Last night I had a bit of an ironic experience. I was talking with some friends about the sadness of Alzheimer’s disease and the toll it takes on families. Very sad, difficult, and painful.
Then, before I went to bed, I watched about thirty minutes of “The Iron Lady,” in which Meryl Streep does a remarkable job portraying Margaret Thatcher, who was once the Prime Minister of England, and now suffers with Alzheimer’s herself. Such a brilliant mind to be lost to this disease.
If you haven’t seen the movie, you should check it out, even if it’s only to see Streep’s fine acting abilities.
Why did I want to write about this today? It’s because of a haunting line I heard last night.
Responding to a lady who attended a dinner at her house, Mrs. Thatcher said, “It used to be about doing something. Now its about being something.”
I think she’s right. It used to be the emphasis was on doing the right thing, no matter what the cost. Now, most of us are more concerned with ourselves, opting not to do something if it might have negative consequences.
What do you think?