The Fourth Turning

I've never been one to fall for prophecies as they pertain to future events, but The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe is a really interesting read.

Written back in 1997, it is uncanny how their research on historical societies and nations is being used to predict how America and other nations will function in the next few years. You could make the case that much of their arguments are being played out, but one also has to be careful over analyzing what they see in current events.

So, what is the book about? The book essentially discusses four turnings that societies all go through on a regular basis through the course of a single human life, or up to 100 years. The book is lengthy and can be tedious, but the insight is remarkable. Below are the four turnings they discuss. It is suggested that we as a nation are currently in the fourth.

• The First Turning is a High, an upbeat era of strengthening institutions and weakening individualism, when a new civic order implants and the old values regime decays.
  
• The Second Turning is an Awakening, a passionate era of spiritual upheaval, when the civic order comes under attack from a new values regime.
  
• The Third Turning is an Unraveling, a downcast era of strengthening individualism and weakening institutions, when the old civic order decays and the new values regime implants.
  
• The Fourth Turning is a Crisis, a decisive era of secular upheaval, when the values regime propels the replacement of the old civic order with a new one.
  
  (page 3)

Open letter to Hollywood

Dear Hollywood,

Would you please give Drew (aka thedayjobber) a chance and make him famous?

Sincerely,
- Ben

P.S. Here is a clip for your viewing pleasure.

Memories

Lately, I've been giving much thought to memories. As the song suggests, they really are precious.

I recall on several trips growing up, my dad always saying "we're making memories." Days before the Nashville flood of 2010, I listened to Maury Davis talk about the importance of not claiming stuff, but instead, memories. If God has given us anything that is uniquely ours, it is our memories.

In spite of any horrible memories we may have, I hope you'll find the good ones to encourage you and give you a smile when you need one most. A precious memory is like a beam of light in a dark room.