Of course, there are factors that change this thoughtless mindset from time to time, including catastrophic world or local events, such as tornadoes, tsunamis, plane crashes, or terrorist actions. We'll dutifully rally around the select tragedy, hold hands, sing Kumbaya and give our kids a little extra squeeze, or tussle the hair of our neighbor's offspring before running back inside our homes, or local shelters, to catch the second half of, Celebrity Game Night. Often times it requires a terminal affliction to a friend or family member to wake us from our comas of self-righteousness. Why is this true and what can impact your life, so intensely that you count each and every blessing, even if it is for a brief moment in time?
I grew up, like so many others, in my own bubble of existence for a large portion of my youth and adult life. I found a particular setting inside my comfort zone and did not venture too far left, or too far right, lest I be left vulnerable to, gasp, the Big Bad WORLD. Things were safe inside my bubble and that's just the way I liked it. I could do the things I wanted to do, make the plans I wanted make and not worry about anything else, because nothing could affect me. No harm could ever come to me, or my friends, or family. I was in-VINCE-able! The first time I ventured beyond the mental solitude of my spherical naiveté was when I attended college and that was a pin-prick-letting-loose-a-slow-steady-stream-of-air experience, although it seemed much more daunting at the time. It was a time that was impactful from an adolescent standpoint, but it certainly didn't make me appreciate things any more, or any less. I was eighteen, on my own and prepared to conquer anything that stood in my way. No, my bubble bursting-wrap-around-your-face experience came on our first trip to Haiti, when we were immersed in the emotional and bureaucratic nightmare of bringing home our eldest child.
From the moment we stepped off the plane it was an unmistakable impression, one of desperation and need. But there was something else very peculiar that stood out, as well. It was a propensity for survival and a celebration of life, regardless of the circumstances; the realization that these people were dealt a hand they did not ask for, or deserve, but were willing to play out, due to the magnitude of their character and prideful heritage, long instilled in them from generations of turmoil and the most severe abuse and neglect imaginable. And what passed as middle class living in this beautiful country, would make the ghettos in America look like a poorly conceived SNL skit. It was impossible to fathom and I remember thinking, vividly, 'This is something every American citizen should be required to endure and experience'. I came home a different man. No longer would I be wrapped in the cloak of my material prison, but instead would live in the virtue of service, impacting the lives of those less fortunate than me and enacting change through action, instead of words. And, I did. And, it was the most fulfilling month of my entire life.
It was funny how the cycle played out, going from my freshly minted impressions of our stupid, jaded society, to slowly and imperceptibly being dragged right back in. Most literally, I went from appreciating everything about my life and those closest to me, to a slow, slippery, regression back to the mindset of people I looked down on, despised and who just didn't get it. I allowed myself to be assimilated back to the American way of thinking, and 'acting', and it made me sick. But, I allowed myself to reconstruct a new bubble and fall back in line, dutifully, ironically enough, because honestly, it was too much work and required too much dedication and conviction to behave in an honorable, or idealistic manner.
Our fatalistic mindset continues to be our downfall. We refuse to allow anything to infiltrate our daily lives, until it is often times, too late. This is a glaring flaw in the character of our country, or what's left of it. We shuffle through life, rarely giving thought to the question, 'What if'? What if it is all taken away tomorrow? What if I lose a limb, or become paralyzed in a horrific accident? What if a close friend is told they have 6 months to live in the course of a routine physical, or a family member perishes at the hand of a drunk driver? What has it all been worth then, or have we even bothered to give it a moments' consideration? All of our plans, and hopes and dreams taken away, literally in the blink of an eye. This is real. This is life. I mean, do you really think, the young man standing in the shower that morning, preparing for his second week of training in his new career, ever gave a passing thought to that semi hitting a patch of black ice, sending it careening into the side of the vehicle he was traveling in, causing it to lose control and crash, killing him?!? Or, what about the man who went to his doctor because he didn't feel quite right, and was told he had maybe 30 days to live...and survived 2 weeks?
