Back at the Trailhead

Three months ago I set out to explore where in the world my dollars were being sent and whether I approved where they had gone and what they were doing. I also proposed several places I wanted them to go and where I wanted them to do more.

Through my investigation I found myself gravitating toward issues at home. Some were new to me, others a part of my daily life. But in almost every post I faced a challenge: how to balance cultivation of the individual and maintenance of social spending and responsibility.  I grappled with this question while I was writing, trying to discern a concrete solution. At times I probed friends and family about my topics when I found myself really stuck, hoping someone across the aisle from me would help to provide a different perspective on the issue. In some cases their answers were surprising: they agreed with me much more than I had anticipated. In others they made me reconsider my initial position (which was precisely what I wanted). My ultimate conclusion, however, surprised even me: no clear-cut answer exists. Virtually everything has pros and cons, justification and remonstration. There is no definitive “right” in politics: there just is. And I vote based on how I view that is.  

I may not approve everything my tax dollars do. But as I learned, my tax dollars are much more complicated than they initially appear. Even now I feel slightly naïve because there is still so much I don’t know about them. Yet as I write my final post, I stand here more aware than I was in September and my curiosity has been peaked. Thank you to those who have been following along with me. I hope you’ve learned as much as I have.  

Warning sign en route up Long's Peak in Colorado (2011).  Mountain climbing is hard. Learning is hard. Politics is hard and particularly messy. Never let the fear of lightning stop you from attempting the climb. Be smart about it but be brave. Happy thinking!