I’m just starting to watch the election results roll in. I personally don’t think we’ll know who will lead our country for the next four years for awhile. I can envision the challenges already.

But whoever ultimately wins will have a monumental task ahead of him … healing the country. I don’t ever remember such vitriol  and I’ve been around for more than a few election cycles. We have the liberal left and radical right taking the rest of the country hostage. We’ve seen family values trampled and common sense hijacked.

A friend and I were commiserating about the state of the country the other day. We remembered a gentler time not so very long ago, and we both longed to go back to those simpler times.

Now, this isn’t an indictment on progress or science. In fact, I wouldn’t want to give back much of what has been accomplished technologically. Instead, this is a call for civility.

I have a few thoughts.

First, I would encourage English as the official language in the country. That’s not to disparage immigrants. My grandparents and probably yours came to this country from far off lands and assimilated into America. They learned English and it actually helped them succeed. They never gave up their culture but shared it in their new environs … and we are all the richer for it.

Remember when school started with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer? I do. Back then, we had a sense of pride in our country. We were reminded daily of our relationship with God, family and country.

I know this is a different time, but is it a coincident classrooms have become more unruly since we escorted the Pledge and God out of them? Spitballs have been replaced with weapons. Double dare taunting has escalated into bullying. Recess was a time for play rather than armed combat. We’ve taken away childhood and children are having children.

This is progress?

I think most the country — Democrats and Republicans alike — wants the same things from life, a sense of security, common sense, belief in each other, values and mutual respect. Isn’t it sad we have to walk through security screenings everywhere, are afraid to leave our homes unattended for fear of theft, have majority rights abridged by a few. Our leaders are not leading, they’re falling in line on both sides of the aisle.

I understand people may not agree all the time. In fact, I would get worried if they did. Sometimes it’s okay to agree to disagree. But it should never be okay to belittle or lie or fudge the facts until they are unrecognizable. There has to be some personal responsibility.

I believe all problems have a solution. The problems our president faces have solutions as well, but we have to get back to basics. We have to remember where we’ve been before we can move forward. It’s time to play nice in the sandbox … from Washington to our state capitals … to our counties, cities, villages and towns … to our schools … from Wall Street to Main Street …in our homes and communities.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Don’t compare yourself. Celebrate yourself.