I think there's a part of all of us that would like to remain blissfully ignorant regarding the injustices of this world. We'd like to take the Scarlett O'Hara approach and think about it tomorrow...or never. It's easier to change the channel...to look the other way...to not get involved. We have our own deadlines and schedules and responsibilities and goals and dreams. It's difficult to make the choice to sacrifice those things for the sake of someone else.
Over the last week and a half, I've been thinking about the quote that is often attributed to Edmund Burke (though many are skeptical if these were his exact words):
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
No matter who conjured it, this is a profound sentence. I've heard it bounced around here and there in relation to the Penn State scandal. It's relevance is unmistakeable. You have a school that portrays itself as being just a little better than the rest. A school where academics truly rival sports. A school where a man presumed to be a great leader and a role model has presided for almost half a century. A school that is fighting to maintain steady footing as evils hidden for years are bubbling to the surface.
The accomplishments of Joe Paterno cannot be denied. I think it's terribly tragic that he will be defined by the disgusting actions of another person, actions that have not only led to that person's downfall but also the downfall of a huge part of Penn State's executive leadership. While there is really no defense of Paterno's lack of response to the allegations that were brought before him, I suspect he was just closing his eyes and plugging his ears and hoping for the best. He was, perhaps, hoping to remain willfully and blissfully ignorant, convincing himself along the way that it couldn't possibly be as bad as it seemed.
But if the reports are true, it certainly was that bad...actually, it was much worse. And as information continues to come forward, it makes me wonder if Paterno wasn't just pleading ignorance but instead actively choosing to ignore the allegations for the sake of the institution...and possibly his reputation. I've never met the guy, and I don't pretend to know what's going on inside his head; but I do know he had the opportunity to become a true moral hero, and he failed to act for whatever reason.
Evil triumphed when a presumed "good" man did nothing.
I don't write this to condemn Joe Paterno. He and Mike McQueary and the Penn State leadership have already been hounded by the media and the rest of us alike. It's too late to really think about what might have been. We're to a point where we have to face what is and make what meager attempts we can to fix it. And no matter who goes to jail, no matter who loses his job, no matter what financial payments are made, no matter what apologies are issued, we won't be able to give those boys back their innocence.
Perhaps the most meaningful thing that can come out of this whole situation is that the rest of us take a lesson from it. We, ourselves, are just one averted gaze away from becoming Joe Paternos and Mike McQuearys. At any give moment, we could be faced with a circumstance in which we are tempted to just turn our backs, walk away, and pretend it never happened.
In John 15:12-13, Jesus said:
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Our friends may be next door or around the world. They may be people we've known for years or complete strangers. Still, the call to love is the same. We have the greatest example of a friend's willingness to lay down His life in Christ's sacrifice for us. Penn State should open our eyes. It should be our rally cry, not to stand idly by while injustices swirl around us. We must find our voice and speak up in love and respect.
Even a single tragedy such as this is one too many. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time one person has taken advantage of another, and sadly, it won't be the last. But we do have the opportunity to shed our blissful ignorance and acknowledge injustice. We can't pretend it away. We can't just hope for the best. We have make the sacrifice required to act, to speak, to stand up, to intervene...to love.
And that should be how we move forward from here.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
May 21, 2011
May 21, 2011, was not about a day of impending apocalypse for me. Instead, it was about a note written on a rear window of an old car that simply read: Tuscaloosa Thanks America. I wish I had taken a photo of it as I knew it was heartfelt...and in a simple way, it expressed my complex thoughts. As I read that little note, I thought, "Yes, yes, we do."
I should explain that I was not personally affected by the April 27, 2011 tornadoes. My house was in no way harmed. My family are all safe and sound. I haven't even lived on 15th Street in Tuscaloosa since July 2006. That's almost five years.
But a part of me will always call it home.
As a drove down the street that used to be so familiar, I was devastated. I don't know what I expected to see. I had seen countless photos of the damage. I knew it was bad...really bad. But nothing prepared me the path of destruction that tattered the landscape. Favorite restaurants and houses where I used to hang out with friends were reduced to piles of bricks and splintered wood. The apartment where I lived for three years escaped with only minor damage...but barely. A little bobble in the cyclone, and it would have been gone, too. It has been almost a month and work has continued around the clock, but it seems that barely a dent has been made. It was disheartening and overwhelming, especially as I know awareness of the struggle is fading from the public eye.