It's unconscionable that we don't hold our lives, and the lives of others, in higher regard on a daily basis. It's unimaginable that we allow people to suffer all around us, while we prosper, and it's unforgivable that we don't tell the individuals who mean the most to us and have impacted our lives immeasurably, that we love them; often. Because, while it's acceptable, and expected, that we should have goals for the future, we need to live now and 'seize the day'. If you don't believe me, ask some of my friends and family. After all, you've just been introduced.
Until tomorrow(?),
Scott
I grew up, like so many others, in my own bubble of existence for a large portion of my youth and adult life. I found a particular setting inside my comfort zone and did not venture too far left, or too far right, lest I be left vulnerable to, gasp, the Big Bad WORLD. Things were safe inside my bubble and that's just the way I liked it. I could do the things I wanted to do, make the plans I wanted make and not worry about anything else, because nothing could affect me. No harm could ever come to me, or my friends, or family. I was in-VINCE-able! The first time I ventured beyond the mental solitude of my spherical naiveté was when I attended college and that was a pin-prick-letting-loose-a-slow-steady-stream-of-air experience, although it seemed much more daunting at the time. It was a time that was impactful from an adolescent standpoint, but it certainly didn't make me appreciate things any more, or any less. I was eighteen, on my own and prepared to conquer anything that stood in my way. No, my bubble bursting-wrap-around-your-face experience came on our first trip to Haiti, when we were immersed in the emotional and bureaucratic nightmare of bringing home our eldest child.
From the moment we stepped off the plane it was an unmistakable impression, one of desperation and need. But there was something else very peculiar that stood out, as well. It was a propensity for survival and a celebration of life, regardless of the circumstances; the realization that these people were dealt a hand they did not ask for, or deserve, but were willing to play out, due to the magnitude of their character and prideful heritage, long instilled in them from generations of turmoil and the most severe abuse and neglect imaginable. And what passed as middle class living in this beautiful country, would make the ghettos in America look like a poorly conceived SNL skit. It was impossible to fathom and I remember thinking, vividly, 'This is something every American citizen should be required to endure and experience'. I came home a different man. No longer would I be wrapped in the cloak of my material prison, but instead would live in the virtue of service, impacting the lives of those less fortunate than me and enacting change through action, instead of words. And, I did. And, it was the most fulfilling month of my entire life.
It was funny how the cycle played out, going from my freshly minted impressions of our stupid, jaded society, to slowly and imperceptibly being dragged right back in. Most literally, I went from appreciating everything about my life and those closest to me, to a slow, slippery, regression back to the mindset of people I looked down on, despised and who just didn't get it. I allowed myself to be assimilated back to the American way of thinking, and 'acting', and it made me sick. But, I allowed myself to reconstruct a new bubble and fall back in line, dutifully, ironically enough, because honestly, it was too much work and required too much dedication and conviction to behave in an honorable, or idealistic manner.
Our fatalistic mindset continues to be our downfall. We refuse to allow anything to infiltrate our daily lives, until it is often times, too late. This is a glaring flaw in the character of our country, or what's left of it. We shuffle through life, rarely giving thought to the question, 'What if'? What if it is all taken away tomorrow? What if I lose a limb, or become paralyzed in a horrific accident? What if a close friend is told they have 6 months to live in the course of a routine physical, or a family member perishes at the hand of a drunk driver? What has it all been worth then, or have we even bothered to give it a moments' consideration? All of our plans, and hopes and dreams taken away, literally in the blink of an eye. This is real. This is life. I mean, do you really think, the young man standing in the shower that morning, preparing for his second week of training in his new career, ever gave a passing thought to that semi hitting a patch of black ice, sending it careening into the side of the vehicle he was traveling in, causing it to lose control and crash, killing him?!? Or, what about the man who went to his doctor because he didn't feel quite right, and was told he had maybe 30 days to live...and survived 2 weeks?
It's unconscionable that we don't hold our lives, and the lives of others, in higher regard on a daily basis. It's unimaginable that we allow people to suffer all around us, while we prosper, and it's unforgivable that we don't tell the individuals who mean the most to us and have impacted our lives immeasurably, that we love them; often. Because, while it's acceptable, and expected, that we should have goals for the future, we need to live now and 'seize the day'. If you don't believe me, ask some of my friends and family. After all, you've just been introduced.
Until tomorrow(?),
Scott
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