When I survey the landscape that seems to be playing out on the "world stage," I really cannot help but think of Billy.  Most people liked the kid and everyone knew the potential that existed in him.  There was something about him though, he just did not typically finish what he started.  Even teachers enjoyed him in class, he displayed thoughtfulness and attentiveness.  I guess Billy just had us all fooled.

Truthfully, he just got by in school, he did just enough to get a decent grade to move on through the years.  Eventually, in middle school, was the time it.  We had a great shop teacher and he was the one to call out Billy.

The event that brought this all to a boil was the very first project in shop class.  Mr. Weaver thoroughly explained the project and he took about a week to guide us through the various stages and machines that we would endeavor to get this project done.  The grading in shop class was set up in a way that the two big projects that we did were something like 80% of our grade.

So Billy couldn't use his witty class participation to outweigh the final results of the projects.  In typical Billy fashion though, he started out just killing it on the project and he was hanging with the top producers in our class initially.  As the project unfolded though, Billy just began to lose interest and he just slacked off.  He coasted to the finish line, basically, and Mr. Weaver noticed and was not happy.  He was the kind of guy to do something about it if he could and that is exactly what he did.

First, he checked around the school with some other teachers and he even went to some of Billy's teachers the previous year.  Billy's oral report card came back with the results that Mr. Weaver suspected.  What a talented kid Billy really is, but when the rubber meets the road and things really get going, he seems to downshift and coast and mediocrity ensues.

Mr. Weaver had a pretty close relationship with Billy's guidance counselor.  I forget the guys name, but I know Mr. Weaver went to the guidance counselor and they thought the best course of action would be to have a sit down with Billy.  Essentially, to air it all out, the shop teach, the guidance counselor and the kid that just did not like to finish things and take responsibility for himself and his work.

Well, the big day came and the sit down commenced.  Billy felt the heat right away as the teachers began to unwind is middle school history, which basically told the story of a student brimming with talent that just did not have the drive to go the distance and finish strong scholastically.  Truthfully, many average students are in the same boat, but Billy really led the pack and at this time, it was moment-of-truth-time for him.

Faced with the truth and his history of neglecting his work near the finish line, Billy could tell that he needed to hear, face and react to the proverbial music.  Before Billy even had the chance to talk, both teachers painted the picture of the talent that he possessed, but they also brushed the strokes that  muddied the masterpiece due to laziness, restlessness and probably even a bit of boredom.

Billy sat there for a second, just taking it all in.  The silence and reflection just added to the mood, the stunned silence of reality that every single one of us has to absorb at moments in life.  Billy could not wiggle his way out of this intervention and he totally knew it.

Eventually, out it came, Billy nonchalantly says, "I have trouble taking full responsibility for myself, but that is not entirely my fault."

I get the impression that as unfortunate as it really is, the world leaders will never have to take any responsibility at all, for their hideous examples of leadership.  I do not think many, if even one, knows what it truly means to be a servant leader. 

In the USforA, these elected positions at all levels of government, are supposed to servants of We the People.  Instead, they are Rockstars-in-their-own-minds and, basically, superstars of the small screen and worthy of our praise and adoration.  They are supposed to actually be on a level that stands below We the People.  Elected leaders are not supposed to be on a pedestal at all, We the People are supposed to on that pedestal.  If one reads the Constitution, it is easy to see that God granted us our rights and they are unalienable.  I could not possibly give them away even if I wanted or tried to.

Instead of a free, perfect, and nearly the Garden of Eden environment, we are being led by a squadron of people like Billy and, of course, it is not even remotely close to being their fault.