Experts and pundits are always struggling to relate current events to history. The simplest way to know how to handle any situation is to ask, “What did we do the last time this happened?” That question will, inevitably, elicit the age-old argument, “This time, it’s different.”
While technology and circumstances may vary, the basic questions that plague humanity rarely change. My late, great friend and mentor, Paul Harvey, often said, “Times like these remind us that there have always been times like these.”
Mr. Harvey was fond of telling the story about the oil shortage and the dire predictions from the experts during the decade of the 70s. As one of the world’s truly great storytellers, Mr. Harvey recounted the claims from the supposed leading minds of the day that within less than 10 years, we would all be in the dark, and the industry that fueled our economy would grind to a halt because we were going to run out of oil.
Then, with that unforgettable style, Mr. Harvey would share “The rest of the story” which, in this case, was the fact that the oil crisis to which he referred was not in the 1970s but, instead, was the whale oil crisis of the 1870s. At that time, the world faced a critical shortage of whale oil, and it was only a matter of time, the experts proclaimed, until the world would face literal gloom and doom. In reality, while whale oil was dwindling, we did come up with a better alternative which has created new problems and, eventually, will become obsolete and be replaced by a new and improved solution that will, inevitably, create more problems.
No solution is permanent, and no problem is insurmountable. When you look at the headlines and predictions of the future, no one knows enough to be a pessimist; however, the future of the world is made up of billions of people who are each forging their own futures. If you believe in the predictions of gloom-and-doom, your own future may mirror your thoughts. On the other hand, if you’re convinced tomorrow will be better than today, at least in your own little world, you are right.
As you go through your day today, learn from history but remember tomorrow is a product of what we learn from yesterday and apply today.
Today is the day!
Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082; by e-mail at Jim@JimStovall.com; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jimstovallauthor.
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