A Morning's Musings on Matters of Medium (to small) Momentousness

There are big problems in the world. There are little problems in the world.  I feel basically helpless to do much about the big ones, and I feel like I do my part on the small ones that are within my reach. The same is probably true for most people like me.

But give some thought to the medium-sized problems - those that we could be doing something about, but generally overlook. Too small for the true activists (we need them on the big problems anyways) and too big for the lazy. If we really want to fix the world, shouldn't we also be worried about the stuff in the middle?

Here are a few things on my list of medium-sized problems that need fixing (in diminishing order of importance):

• Smoking. I have strong feelings about this (because in my life, this is actually more of a big problem than a medium one) and yet I believe that everyone who smokes today should be left alone to make their own decisions about it. But surely with a little more effort we could ensure that the current generation of smokers is the last?
• Food and Nutrition. See smoking. Just because we haven't yet made a big deal about how fat and salt kill doesn't mean they don't.
• Labour strife. I don't take sides (because I'm not directly involved), so whether there's a strike or a lockout going on I take it as a given that both parties involved are both right and wrong. That's not what I take issue with. It's the process of negotiating a settlement that needs attention. It's not usually negotiating at all...it's bluster, it's bullying and it's all about winning. Take the current situation with the NHL. I firmly believe that both sides in the 'negotiation' could have pretty accurately documented the agreement they will eventually reach long before the lockout started. But it's not about constructively and quickly finding the obvious deal. It's about winning and beating the other side into submission. It's about suffering and making the other side suffer even more. It's about not being weak. We accept that it's just the way these things are, when there's no way it has to be this way.
• Daylight Savings Time. With 'fall back', we gain an hour's sleep. Yay! But with 'spring forward' we lose it. Boo! Yes, it's a small problem, but the solution is so simple I include it here. Move 'spring forward' to the afternoon so we lose an hour's work. Yay!
• Graduation Ceremonies. The blueprint for better grad ceremonies exists. It's just a matter of implementing it.
• Cats. Horrible things. Surely they can be made to be more dog-like with a little genetic manipulation? (I guess you'd call this a pet peeve).
• Children. Where's the loyalty? Where's the respect? Where's the slavish devotion? Surely they can be made to be more dog-like with a little genetic manipulation?
• University Students who like to draw attention to themselves in lecture halls by asking lots of questions that nobody else cares about. You know who you are. Stop it. It's been almost 25 years since I last experienced this, but my daughters' recent complaints have brought it all back.
• People who don't read to the end of my posts. Thankfully, you're not one of them.