In the midst of this, though, I found hope. I found it in a map at the Volunteer Registration Center, where volunteers placed their initials over their home states - a map that had initials stretching almost nationwide. I found it in the sweaty faces of guys unloading truck after truck and van after van as they dropped off supplies. I found in the helping hands, faithfully sorting food, clothes, and everything else imaginable. I found it in the Tuscaloosa native, who, having weathered the storm with no damage, was choosing to serve others. I found it in the group of Navy personnel from out of state, heading out to clear debris. I found it on the sign written on a piece of cardboard box and hanging above a distribution center doorway that read: People who say it can't be done, please don't interrupt the people who are doing it.
Everywhere I looked there was a glimmer of hope. A smile on a face, a tireless effort, a willingness to do whatever it took.
I pray this is true for other areas affected by the storm. I pray it's true for states and countries that have recently weathered extensive destruction due to other heart-wrenching disasters. Hope is what keeps us moving. It's what gives us the strength to put one foot in front of the other. It's what keeps our focus on the horizon. Without hope, we might as well fold up, go home, and wait for the world to end. Without hope, there would be no point.
A place I still consider home is broken, but it hasn't lost hope...and neither have I. We're all thankful for the support from across the nation, and we have faith that the effort won't end until the final task is complete.
I'm grateful that my May 21, 2011, was not spent waiting on the world to end. We're told that only God knows the hour and the day, so why should we waste our time trying to guess? I used my day to give my tiny offering to the healing process. I used my day to give hope. I pray, in some way, you did, too.
We are Tuscaloosa. We are Alabama. Roll Tide Roll.
I should explain that I was not personally affected by the April 27, 2011 tornadoes. My house was in no way harmed. My family are all safe and sound. I haven't even lived on 15th Street in Tuscaloosa since July 2006. That's almost five years.
But a part of me will always call it home.
As a drove down the street that used to be so familiar, I was devastated. I don't know what I expected to see. I had seen countless photos of the damage. I knew it was bad...really bad. But nothing prepared me the path of destruction that tattered the landscape. Favorite restaurants and houses where I used to hang out with friends were reduced to piles of bricks and splintered wood. The apartment where I lived for three years escaped with only minor damage...but barely. A little bobble in the cyclone, and it would have been gone, too. It has been almost a month and work has continued around the clock, but it seems that barely a dent has been made. It was disheartening and overwhelming, especially as I know awareness of the struggle is fading from the public eye.
In the midst of this, though, I found hope. I found it in a map at the Volunteer Registration Center, where volunteers placed their initials over their home states - a map that had initials stretching almost nationwide. I found it in the sweaty faces of guys unloading truck after truck and van after van as they dropped off supplies. I found in the helping hands, faithfully sorting food, clothes, and everything else imaginable. I found it in the Tuscaloosa native, who, having weathered the storm with no damage, was choosing to serve others. I found it in the group of Navy personnel from out of state, heading out to clear debris. I found it on the sign written on a piece of cardboard box and hanging above a distribution center doorway that read: People who say it can't be done, please don't interrupt the people who are doing it.
Everywhere I looked there was a glimmer of hope. A smile on a face, a tireless effort, a willingness to do whatever it took.
I pray this is true for other areas affected by the storm. I pray it's true for states and countries that have recently weathered extensive destruction due to other heart-wrenching disasters. Hope is what keeps us moving. It's what gives us the strength to put one foot in front of the other. It's what keeps our focus on the horizon. Without hope, we might as well fold up, go home, and wait for the world to end. Without hope, there would be no point.
A place I still consider home is broken, but it hasn't lost hope...and neither have I. We're all thankful for the support from across the nation, and we have faith that the effort won't end until the final task is complete.
I'm grateful that my May 21, 2011, was not spent waiting on the world to end. We're told that only God knows the hour and the day, so why should we waste our time trying to guess? I used my day to give my tiny offering to the healing process. I used my day to give hope. I pray, in some way, you did, too.
