Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Chaos can be messy at times

Forgive me for my little rant. I need to get this off my chest. Once again I've listened to a little too much news and I'm getting tired. Only this time I think it's brought me to a realization.

I know why we are in this mess.

We've stopped giving a shit about each other. And ourselves, for that matter. We can't tolerate anything different than ourselves. Hell, we can't even stand to hear it let alone consider it with an open mind. We don't have any patience left. (is that somewhere with our sanity?) Imperfection is a plague amongst us, to be shunned and rid at all costs. Not to mention love. As my mother says, "Where's the love?" I don't know, Mom, I don't know.

Somewhere along the line, someone or a whole buncha someone's, decided that fear was a better place to be. It'd be better if we were afraid of the devil, or sex, or being able to read and learn, or taking our health into our own hands, or each other. So, who's grand idea was that?

First it was power, then it was money and now it's power and money. It's the Cruella DeVille in the big fat Cadillac and fear is the 80's diesel fuel sending it careening around the corners of our life. Off to kill the puppies. Again.

Everyone's in an uproar over AIG. Bonuses. Bailouts. Simulus. Socialism. Wanna know the real secret? Do you really want to know who is to blame?

Every person who has committed an act of greed. Every act of selfishness, every unkind word, every snub or judgment. Some of us are better at it than others. I've seen the enemy, and it is us.

I imagine that just about every person at AIG had good intentions. They all just wanted to make a little money, right? For some that was a living wage (the janitors? customer service reps?) and some wanted millions (because that's what all the big wig Jones are getting!). Nothing wrong with wanting money. Except when it doesn't include compassion for your fellow man.

Just like the current presdential administration has good intentions. Why wouldn't the president want to fix the economy? He - and every person who works for him - would be crazy not to. So for those of you pissing and moaning about the "socialism" and the "just won't work" and the "it'll fail miserably"... If you don't have any better ideas or you're not willing to collaborate with others to solve the problem, just shut it.

Let me give you an example. Let's pretend we're all Amish. We have to build a big barn for all our cows or they'll all run away and we won't have food. (remember: no food=bad) We don't have electricity or big machines so it takes every able bodied person to help. Complicated sketches and blueprints that everyone can't read (contracts) means the barn won't get built (no food=bad). Whining that it will never work, is leading us into doom and in general is a bad idea will mean you get kicked out (no food=bad). Deciding that you deserve more cows than everyone else (bonuses) will get you stoned (stoned=bad). Do you see where I'm going with this? As I say to my kids, find a way to solve the problem by working together or go to your room and cry by yourself.

If we cared about each other, we wouldn't need so many laws. If people had integrity anymore, there wouldn't be a need for 300 page contracts with clauses I don't understand. If we all loved ourselves, we could send the drug lords back to Mexico and we could close the eating disorder clinics. If we had compassion for our fellow man, we could sit back and share our money and enjoy those luxuries knowing that there is always enough to go around, instead of wondering if we'll even survive the next 50 years.

What will mess and chaos do for you? Will it send you further into hate and despair or will you use it to wake up and be kind to mankind?

I thought so.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen! I've said this for years; our society is broken because we are all "special" the "star of our own little world" The sense of comunity is gone, we share little. From the guy at the 4-way stop who slides through with the guy in front rather than waiting his turn, to the guy in the shiny BMW who tosses his fast food trash out the window, heaven forbid he put it on the floor of his pretty car, to the rich people that wanted their tax cuts; even though the tab will be on my grandkids.

Tamlin said...

Nicely written! The Amish analogy was awesome!