Can the Pope's visit make America a kinder, gentler place?

The news has been loaded with violent stories recently. I don't want to read about another child that was senselessly killed. I don't want to read about another senseless school shooting. I don't want to read about another police officer that was senselessly shot on duty. The key word here is senseless. America has become a more violent place.

But has America also become a meaner place? Road rage has become a common event. It's not uncommon to overhear in a store somebody being rude with another party or to store personnel. In national politics the loyal opposition has turned into lying morons. Internet forums are an interesting place. You can post your opinion on anything. But prepare to be attacked by those that don't happen to agree. Back in the day, taking your family to join a crowd at a sporting event was a great idea. The worst thing that could happen would be if you were sitting next to somebody with a bad cigar. Now you would hesitate to bring a youngster with the common language they would hear. (Of course, they would be protected from the cigar smoke nowadays.)

The point I'm trying to make is - I don't think it used to be this way. The past always sounds and looks like a Norman Rockwell painting when people my age start talking about it. But I would like to point out a couple of "for instances".

The attack of social media.

Communication: America communicates like mad these day. You can e-mail, text, tweet, facebook, blog (like me), instagram, snapchat, reddit, foursquare, linkedin, pinterest, and for hipsters - google +. That doesn't take into account traditional media outlets such as radio (broadcast and satellite), and television (broadcast, streaming, and the hundreds and hundreds of cable stations). Then there are magazines, and their digital counterpart, and the dying local print newspaper industry. But they all have a common thread - it's instant and impersonal.

I don't have any statistics to support this but I believe we actually talk less to each other. Both directly and on the phone. That would require conversation skills that are part of the lost civility these days.

Howdy neighbor!

Modern Real Estate design: What? How could real estate design have an effect on how America acts? Allow me to make a point. (even if it's not a strong one). Take a ride in an old neighborhood. The older the better. Ignore the fact that many of these neighborhoods are run down today, and look at the houses. There's a good chance you will see house after house built the same distance from the street, and about only 6 feet apart. But they usually all have a common thread: a front porch. Back in the day people would sit on their porch read the paper, listen to the game, say hi to the neighbor, waive to the kids walking by. They knew their neighbors, they knew their neighbors kids. I know times have changed. (Does anybody know what a milk chute was?)

Now take a look at a modern home. Most don't have a front porch. If they do, it's mostly for decoration. You usually can't see your neighbor from them. They do seem to be secure however. Dead bolts, multiple locks, and the optional security systems. You have to make a determined effort if you want to talk to your neighbor.

It didn't rain during his visit. Divine intervention?

This brings me to the Pope's visit. (I bet you were wondering when I'd get there.) Pope Francis is  the present leader of the worlds 1.1 billion Catholics.  That sounds like an impressive number but that number includes all shades from devout to Christmastime Catholics.  Even still, 1.1 billion only represents about 16% of the worlds population. So there's plenty of people that only see him as somebody in the news.

Nevertheless, I hope most people view him as sort of a moral compass, similar to the Dalai Lama.  He has admitted and apologized for past tragedies. He seems to be reconciling, welcoming, and hopeful to all isolated groups. As for Catholics themselves, Some see him as too progressive, some as too conservative. So he must be doing a good job.

He visited politicians in Washington, UN diplomats in New York, and regular folks in Philadelphia. Topics he spoke about ranged from taking care of the planet, to the importance of the family, (or what qualifies as a family these days). But in the end, you could boil his message down to The Golden Rule: "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you."

If America could take that message of love and caring to heart, even for a few weeks, we would be in a better place. If people could take a breath and think before they say something unkind to somebody else, the Pope's visit will be a success. If because of the visit, somebody could just think before firing a shot that takes the life of a beautiful young child, the visit would become miraculous.

So this week, say hi to your neighbor, have a live conversation with a friend, and choose your words carefully when angry. Sometimes very small acts can have a huge effect.