Is it so difficult? Is it just not cool enough? Why is it fun to watch cruelty or meanness?
This morning I was sitting with my cup of coffee and catching the weather on the Today Show. As everyone knows the morning shows jump from one subject to another pretty quickly. Among the guests today, Donald Trump doing an interview about the new Celebrity Apprentice show. Now this sort of show is not my favorite thing. I don't like to watch people compete the way they do on this show. He made a comment about how the winnings go to charities and that is a wonderful thing. But he also made reference to the viciousness of the competition.
We are living in a world that often seems "Gone Mad". Bullying and violence. Cruelty and aggression. Our elected officials spend more time obstructing anything that could help the country. Social media has become a source of snark instead of a means of civil communication. Our children learn from the rich and famous to be cruel to one another.
The human race should be evolving and learning and teaching the young to care for one another.
I am not comfortable with the famous, competing for money to give a charity that is "won" by teaching our children that the only way to get ahead in life is to be cruel.
Human failing should teach us to stop and take a deep breath before we hurt someone else.
We are all only human and sometimes make mistakes. That is the way we learn. But we should acknowledge the error and apologize if we hurt someone else and then strive to be kinder the next time.
I am not comfortable watching our elected officials try to one up one another and with sheer meanness, hurt the people they represent.
Nobody is perfect, we all probably lash out at someone who has hurt us, but, and here is where the growth and evolution comes in; we can make a conscious decision to try not to lash out the next time.
Every day, I hope to be a kinder person. Every day, I hope to make a difference even if it is only the tiniest difference. I pray to think twice and speak only once. Be fair. Stand up for my convictions, but not at a cost to someone else.
Make someone smile. Tell someone something positive that makes a difference.
My wealth does not come from money. I am rich in family, friends and the company I keep. I don't want to hurt anyone and if I can make someone smile or feel better about who they are, I am rich. I won't be a pushover and I will defend myself and those I love, but I won't search someone out to hurt them.
Peace is something we can achieve. Security is something we can achieve. Not through force or hate. Not with guns or fences.
We are human beings. We can CHOOSE to evolve. We can CHOOSE to make peace. We can CHOOSE to be KIND.
If everyone would make the choice to be kind, just a little, every single day, we would all be rich. We would not need a weapon, we would not need the fear, we would not need the money.
My Dad told me a story just a few weeks before he died about being in the Navy in WWII. He was on an island where they had POW's. They would have work details on the other side of the island. Dad would get the rations for a meal and then take volunteers of prisoners to do the work. The prisoners would all want to volunteer and always did the work because Dad always made sure there was enough food for them and they would go to the beach after the work was done. He said that they were all soliders. All serving their country. All drafted to serve and stuck in the same situation. They respected each other. They were prisoners and guards and knew what was expected on each side. There was honor. Nobody was tortured or humiliated. Dad never understood why we would torture. There was not a cruel bone in his body. He didn't care what color you were or what you did for a living. You were a person and that was good enough for him. If you needed a friend he was the best friend you ever had.
That is what I think I would like to be, the best friend anyone ever had.
I am a huge fan of Ellen Degeneres. I watch her show as often as I can. I often dream of being "Genie", the gal who gets to knock on the doors and spread the kindness that is Ellen. So since I can't do that, I would like to follow her rule, the one thing she says and does every day, "Be Kind to One Another."
How hard can that be?
The answer to that is, Not Hard At All.
Be kind. Let me know how that works out for you.
If we all caught the kindness virus, it could become the best epidemic ever.
