Words for Thought: Inspiringly uninspired

I wish I had some fancy stats about how many columnists send out generic rhetoric about how they couldn't think of anything to write about.

But I don't, and I refuse to let this be one of those.

It's been a dull week, especially after the heart-breaking Bearcat loss and not seeing a single deer through opening weekend.

At least Mizzou showed up to play, and the Chiefs didn't have a chance to lose before press time.

So this chain of events has brought me to a lackluster beginning of the week.

Of course with kids there were plenty of funny and enlightening moments over the last week, including;

My two-year-old daughter - out of nowhere - began speaking with a British accent, which is hilarious. This is the one who rarely even speaks (her native tongue is Gibberish). The boy was pretty upset over the Northwest loss and me not bringing home a deer. I also saw grown-ups crying over the election (I understand the frustration, I'm frustrated too. But crying... seriously?).

So there is always something to discuss.

When I sit down to write these columns on weeks without headline events, I ask myself what lessons I've learned since the last one.

Personal reflection is important, and in some cases, very hard to do.

Sometimes you don't like the answers to the questions you have to ask of yourself.

Those hard questions, even if you are only answering them to yourself, are tough to ask and even tougher to look the mirror and answer.

This issue gets way deeper than this page has room for, and I believe everyone can relate this to their own lives.

Facing a lack of topic for my column, I began to pour over the details of the week and things that "grind my gears."

It started an internal Q & A session that ended with a question of inspiration/motivation.

What makes anyone do anything? We all complain about work or chores or a sports team losing.

I don't think that this necessarily makes us lose track of what is important, but it surely does not help. Some take the sports thing way too seriously.

So why do we get up and go to work, school or both every day, or care so much about our teams?

I think it boils down to a matter of accountability. God, children, teachers, co-workers, bosses, peers, friends, all expect something out of you.

The only variance is the individual attitude concerning how far you are willing to go.

Some work hard and have success. Some do nothing and are contentent with that.

I want to mention here that it doesn't matter what you do vocationally, it's HOW you do it.

Just saying.

An ideal I've kept in my mind for most of my life is "make the most of it, then make it more."

I haven't been the best at practicing that, but it's always in the back of my mind. It's easy to get comfortable and be complacent. That's an answer I have to give myself when I ask that question into the mirror.

Back to the accountability issue. Everything we do is for the approval of our higher power, ourselves or somebody else.

The best fruit of this life has to come from the end, not the means. But the means will determine the end, as always.

Speaking only for myself, I know that questions that are not asked of myself will go unanswered (duh). This means I'm going to have to start asking myself more tough questions, giving myself even tougher answers, and finding ways to turn those answers into the right ones.

It's challenge time. Ask yourselves the hard questions. Accept the answers, and change what needs to be changed if you don't like said answers. I'm going to do the same.

True personal reflection can only make us better people. Better people makes a better society. A better society makes a better place for our children to grow and learn. Let's give it a try.

Jesse Murphy is managing editor at the Maryville Daily Forum. He can be reached at jmurphy@maryvilledailyforum.com