Hoping "Respect" Makes A Comeback in 2012

"Respect" seems to be on vacation.  The time has come to revitalize the concept of respect in our greater world society.

If you think about terms that have have been tied to respect, the list is endless:  Respect for others, respect for self, respect for elected officials, respect for elders, respect for the choices of others, respect for ideas, respect for traditions, respect for authority, respect for cultural diversity, respect for the dead, respect for parents, respect for humanity, respect for the individual, respect for nature, respect for others, respect for religion, respect for soldiers, respect for your spouse, respect for teachers, respect for time, etc....  But we rarely seem to see respect in action.

However, this is a two way street, as my friend Terry Sisco said in 1987 as a 20-year-old college student: "one does not command respect, you earn respect".  His words have rung in my head for nearly 25 years.

Thus, we all need to be open to being respectful and to doing things that can be respected.

I hope "respect" makes a comeback in 2012.

Have A Great Day.

thom