I'm sitting here writing this post because a lot has been on my mind lately. As you may or may not know, I have been on a journey in my recent life. A journey to explore and discover and live and proclaim. I want to find my truth and live it to the fullest. I want to spread as much love as I can to those that I can.
I could spend my life doing this. In fact, it is my plan to. What nobler plan is there than that?
But I didn't sign on to talk about nobility or even myself. I wanted to talk about humanity and the nature of it. I am consoling a friend through text right now because she has just been shut out by a woman she thought she would spend her life with. The two of them are my friends, one more so than the other, but still I am here for both of them.
My problem is: how are two such beautiful people (I'm speaking about inner beauty here, though they are both gorgeous) tangling each other up in a mess that makes them want to hurt themselves? How can people do that to one another?
I think that if people reflexively told the truth the way that they...ate food...or took a breath...then things would be much simpler. Instead people lie to each other and in the end someone if not everyone gets hurt. People say they care, when they don't. They say they love someone when in reality they hate the very thought of being with that person. All in the name of one thing or another. To save face or to keep the peace.
Except the only thing one accomplishes by doing this is to further complicate and further hurt those around them.
This is not new age philosophy or even self-help jargon. This people, is pure hard fact. In fact many new age ideas can really be seen for what they are when you study them: old age philosophy. Old ideas are being remembered by modern man all the time now. Old ideas are resurfacing and because we have lost touch with the wisdom presented to us we have labeled it 'new age.' Well for humanity's sake I do hope there really is a new age coming because the old one simply isn't working anymore.
We buy computers and hook up internet so that we stay connected. The first words out of people's mouths who have just become friends are: "Do you have a facebook?" "Do you have a myspace?" And the answer is usually yes. But what if it was no? Would that be the end of the line for that particular friendship? Or could we possibly live without all that stuff which we say makes our lives easier in lieu of doing as the world does and embracing it?
Where are the days when you knew all of your neighbors on your street? Where are the days when you said hello to the mail man or smiled at someone as you let them pass you on the highway? If that is old think then I want everyone to remember those ways. I want us to be able to connect with each other the way we used to and still have the same liberties that we have fought so hard for through history. The perfect combination of old and new.
I know by now you are all thinking that I have gone on a tangent but I want you to seriously consider the things you don't do and why you don't do them. Then I want you to think about what would happen in your life if you did do them.
An example for you:
My father asked me to attend a fourth of july gathering at my Uncle's house. I have much distaste for family functions when it comes to my father's side. Simply because it always felt like a chore and because when I was a kid I felt like I wasn't incorporated into the family bonding. The adults would sit and drink beers and sing karaoke and at the time I had no interest in any of that. Partly it was my fault because I used to be painfully shy and low on self esteem. I was chubby and shiny and more importantly I felt like an outsider because I am gay.
Instead of saying no or not responding, I told my father that I would go. On the day of the event I seriously considered skipping out and driving down to Tal-Town to see my mother. Except I thought...if I don't go, this will be one more reason that my father shouldn't believe in me. This will be one more reason for him to be bitter. This will be one more thing he remembers and holds against me about the past. And I don't want to do that to him.
I want him to know that I am truly hoping for a better relationship with him. I want him to know that I am no longer a child but I am an adult. An adult who sticks to his word and who faces the things he doesn't always want to face.
So I went. I drove the one and a half hours it takes to get there and I was welcome by a chorus of my name being shouted happily by relatives. I was making these people happy by being there. I was making conversation and catching up with almost all of my aunts and uncles and cousins. Even though I originally didn't want to go, I was glad that I had.
I drank beer and I sang karaoke but more importantly I gave my father something to believe in.
What if we could do that for strangers too? Well...we can.
We can give complete and utter strangers hope for humanity itself if we could all just remember to be a little nicer to those around us. Karma, justice, doing to others what you would want done to you...these are all matters under the same name.
Here's my thought for the day. You get in what you put out. If you radiate happiness and positivity then I honestly believe that you will make not only yourself happier but those in your life will be happier because of it.
I'll get off of my soap box now but...keep me in your thoughts and I'll do the same.
That's all.
-J-
(picture from: http://maikanhill.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/dark-heart.jpg)
Posts
