Day 1 of a New Age
This was actually written on 12/22/2012 but I forgot to post... :) I was going to delete it, but it was kind of interesting.
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Like so many others, I really did not believe that the world was going to end on 12/21/12, although the date did have a lovely symmetry that coincided with the last day of 13'th Bak'tun of the Mayan Calendar.
Still, I cannot deny that, over the past several months, I've felt an impending sense of doom and a deep despair. I have fretted incessantly over the future of human civilization and, deep in my heart, I hoped for change on this epic date.
I do believe that change is in progress, and that our civilization is on the cusp of something new. Unfortunately, I see this being a result of people refusing to yield. Our world as we know it can change by means of peace or violence. It is our choice.
If you live in the United States, then you understand how the recent elections have been extremely influential in the overwhelming sense of doom. Without shame, I call myself a moderate. I can, without question, tell you that each extreme of our politics has positives and negatives. Friends who favor either party will call me an "extremist" of the other view because I don't wholeheartedly favor their opinion, or (horror of horrors!) I disagree with them.
I try to laugh over this, but it doesn't always work. Mostly, I can say that my blood pressure has gone up and that episodes of "Doomsday Preppers" started to make sense.
For the past two decades (perhaps longer, but I was too young to truly understand), our government has avoided the hard choices because the momentum of this huge behemoth of a country has carried us forward despite our government, not because of it. I believe, however, that the iceberg is about to impact and change our course, whether we like it or not - and the US is not alone. Many countries have relied on a larger economy to carry things forward, but we are reaching a critical mass.
Until we start trying to understand the other point of view, then we will never reach a compromise. All my life, I have understood this. This is how I've forgiven people who have wronged me in terrible ways. If you try to understand the *why* that others have done what they've done, then you can let go of any hate you have over their action.
Granted, some actions are nearly impossible to understand or forgive, but for *most* people, these wrongs are limited to minor things - an ambitious colleague at work, a bully at school, the inconsiderate driver in front of you.
But then we get into politics, which seems to rule our American lives these days. There are those entrenched in each extreme. As a moderate, I understand each side, and fail to see the lack of compromise. We break it down to religion or culture.
---
Like so many others, I really did not believe that the world was going to end on 12/21/12, although the date did have a lovely symmetry that coincided with the last day of 13'th Bak'tun of the Mayan Calendar.
Still, I cannot deny that, over the past several months, I've felt an impending sense of doom and a deep despair. I have fretted incessantly over the future of human civilization and, deep in my heart, I hoped for change on this epic date.
I do believe that change is in progress, and that our civilization is on the cusp of something new. Unfortunately, I see this being a result of people refusing to yield. Our world as we know it can change by means of peace or violence. It is our choice.
If you live in the United States, then you understand how the recent elections have been extremely influential in the overwhelming sense of doom. Without shame, I call myself a moderate. I can, without question, tell you that each extreme of our politics has positives and negatives. Friends who favor either party will call me an "extremist" of the other view because I don't wholeheartedly favor their opinion, or (horror of horrors!) I disagree with them.
I try to laugh over this, but it doesn't always work. Mostly, I can say that my blood pressure has gone up and that episodes of "Doomsday Preppers" started to make sense.
For the past two decades (perhaps longer, but I was too young to truly understand), our government has avoided the hard choices because the momentum of this huge behemoth of a country has carried us forward despite our government, not because of it. I believe, however, that the iceberg is about to impact and change our course, whether we like it or not - and the US is not alone. Many countries have relied on a larger economy to carry things forward, but we are reaching a critical mass.
Until we start trying to understand the other point of view, then we will never reach a compromise. All my life, I have understood this. This is how I've forgiven people who have wronged me in terrible ways. If you try to understand the *why* that others have done what they've done, then you can let go of any hate you have over their action.
Granted, some actions are nearly impossible to understand or forgive, but for *most* people, these wrongs are limited to minor things - an ambitious colleague at work, a bully at school, the inconsiderate driver in front of you.
But then we get into politics, which seems to rule our American lives these days. There are those entrenched in each extreme. As a moderate, I understand each side, and fail to see the lack of compromise. We break it down to religion or culture.