Struggle Within Us All

Over the past two years, I’ve dedicated quite a few hours to writing about; the selfish World we live in, Self-improvement, and taking ownership of our actions.

Most recently, I’ve shared a few stories from my place of employment. As you can imagine, Patrolling the Interstate Highways for a living gives me ample time to observe both the best and the worst of drivers. I’ve witnessed The Good Samaritan stopping to lend a hand even in the worst of weather conditions. Sadly, I’ve also had a few perilous encounters as well. Last week while hooking up a vehicle in the left lane, someone passed me on the left shoulder. The car was traveling at speeds in excess of 50 MPH and nearly clipped me as a stepped backward. The vehicle driver almost ran over a wooden pallet discarded on the side of the highway. All of this happened during a rainstorm.

Of course, what I’m speaking of is not limited to rush-hour traffic. We live in an ever-changing World of Selfish and Unselfish. There is a struggle within us all, a tug-of-war between the two. We [all of us] need more Empathy and less Narcissism. More Humility and less Egotism.

The path of Self-development is a neverending, life-long journey. I’ll never give up on myself, nor the World we live in. The road can be painful, but the rewards can be painless.

Joseph Shanklin

March 7, 2021