A distracted nation

I live in the United States of America. And if you want to know something about the state of our nation's union, relative to its own history and the rest of the world, here's a good summary.

This morning, while working out on an elliptical trainer, I was watching excerpts from President Obama's 'State of the Union' address, which was made last night. Seeking to inspire us, the president said that "this is our generation's Sputnik moment."

And right next to this was another television (part of a bank of 12 hanging from the gym ceiling) tuned to VH1, and showing a blonde woman singing and partying and doing a spectacular bungee jump from what appeared to be that Stratosphere tower in Las Vegas.

And on the other side of President Obama was a television tuned to an endless information about car repair.

Despite the rhetoric about our Sputnik moment, the truth is we are a distracted nation with no patience for long-term anything. My whole life has seen the rise of the "immediate gratification" generation, and it hasn't crested yet.

I'm not sure if the president addressed this in his speech because I was too busy watching the blonde woman bungee jumping.