We are Tuscaloosa. We are Alabama. Roll Tide Roll.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Musings From the Iced In
First, I would like to note that I am a confessed homebody. I love being at home. I love days that I can spend in my pajamas with no real plans or obligations. I love taking a little time to be lazy.
That being said, I'm so ready to get out of this house! Today was the second day I missed work due to the icy conditions, and it's possible I won't be able to make it in until later in the day tomorrow. I've had time to gather my thoughts, finish the puzzle Daddy and I started at Christmas, write, read, and keep up with my exercise (indoors only). I've also had way too much time to watch TV, which in the middle of the day mostly consists of the news, talk shows, and soap operas. Mostly, I've chosen the news, and after two days, I can almost report the news stories by heart.
One of the most reported topics of late is - in case you are unaware and completely out of touch - Auburn won the National Championship. For the most part, I have refrained from commenting on this. I'm happy for the fans and the state of Alabama, but Auburn's just not my deal. I think even Auburn fans can appreciate that. Honestly, I am getting tired of hearing about it all, but I wouldn't take that away from the university or the fans...I know they got tired of hearing about Alabama last year, too. And I'm not really into issuing passive aggressive ramblings and trash talk that sometimes gets a little too emotional and personal - and which I've regrettably read coming from fans of all sorts of teams...mostly SEC. So aside from offering a congratulations, there's really not that much more for me to say about it...except, I did read an interesting article today stating that Auburn's National Championship Trophy will be displayed in the local Wal-Mart. I only note this because last year I seem to remember a number of Auburn fans making fun of Alabama for the same exact thing. Like I said, it was an interesting article.
Even as a passionate (and all too often obsessive) Alabama fan, I've sometimes questioned our devotion to paying large amounts of money to essentially watch guys run back and forth on a field, pounding one another. When you sit around thinking about it for too long, it starts to sound downright absurd...especially when you think about the millions of dollars some guys make playing football - and other sports - as their "job." To hear players talk about the game or the season, you'd think they had just been to war. Sometimes, I think the battle imagery and the significance we place on the "game" is too much. And maybe sometimes it is. But as I watched the other major news stories of the past couple of days - the shooting in Tucson - the flooding in Australia - I started to consider the true importance of celebrations like the National Championship Game. Even in the face of great tragedy, celebrations bring us a moment of respite...they give us permission to smile, to laugh, to be joyous. Celebrations, be they a game or a birthday or a beautiful day, remind us of the reasons that we persevere through the struggles that we do.
In a world where our daily lives are filled with battles - some great, some small - it's cathartic to be able to rally together with fellow fans behind a team that we love. We cheer their triumphs, and we bemoan their failures. We love a good comeback, and we appreciate a success story that comes from the most unexpected place. We trash talk opponents because somehow our team is more talented, more moral, more worthy, more deserving than our foes. Maybe it's true, maybe it isn't...but it gives us something to get behind. Isn't that reflective of our own lives? Doesn't it reflect the success that we desire for ourselves. Doesn't it give us an outlet for our competitive spirit? Even the Bible refers to life like a race to be won or lost. It's in us to strive to win, to finish the race.
Maybe I'm thinking too much into it. I have been stuck in the house for a while now. I guess that sometimes we - myself included - get a little too involved with our "teams." We place a little too much importance on winning and losing, and in our elation or our defeat, we go a little too far. However, in time, the excitement of winning fades and the sting of loss dissolves. Life equalizes and returns to normal. And in those moments, as we return to our own daily battles, our own triumphs and tragedies, we move forward with the assurance that just around the corner...is NEXT SEASON!
CONGRATULATIONS, AUBURN! AND, AS ALWAYS, ROLL TIDE!
That being said, I'm so ready to get out of this house! Today was the second day I missed work due to the icy conditions, and it's possible I won't be able to make it in until later in the day tomorrow. I've had time to gather my thoughts, finish the puzzle Daddy and I started at Christmas, write, read, and keep up with my exercise (indoors only). I've also had way too much time to watch TV, which in the middle of the day mostly consists of the news, talk shows, and soap operas. Mostly, I've chosen the news, and after two days, I can almost report the news stories by heart.
