Remember the whole "Keep Calm" phase we had in America a couple of years ago? Well, it's gone now. Feistiness and aggression have overtaken the land. Some of it is good. Passion is often very good, and proactivity is important. But we seem to have fallen into a trap of anger and resentment that has clouded our judgement as a nation. The internet serves to amplify the perception of a furious America. When one is keeping calm, one is often invisible, and so it seems that everyone is baring their teeth because we cannot see those who aren't. Still, it is clear that members of all sides of the chief concerns of today are turning their cards into Attack Mode. Maybe it's a trifling thing, in some ways, but try telling that to someone engaging in these behaviors.
At least the memes seem to have settled down a little bit in recent months. The satirical world is flexing in some places and transcending in others, in my opinion, while the Facebook meme world has reclaimed some of its former lightness and has shifted its ribbing toward affairs outside of simple politics. Now the tools of the fire-stoking trade have landed firmly with the Washington Post, Fox News, Stephen Colbert, Rush Limbaugh, the Huffington Post, Milo Yiannopoulos, and a few others.
During this yet-uneasy time, I wish to propose a return to a meme that has died. I present to you an unranked list of eleven of the best "Keep Calm And..." slogans we shouldn't have forgotten.
1. Keep Calm And Achieve Greatness
No, this isn't a MAGA reference. "Greatness" means something different to everyone, and to me "achieving greatness" means setting goals for yourself and meeting those expectations. We all have responsibilities to ourselves and to our communities, and sometimes, I think, we rely too much on others to achieve greatness and help others than for us to go out and change the world, in our big or little ways.
2. Keep Calm And Love Ice Cream
My apologies to the lactose-intolerant crowd. It's summer time here in the Northern Hemisphere, and if you are able to partake of the ice cream, I highly recommend it.
3. Keep Calm And Scout On
Examining new ideas is important, even if you're only looking at them from afar.
4. Keep Calm And Love One Another (John 15:12)
Yes, there's a Bible verse in this meme. If that means something to you, great. If it doesn't, I hope that you can still appreciate it without losing your calm over the hypocrisies of some individuals.
5. Keep Calm And Trust In God
While "God" is usually meant to denote the Christian LORD, I wish to use it here to mean any god or force of nature in which you might put your faith.
6. Keep Calm And Dream Big
"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse." - Walt Disney
While it might be easier for certain people to find their dreams coming true than for others to do so, dreaming big is always a concept I will stand behind.
7. Keep Calm And Let It Be
Just listen. (And then try out this mash-up with "The Scientist" by Coldplay.)
8. Keep Calm And Stay Positive
It's harder said then done, I know, but it's worth it if you can manage. Remember that even if there's a net-negative in a situation, there will often be a positive somewhere in the mix.
9. Keep Calm And Communicate
The complexity of human communications is both a blessing and a curse. Just please don't shout.
If you try to take two steps at a time, you're hopping, and hopping, while fun, is really tiring. Walk gracefully toward your goals, and you'll probably appreciate everything more when you finally arrive.
11. Keep Calm And Carry On
I considered putting the classic in the middle just to be different, but I think it's as good a conclusion as any for this listicle. Also, please read this as "Keep Calm And Persevere" rather than "Keep Calm And Bicker Loudly," because we have enough of that already.
