
Ok, I think they get the idea my dear… At first you might find this grace business exhausting and I don’t want you to overdose on grace so before you start this transformation please consult your physician before trying any physical exhausting activity. I don’t want people keeling over from too much grace, and I don’t want to get sued when you treat too many people nicely. When people passed away, neighbors used to bring you a casserole, don’t you miss casseroles? My grandmother was kind and she used to make tater tot casserole.
Austerity: I hate to interrupt but I am here to keep you on point.
C Thomas: You are right, I digress; we are remembering Ronald Reagan today and if he were still here, he would ask us to be kinder today than we were yesterday. He would ask us not to compare our behavior to others but to our past selves. Not for a reward, because the reward is a finer way to live together. I challenge you all to practice just a little more kindness this week. Small acts can lead to great achievements and we can learn from Ronald Reagan to make our own pocket of this planet a more attractive place to live.
Austerity: I know what you are thinking, is this really gonna work?
C Thomas: Well, if we can get just one person to be a little nicer then the world will be a better place, and it makes two people feel better actually: the person giving and the person receiving the kindness. It’s free: we didn’t raise their taxes, or take something from someone else and give it to them, or make a joke at someone else’s expense. Nope, we just pointed out that once upon a time great people had admirable traits that might be worth imitating. It doesn’t have to really work to really work. So let’s start the HMGC.
"I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph and that there is purpose and worth to each and every life." Ronald ReaganSincerely Yours,
C Thomas Printer
Also born on this date:
Babe Ruth,
Jeb Stuart,
Aaron Burr,
and Bob Marley.
70 years ago today Elizabeth II ascended the throne in the United Kingdom, no word on how many Corgis ascended with her…