One of the most reported topics of late is - in case you are unaware and completely out of touch - Auburn won the National Championship. For the most part, I have refrained from commenting on this. I'm happy for the fans and the state of Alabama, but Auburn's just not my deal. I think even Auburn fans can appreciate that. Honestly, I am getting tired of hearing about it all, but I wouldn't take that away from the university or the fans...I know they got tired of hearing about Alabama last year, too. And I'm not really into issuing passive aggressive ramblings and trash talk that sometimes gets a little too emotional and personal - and which I've regrettably read coming from fans of all sorts of teams...mostly SEC. So aside from offering a congratulations, there's really not that much more for me to say about it...except, I did read an interesting article today stating that Auburn's National Championship Trophy will be displayed in the local Wal-Mart. I only note this because last year I seem to remember a number of Auburn fans making fun of Alabama for the same exact thing. Like I said, it was an interesting article.
Even as a passionate (and all too often obsessive) Alabama fan, I've sometimes questioned our devotion to paying large amounts of money to essentially watch guys run back and forth on a field, pounding one another. When you sit around thinking about it for too long, it starts to sound downright absurd...especially when you think about the millions of dollars some guys make playing football - and other sports - as their "job." To hear players talk about the game or the season, you'd think they had just been to war. Sometimes, I think the battle imagery and the significance we place on the "game" is too much. And maybe sometimes it is. But as I watched the other major news stories of the past couple of days - the shooting in Tucson - the flooding in Australia - I started to consider the true importance of celebrations like the National Championship Game. Even in the face of great tragedy, celebrations bring us a moment of respite...they give us permission to smile, to laugh, to be joyous. Celebrations, be they a game or a birthday or a beautiful day, remind us of the reasons that we persevere through the struggles that we do.
In a world where our daily lives are filled with battles - some great, some small - it's cathartic to be able to rally together with fellow fans behind a team that we love. We cheer their triumphs, and we bemoan their failures. We love a good comeback, and we appreciate a success story that comes from the most unexpected place. We trash talk opponents because somehow our team is more talented, more moral, more worthy, more deserving than our foes. Maybe it's true, maybe it isn't...but it gives us something to get behind. Isn't that reflective of our own lives? Doesn't it reflect the success that we desire for ourselves. Doesn't it give us an outlet for our competitive spirit? Even the Bible refers to life like a race to be won or lost. It's in us to strive to win, to finish the race.
Maybe I'm thinking too much into it. I have been stuck in the house for a while now. I guess that sometimes we - myself included - get a little too involved with our "teams." We place a little too much importance on winning and losing, and in our elation or our defeat, we go a little too far. However, in time, the excitement of winning fades and the sting of loss dissolves. Life equalizes and returns to normal. And in those moments, as we return to our own daily battles, our own triumphs and tragedies, we move forward with the assurance that just around the corner...is NEXT SEASON!
CONGRATULATIONS, AUBURN! AND, AS ALWAYS, ROLL TIDE!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
1/1/11 - Out With the Old, In With the...Well, You Know
So long, 2010. Can't say I'm too sad to see you to see you go. Don't get me wrong, you've brought me a lot of blessings. I've finally achieved stable, gainful employment. I've finished another script with my writing partner. I've watched my Youth Group grow and learn spiritually. I've grown and learned spiritually. I've enjoyed a full year getting reacquainted with my family after having lived apart from them for over 7 years (3 1/2 of which were all the way on the other side of the country). I've celebrated my grandmother's 89th birthday. I've certainly had a lot of experiences for which I am eternally thankful.
But underneath the facade, 2010, you've been a year of stress. A year of ups and downs...of almosts and disappointments. You've been a year during which I've struggled and wrestled with myself more than any other I can remember. I feel like there is some great thing - some awesome adventure - that is waiting just beyond my fingertips. All through 2010 I've reached for it but haven't quite grasped it. That feeling of falling short is why I am glad to see 2010 in my rearview.
And why I have an enormous amount of faith in 2011.
