As a person grows older, they continue pursuing happiness much as they did in their youth. They find, sometimes surprisingly, that, as they mature, the target the target of their pursuit moves. That movement is the result of maturity. Let's consider how I see certain matters and how I cope with the resulting differences of my views vis-à-vis those of others.

• I see the world through the eyes of a traditional Christian.  My perspective tells me that Pres. Obama's moral leadership of the American people is not just bad, it is out-and-out immoral. Many fundamentalist and evangelical Christians, and at least one modern Gnostic sect, share my perspective.
• Someone with the perspective of a modern secularist tends to see Pres. Obama's moral leadership as righteous.
• Someone with a perspective like that of many modern Protestant Christians tends to see Pres. Obama's moral leadership as somewhere between the two extremes; they are generally accepting of it.

As I grow older, I remain a strong proponent of the traditional Christian perspective; however, the sharp edges of my judgments about people with differing views tend to be less sharp; worn down by the soothing sands of time. Now I think more in terms of an old American Indian proverb I have heard, remembered, and repeated all my life: Don't judge any man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.

Two moons equals about two months. But the proverb is not about time. It is about provoking you to consider the other person's life experiences: the challenges they have faced and overcome, the challenges they have faced and failed to overcome, and all those other things that go to make up a life in this vale of tears we live in. And, so, I become happier and more at peace with my fellowman as I mature.

Vale of tears? Yes, I believe we are put on this mortal coil to face a lifelong trial to see how we fare in this marathon test that determines our ability to enjoy the just rewards of a life that is on-balance well-meaning and selfless, or one that is hostile and filled with self-regard.