So Good

Our world is filled with negativity. It’s unrelenting. Unfortunately, that negativity also frequently blinds us to the good in this world. And there’s so much good.

Occasionally, I think it’s useful to pause and reflect on how good we have it these days.

Let’s count the many ways.

Infant survival. In 1916, for every 1,000 babies born in the U.S., 100 died. With better technology, better nutrition, and better access to expert caregivers, the infant mortality rate has dropped to 5.4 deaths for every 1,000 babies born. The devastation of infant loss has been reduced dramatically.

Longer lives. Not only are more babies surviving, but they are living longer lives, too. If you were born in the U. S. when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the average life expectancy was 40 years. By 1900, it inched up to 47 years. Progress was slow. But it has since exploded. Babies born today are expected to live 80 years. Not only longer lives, but also healthier and more productive lives, too.

Less poverty. In the 1960s, the government waged a war on poverty. The government unleashed a sweeping set of programs to counteract those struggling to get by. Before then, about 22% of Americans lived in poverty. Today the rate is half that. More Americans are more financially secure than ever before.

Thermal comfort. Our ancestors used stoves to combat the cold of winter. They chopped firewood, let it dry, and relentlessly shoveled it into fireboxes to stay warm. On the other hand, they essentially had no solution to counteracting the heat of summer. The best they could do was rely on natural airflow. They eventually would place blocks of ice in front of handheld or mechanical fans to find some semblance of coolness. Today we push a button to keep our houses locked at any temperature we want. We pull blankets up to our chins in the dead of summer.

Clean water. Early Americans were forced to rely on Mother Nature. Water came strictly from lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. There were no taps. It was hard telling if the water was safe or teaming with bacteria, sewage, or other pollutants. That eventually led to public utilities. Now we have as much water as we want and never worry about its quality – unless there’s an announced water advisory.

Abundant food. In early America, food was seasonal and oftentimes scarce. It was also incredibly labor-intensive. Take lettuce, for example. In the Heartland, you would have had to grow it yourself – or had a friendly neighbor supply you – if you wanted lettuce in the 1800s. Even then, it was only available in the summer. In the 1920s, lettuce was shipped from California by railcar in wooden crates packed with melting ice. Now trucks with strict temperature and humidity controls bring fresh lettuce to your local grocery store any time of the year – usually without cyclospora.

Fast travel. New York City and Los Angeles are 2,400 miles apart, as the crow flies. In the 1800s, it took at least four months to make the trek on a horse. Once the early transcontinental rail infrastructure was in place, it took around seven days. Today you can jump on a commercial jet and make the trip in six hours – while sipping on a Coca-Cola and watching a movie.

Information availability. In the early days of this country, most knowledge was passed down via word of mouth. Knowledge was remarkably local and limited. The printing press was a godsend, allowing information to be disseminated to a broad audience – as long as you were able to access the printed material. Today if you want to fix a broken oven, you can find the manual online in minutes, along with dozens of how-to videos on ways to potentially fix your problem. Given the electronics, you may not be able to fix your oven after all, but, hey, the information is there.

There are so many more examples – pain control, cancer treatments, entertainment options, and the list goes on.

We are spoiled today and don’t even recognize it. Our forebearers would. They couldn’t fathom what the average person has today. It’s incredible to think that virtually anyone born before us would gladly trade their lives for ours.

We have it so good.