When Was Our (Un)defining Moment?

I need to know, and I’m terrified to know

When did we become comfortable with complacency?

At some point, we made an effort to look adversity square in the face. And while we did, we pursed our lips and nodded our heads, saying all the while, “Okay, you win.”

When did that happen? Was it one, defining moment? Or was the slag of smugness a slow and steady burn?

I want to know, need to know.

But I fear that if I know — if I discovered it was simply one, singular episode — I would break.

It would be devastating to know we had the clock but not the courage. The moment but not the mettle. The skill but not the stamina.

Complacency is our new comfort. And I don’t know when that happened.