Yes, I know we always make a lot of the infamous New Year's Resolutions - most of which are broken before January 2nd. But there's something about that fresh start of a new year. It's a new chance to evaluate ourselves. To see where we've been and anticipate where we're going. A new year holds the hope that we will finally get it together and achieve the dreams we hold dear. It holds the promise of opportunity...but it's up to us to cling to the determination to follow through.
This is the first year in quite a while that I've actually written down resolutions. I've made a point to keep them on my desk so that I can take them out from time to time to remind myself of the vigor in which I rolled into 2011. Will I achieve all of them? Honestly, probably not. But I believe having a tangible reminder of what I expect of myself throughout this next year will at least keep me progressing towards my goals (if not outright achieving them) and prevent me from spinning my wheels as I did in 2010.
If there's one thing that I've realized with the coming of this new year, it's that time flies faster and faster with each year that goes by. If you're not careful, you'll blink and ten years will pass, and you'll still be standing in the same place with a dazed and confused look on your face. That's how I've felt about my last 365 days, and I don't want to have a similar feeling with the ringing in of 2012.
So here's to the next trip around the sun. Here's to the adventure that's just around the corner. Here's to the next step towards my dreams. Here's to the death of anxious pessimism and to the rise of hope. Is it easier said than done. Of course it is. But isn't the first step admitting the problem?
Happy 2011, Everyone!
But underneath the facade, 2010, you've been a year of stress. A year of ups and downs...of almosts and disappointments. You've been a year during which I've struggled and wrestled with myself more than any other I can remember. I feel like there is some great thing - some awesome adventure - that is waiting just beyond my fingertips. All through 2010 I've reached for it but haven't quite grasped it. That feeling of falling short is why I am glad to see 2010 in my rearview.
And why I have an enormous amount of faith in 2011.
Yes, I know we always make a lot of the infamous New Year's Resolutions - most of which are broken before January 2nd. But there's something about that fresh start of a new year. It's a new chance to evaluate ourselves. To see where we've been and anticipate where we're going. A new year holds the hope that we will finally get it together and achieve the dreams we hold dear. It holds the promise of opportunity...but it's up to us to cling to the determination to follow through.
This is the first year in quite a while that I've actually written down resolutions. I've made a point to keep them on my desk so that I can take them out from time to time to remind myself of the vigor in which I rolled into 2011. Will I achieve all of them? Honestly, probably not. But I believe having a tangible reminder of what I expect of myself throughout this next year will at least keep me progressing towards my goals (if not outright achieving them) and prevent me from spinning my wheels as I did in 2010.
If there's one thing that I've realized with the coming of this new year, it's that time flies faster and faster with each year that goes by. If you're not careful, you'll blink and ten years will pass, and you'll still be standing in the same place with a dazed and confused look on your face. That's how I've felt about my last 365 days, and I don't want to have a similar feeling with the ringing in of 2012.
So here's to the next trip around the sun. Here's to the adventure that's just around the corner. Here's to the next step towards my dreams. Here's to the death of anxious pessimism and to the rise of hope. Is it easier said than done. Of course it is. But isn't the first step admitting the problem?
Happy 2011, Everyone!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A Day of Reflection
I didn't comment yesterday about the anniversary of 9/11. I didn't post on facebook where I was when it happened, and I didn't send out a message of remembrance of those lost. Instead, I took the day to think about the last nine years - my ups, my downs, where I've been, where I am, where I'm going. I thought of those who lost their lives in an instance - some in fearful anticipation and some in unknowing oblivion - and I thought about how easily it could have been me - or anyone else. It doesn't take a terrorist attack for someone to be here in one moment and not in the next. However, I think it's days like 9/11 that force us to consider our own mortality and vulnerability. Sometimes it's simply beyond our control...and sometimes we're called to sacrifice...for whatever purpose.
Many lives were lost on 9/11/2001, and many lives have been lost since. I think one of the most telling things of the war we are still fighting is that a growing number of the soldiers can't tell you where they were on the day of the attacks...because they were just children still happily naive about great tragedy. Yet, they are the ones shouldering the legacy of that day. They are the ones who are now called to make the sacrifice. I don't suggest that the cause is not just, but I do think it's time to seek a true resolution so that warriors from yet another generation are not lost to the same terrorists who crashed planes nine years ago. So on 9/11, I remained silent in regards to that day, and I prayed for peace - just like I prayed for today - just like I'll pray for tomorrow. I'm not sure how peace will come...or if it will come...but I remain hopeful and faithful...and I remain thankful to those who have sacrificed - whether by intention or circumstance - to preserve this country. I pray we - politicians and ordinary citizens alike - don't squander the opportunity we've been given. That would be such a waste.
