Is that it?

Good question. And the short answer is "no".

Recently, I was having something of similar discussions with two different friends. These guys don't know each other, and though both are different from me, they are also, as would be expected, very different from each other, although both are what most people would likely describe as "conservative". No, neither is rabid, nor so far "right" that the Republican party starts looking attractive, but they both shudder when I intimate that a position they've just taken has been traditionally considered a "liberal" one. My point is, they're both pretty normal. The overlap between the discussions was the question of what we, as simple "little people" can do about all the evil being perpetrated by all the "big guns" out there in the world, be it the government, industry sectors, banks, whatever.

When looked at that way, there is as good as nothing that we can do to change anything. Voting doesn't matter if politicians have been bought. Standing on the street corner holding a sign doesn't have much impact if nobody reads it. And I'll be the first person to tell you that trying to play their game is as deadly as is trying to stop tanks with rocks. No, none of us is going to change much by taking things head on.

For those of you who read my post last time, you will have noticed that each of the five points I raised has nothing to do with confrontation, persuasion, or manipulation. In fact, all that any of those points have to with is each one of us ourselves. Aside from all new-age, pseudo-enlightened puffery, the fact of the matter is that if we change ourselves, we change the world. It's not important that no one other than us see it. It's not about making an impact or change so that others will tell us how cool, or great, or impressive we are. It doesn't really matter. All that matters is that each of us is in tune with and satisfied with ourselves. If we are, in a non-self-centered, not conceited kind of way, the world is -- technically -- a better place, but we can't possibly think that our job is now done.

Truth be told, if you do manage to get yourself sorted and headed in the right direction, what it means is that you are now ready to get to work. Yes, the work will be hard, it will be long, it will make demand upon demand, but it will also be just one step at a time, a little here and a little there, yet we will see we're getting somewhere, too.

After all, you've got to start somewhere.