On my birthday over a hundred people were massacred. “For Christ’s sake. Come on, world!” I thought. “Can’t we all just get our shit together?” Events like that might have caused me greater disillusionment in the past, perhaps days feeling the blahs, but I’d listened to an inspirational talk on YouTube years ago and I’d heard, “No amount of you feeling bad will help someone else,” and it made complete sense to me. Not that unpleasant feelings shouldn’t be felt or even embraced with both arms, but in this case it was clear I didn’t need to chase them. The perpetrators had already done enough damage, and me being unhappy would help no one. So I didn’t read the news, or watch any more about the France event.
And then I had the best Birthday ever. The end.
Except it wasn’t the end. Because it never really is the end till we’re dead, though those who’ve seen ghosts or believe in reincarnation might disagree, but that’s not the point of this blog. Anyway, I’m alive, and later saw a friend’s FB post. “To honor the victims of the recent world tragedies, I encourage all of my friends to perform one act of kindness every day.” It was my friend Noelle, a person who volunteers her time and effort to help children.
“That’s it!” I thought. The perfect short answer. She’d pointed out what many of us already know deep down, to be true. Even in the face of insanity, we have the power to change the world for the better.
Speaking of change, I went to sleep not entirely happy with yesterday’s blog, so of course I woke up at 2:30 in the morning and re-did it to what you just read. I feel it’s more streamlined this way (though I still like the other version).