Many lives were lost on 9/11/2001, and many lives have been lost since. I think one of the most telling things of the war we are still fighting is that a growing number of the soldiers can't tell you where they were on the day of the attacks...because they were just children still happily naive about great tragedy. Yet, they are the ones shouldering the legacy of that day. They are the ones who are now called to make the sacrifice. I don't suggest that the cause is not just, but I do think it's time to seek a true resolution so that warriors from yet another generation are not lost to the same terrorists who crashed planes nine years ago. So on 9/11, I remained silent in regards to that day, and I prayed for peace - just like I prayed for today - just like I'll pray for tomorrow. I'm not sure how peace will come...or if it will come...but I remain hopeful and faithful...and I remain thankful to those who have sacrificed - whether by intention or circumstance - to preserve this country. I pray we - politicians and ordinary citizens alike - don't squander the opportunity we've been given. That would be such a waste.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What the World Needs Now
Yes, I know I haven't written in a while. I've come to terms with the fact that I stink at blogging...or at least at doing it consistently. In many ways, I stink at keeping up with most things electronic. It's why I read other people's Facebook statuses and tweets but rarely update my own. It's why sometimes I answer an e-mail in my head but forget to send an actual response to the person (although, since I recognize this fault, I make every effort to avoid it on really important messages). I think it's also why the virtual pets on a keychain I had as a child always died from lack of virtual food and virtual care. Fortunately, I do much better with real live things. None of my actual animals have suffered from such a fate.
So, yes, it's been a while since I've written. Mostly, it's been because this whole job search thing has completely drained me. Not only has my writing here suffered but my work on my scripts and other projects has also faltered quite a bit. Recently, however, I've been working as a temp at a temp agency. By that I mean I'm actually answering phones, making appointments, filing, etc. at the temp agency. It's bringing in a bit of a paycheck, which is a pretty big morale booster for me at this point, so I'm slowly making my way back creatively.
The reason I'm writing today, though, is that I read a story online that saddened me in a way I can't ignore. The story was on www.foxnews.com, which is site I rarely visit. I'm more of a CNN girl myself, but I venture onto Fox from time to time to see what's being said. And, today, I found buried amongst stories of the devastating tornadoes and the awful economy an article about a homeless man who recently died on a street in Queens. Security cameras caught this man sacrificing himself in order to save a woman from a knife attack. Stabbed and bleeding, the man chased after the assailant until the man collapsed on the sidewalk, dying in a pool of his own blood. In the two hours before paramedics arrived 25 different people walked past this man without taking notice - with the exception of one passerby, who stopped long enough to take a picture of the dying man with a cellphone before continuing on.
I've lived in a big city, so I understand that there's a certain level of indifference where strangers are concerned. It's a necessary defense mechanism because it's difficult to know who you can trust and who you can't. I also understand that there are areas in cities where this sort of death is, sadly, a common occurrence; and people in those areas learn early on to keep their mouths shut. I'm not blind to that reality. However, it still breaks my heart to see human life devalued in such a way. A man is dying in plain view, and it takes almost two hours before someone can be bothered to call for help?! No great heroic act was necessary. Just three numbers dialed into a cell phone might have made a difference. It would have at least shown this human being some respect.
