Life can be cruel. It’s cruel that people know they are going to die.
It’s like someone telling you the ending of the story before you have sat down to read it.
And that’s why this moment matters. Because we make it count with the time we have left.
Time is in no hurry. People are.
In no time at all this will be the distant past.
Well, that depends. Is it bad that teens are arguing less with their parents, are waiting to have sex, consuming less alcohol and drugs? After all that leads to fewer teens running away, less teen pregnancy, and a decrease in drunk driving. But at what cost? Teens are feeling more scared of the world and don’t progress, we now have 14-year-olds trapped in an 18-year-old body.
It’s easy to assume that every change in the landscape must be either good or bad. But that is never the case. The full picture is a bit of both. We are too quick to identify trends as something we want more of or less because more than anything we fear change. Seeing it come like a wave, is indeed excruciating, even when we lie to ourselves about the type of wave we think it is out there on the horizon.
In Sikhism, it means to be on the path.
Each of us is on our own path.
And when we can respect everyone’s journey, we can also accept that people will come and go from our life. Even the ones we love.
Much like a dove, we must set each other free. Free of attachment and not put the burden on others for happiness.
In many religions, there is some kind of ritual that signifies losing the self and starting a new life. (Christians perform a baptism, Buddhists reach enlightenment, Hindus there is a bathing ritual, Muslims say a prayer.) That feeling of renewal doesn’t have to be a one-time event in one’s life.
It could be going to sleep and waking up. It could be having surgery and coming out the other side. It could be starting a new job. It could also be walking through a door or starting your car.
Renewal is an act of awareness. Starting today, right now, at this moment, I am going to be the person I say I want to be.
Everyone old enough knows that Santa isn’t real. We know because we can test it. We can be good all year and not have a present show up under the tree from the big guy on Christmas.
We sort of think we don’t have to explain this to our kids–they will simply grow out of it. Sparing many parents from disappointing conversations. (Of course, not everyone chooses to do this.)
Yet, there are many myths, dogmas, conspiracy theories, and urban legends that persist in our culture and thrive today. Are we hoping people will grow out of them or will someone need to tell them? Who is going to be the messenger?
Indeed, we will go to great lengths to spare the feelings of people we love. And for everyone else, we say, “They should know better.”
It’s easy to look back at history and say, “That’s weird. Someone from 2,000 years ago should have known better.” After all, people had the same capabilities as we do today–they argued, fought, had empathy, and speculated if the world would end. But history wasn’t a field of study or practice back then. Almost no one knew how to read and write (except for the debt collectors). Where could people draw back from to learn lessons? Clearly, it was stories. Myths, legends, and allegories that taught people how things are done around here.
The greatest lesson history can teach us is learning from our mistakes. We should know better. Not everyone could have access to the great libraries of Alexandria back then. Now with a click of a button, we can learn about everything we would ever want. Yet, I can’t help and open the news and say to myself, “That’s weird.”
We should know better.
Gossip. The weather. How the crops were doing. Scandal. Who was sleeping with who. They talked about threats. The tribe next door. The lion on the prow. They worried about their kids and hoped the world would be better for them. That they would have it easier than us. They dreamed. They sang songs, made art. They worshipped their gods. Some were really devout too.
In short, they talked about their problems, fears, insecurity, the state of their world, what happens when they die, how the king/mom/dad/chief won’t let them do what they want.
Really the same things as today. We just pretend that we are more sophisticated with our problems because we have degrees, economics, politics, the internet, and more technology.
It’s really the same games if you think about it. People are still very similar from yesterday to today. They want to be heard, seen, loved, want to feel safe, secure, want to be fed and clothed, they want to play and sleep and have meaning and happiness. They want peace.
No, they won’t understand what a cell phone is but the core of being human hasn’t changed much since the beginning. Perhaps, the big question going forward will be what does it mean to be human other to survive?
Most people don’t enjoy going back to watch a sports game once they know the outcome.
What makes us think we would enjoy our lives if we had a crystal ball and could see our futures with perfect accuracy?
Knowing every injury, sickness, victory, road bump, pleasant surprise…
Where is the fun without mystery?
Same as yours. Almost exactly actually. In fact, if you were to take a picture, you wouldn’t be able to tell it apart from yours. So what really is the difference?
The experiences. The choices. What someone is taught to believe. What part of the world they were born in. What expectations are set. What access to resources does someone have. How much education. Are they given second chances?
“Monsters will always exist. There’s one inside each of us. But an angel lives there, too. There is no more important agenda than figuring out how to slay one and nurture the other.” –Jacqueline Novogratz
2,000 years from now, how will historians look at our home?
Will they wonder if we were happy?
What stories will they choose to tell?
Josh Allred's Blog 