Mopping Up a River:

The Cost of Trying to Save a World

I once hoped that I could fix my world. I spent a lot of time thinking about it over my lifetime.

Whenever someone asked me, “What would you do if you had a lot of money?” I never thought of cars or travel. I would always start trying to figure out how to help. I’d run the numbers in my head, looking for the leverage point—the place where enough resources could finally tip the scales.

It was a slow, sad revelation to realize I couldn’t. When I say “my world,” I mean America. I am not talking about the glossy parts, either. I’ve lived long enough now to see the patterns repeat, to see the “solutions” offered by those in power, and to watch them fail the people they claim to serve.

Take the arrival of a new casino or a state lottery. We’ve all heard the slogan: “A portion of the proceeds will go to our schools.” But the reality is far colder. These institutions don’t help the community; they help the insiders, the commissions, and the house. They are built on the backs of “little old ladies” drinking, smoking, and feeding slots or bingo cards—a demographic that is fading away, taking the industry’s false promises with it.

When I look at cities like Baltimore or Memphis, I don’t see the “progress” promised by politicians. I see the weight of poverty. I see the loss of hope and the absolute vacuum of opportunity.

In Memphis, the bankruptcy rate became so staggering they had to create a regional court just to handle the volume. This isn’t just a financial crisis; it’s a systemic collapse. It creates a cycle where the homeless and the hopeless feed a drug trade, which in turn feeds the crime rates.

I spent years trying to engineer solutions, only to find they were unattainable. How do you correct a mindset of deep, generational despair? Nationally, the pillars we used to lean on—the politicians, the teachers, the Church—have all traded their credibility for something else. They no longer hold the trust required to lead the way out.

At best, I’ve been able to move the needle for one or two people. I’ve motivated a few to change their thinking, to try a different path. But even then, I don’t know if they stayed on it.

I’ve realized that trying to fix this world, as it stands, is like trying to mop up a river. The water keeps coming, and the floor never stays dry.

Just sharing some music from last night that has nothing to do with the above post. (smile)