Be Angry, But Sin Not
Did you Vote?
If you don't, then "You're Not Mad Enough!" I personally think that you have to be crazy to vote today. Now before someone says I'm advocating for staying away from the polls, then you just hit upon one of the problems of this society--especially today. People jump before you even finish talking and then they go off on life's proverbial tangents. And then we're off! Off to disagreeing before we even know what we're arguing about. Off to hating each other before we know who the other is. We're off to the races of discord and disharmony. We're off to a place that doesn't really exist except in our arrogance, bigotry and biases.
We're way off!
We say, "We're mad as hell and we say we're not going to take it anymore." Somehow we are all angry. About something. I understand. My first Wacky Peacemaking essay was about being pissed off. And this last year, I've been plenty angry and had plenty to be angry about. Yeah, a lot, in fact. More in the last year then I have been most of my life. I've found little to be joyful about since finding out just how disappointing human experience can be.
The older I get, the more I realize that I am just a little crazy. Crazy for feeling so blue. Crazy for letting it get to me. The "it" is that we are part of a human family and we act like strangers. The "it" is that our arrogance makes us think that only a certain segment of the population has the answers. The "it" is that we, after centuries, are not evolving into a species that has the capacity to see beyond the violence of our fears and anger and be something better. After all these centuries--millennium--on this planet. (By the way-- I wonder if there are evolved beings elsewhere--but I digress.)
Crazy!
Crazy enough to acknowledge and not hide my displeasure. Crazy enough to know that displeasure requires action. Crazy enough to not give up. Crazy enough to finally say something about it all. Crazy enough to take time to listen. Crazy enough to take time to pray and meditate. I'm just crazy enough to write once again that it is time to go crazy. Crazy enough to make a difference in the world.
Look, lately I've been studying (well, for 3 years now-officially) communication. But, truth is that communication is studied every day of our lives. Here's what I believe. I believe that if we would stop to think before we speak ... and stop after we've spoken to listen ... and listen with an ear towards understanding, true understanding ... if we humble ourselves ... We Will Evolve.
We're way off!
We say, "We're mad as hell and we say we're not going to take it anymore." Somehow we are all angry. About something. I understand. My first Wacky Peacemaking essay was about being pissed off. And this last year, I've been plenty angry and had plenty to be angry about. Yeah, a lot, in fact. More in the last year then I have been most of my life. I've found little to be joyful about since finding out just how disappointing human experience can be.
The older I get, the more I realize that I am just a little crazy. Crazy for feeling so blue. Crazy for letting it get to me. The "it" is that we are part of a human family and we act like strangers. The "it" is that our arrogance makes us think that only a certain segment of the population has the answers. The "it" is that we, after centuries, are not evolving into a species that has the capacity to see beyond the violence of our fears and anger and be something better. After all these centuries--millennium--on this planet. (By the way-- I wonder if there are evolved beings elsewhere--but I digress.)
Crazy!
Crazy enough to acknowledge and not hide my displeasure. Crazy enough to know that displeasure requires action. Crazy enough to not give up. Crazy enough to finally say something about it all. Crazy enough to take time to listen. Crazy enough to take time to pray and meditate. I'm just crazy enough to write once again that it is time to go crazy. Crazy enough to make a difference in the world.
Look, lately I've been studying (well, for 3 years now-officially) communication. But, truth is that communication is studied every day of our lives. Here's what I believe. I believe that if we would stop to think before we speak ... and stop after we've spoken to listen ... and listen with an ear towards understanding, true understanding ... if we humble ourselves ... We Will Evolve.
aaah this is great... i'm glad to hear someone else is trying to think creatively on the peacemaking track. I appreciate it, and i'll definitely be following your stories.
ReplyDeletewww.peace-catalyst.net is a website run by a peacemaking organization in Arizona... they have some innovative programs going on you might want to check out!