“Would you like to save the world from the degradation and destruction it seems destined for? Then step away from shallow mass movements and quietly go to work on your own self-awareness….Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.” - Lao-tzu

In a democracy, we get the leaders we deserve. Presidents are like giant mirrors, reflecting who we are back to us. We’ve been lions like Washington, liberators like Lincoln, and social engineers like Roosevelt. But what are we with Trump? We’re looking at the reflection, and some of us love this image. Others do not. I’m not going to argue the rightness or wrongness of Trump. However, I will argue that he was the perfect leader for our time. I’m also going to argue that he is who he is, and that is us. If you don’t like what you see, then you should consider looking within yourself.

We’ve forgotten that the government is by and for the people. It’s these crass, childish politicians that we elect over and over who make us think government is the problem. They’re like drunk extensions of our worst selves. Remember the old saying, “Drinking only enhances your personality.”

We need to put away the myth of the savior politician. They’re just flawed people like the rest of us with egos in desperate need of validation. We have to pressure all of them, all the time to do the right thing, to act in our interests, or they won’t.

So what does Trump being “perfect” mean? We shouldn’t be arguing about whether Trump was a good or bad president. He is who he is - the perfect president for our times. As Pogo says, “We’ve met the enemy and he is us.”

Donald Trump perfectly embodies the current state of American popular culture. If you don’t like the current state of affairs, look inside yourself to see how you’ve contributed to this environment. We all did something (or didn’t do something) that made a nice warm place for Mr. Trump to thrive and ascend to the highest office.

What can you do?

“Do you want to change the world? I don’t think it can be done.

The world is perfect and cannot be changed.” - Lao-tzu

You cannot change the world, but you can change yourself. Remember, Trump was not an accident. He is not a clown. He is us, and maybe that is what hurts some of us so much.

Since I came into office, I have been contemplating how I could change my habits to make a better place for my family and our constituents. I have been working on my plan based on my favorite past time, riding my motorcycle.

If you’re interested in how I was able to move forward, the title of the book is, “The Ride of Passage.” Don’t be surprised if you find yourself mentioned in the final draft of the book.