We have a lot of problems in our nation today. We're fighting two wars, the national debt is soaring, healthcare is still unstable, unemployment is at an outrageous level, and Democrats and Republicans have failed to stop making accusations against one another long enough to attempt to find some common, productive ground. But I have to ask, how do we expect to solve those issues when not even one person out of twenty-five can find the decency to acknowledge and aid a dying man? Perhaps you think it's a long jump to make from our national issues to the death of this one man, but I think it's a lot closer that any of us care to admit. We get so caught up in our personal agendas - whether those agendas have to do with ambitions, politics, religion, or whatever else we have on our plates - that we forget to stop and recognize what the person next to us is really going through. We put blinders on so that we can stay focused on the end result, but sometimes it's what is in between here and there that matters most. And, sometimes, we have to be willing to sacrifice something of ourselves for the sake of others. Despite his own agenda of day-to-day survival, that homeless man - whose name by-the-way was Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax - chose to make a great sacrifice on behalf of a stranger. It's too bad twenty-five different people couldn't even make a simple phone call to do the same for him.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/24/homeless-hero-ignored-dying-nyc-street/?test=latestnews
So, yes, it's been a while since I've written. Mostly, it's been because this whole job search thing has completely drained me. Not only has my writing here suffered but my work on my scripts and other projects has also faltered quite a bit. Recently, however, I've been working as a temp at a temp agency. By that I mean I'm actually answering phones, making appointments, filing, etc. at the temp agency. It's bringing in a bit of a paycheck, which is a pretty big morale booster for me at this point, so I'm slowly making my way back creatively.
The reason I'm writing today, though, is that I read a story online that saddened me in a way I can't ignore. The story was on www.foxnews.com, which is site I rarely visit. I'm more of a CNN girl myself, but I venture onto Fox from time to time to see what's being said. And, today, I found buried amongst stories of the devastating tornadoes and the awful economy an article about a homeless man who recently died on a street in Queens. Security cameras caught this man sacrificing himself in order to save a woman from a knife attack. Stabbed and bleeding, the man chased after the assailant until the man collapsed on the sidewalk, dying in a pool of his own blood. In the two hours before paramedics arrived 25 different people walked past this man without taking notice - with the exception of one passerby, who stopped long enough to take a picture of the dying man with a cellphone before continuing on.
I've lived in a big city, so I understand that there's a certain level of indifference where strangers are concerned. It's a necessary defense mechanism because it's difficult to know who you can trust and who you can't. I also understand that there are areas in cities where this sort of death is, sadly, a common occurrence; and people in those areas learn early on to keep their mouths shut. I'm not blind to that reality. However, it still breaks my heart to see human life devalued in such a way. A man is dying in plain view, and it takes almost two hours before someone can be bothered to call for help?! No great heroic act was necessary. Just three numbers dialed into a cell phone might have made a difference. It would have at least shown this human being some respect.
We have a lot of problems in our nation today. We're fighting two wars, the national debt is soaring, healthcare is still unstable, unemployment is at an outrageous level, and Democrats and Republicans have failed to stop making accusations against one another long enough to attempt to find some common, productive ground. But I have to ask, how do we expect to solve those issues when not even one person out of twenty-five can find the decency to acknowledge and aid a dying man? Perhaps you think it's a long jump to make from our national issues to the death of this one man, but I think it's a lot closer that any of us care to admit. We get so caught up in our personal agendas - whether those agendas have to do with ambitions, politics, religion, or whatever else we have on our plates - that we forget to stop and recognize what the person next to us is really going through. We put blinders on so that we can stay focused on the end result, but sometimes it's what is in between here and there that matters most. And, sometimes, we have to be willing to sacrifice something of ourselves for the sake of others. Despite his own agenda of day-to-day survival, that homeless man - whose name by-the-way was Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax - chose to make a great sacrifice on behalf of a stranger. It's too bad twenty-five different people couldn't even make a simple phone call to do the same for him.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/24/homeless-hero-ignored-dying-nyc-street/?test=latestnews
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The State of the Union, John Edwards, and the Death of J.D. Salinger
Well, I finally decided to write a blog post on politics. First off, let me state that I hate politics. And I'm not too fond of politicians either. However, I, like all of you, am at the mercy of the crazy whirlwind that is today's political climate, and judging by the current state of Washington, there's really no telling where we're all going to land.
Now, before you all start sharpening your respective liberal or conservative claws, I want to make it clear that I have purposely avoided getting too specific on the issues that are currently on the table because I simply want to share a few observations I've had over the last couple of weeks. I'm also not interested in getting into a knock-down, drag-out political street fight over who is right about this and who is wrong about that. Anyway, hopefully, how I feel about those sorts of things will be quite obvious by the end of this piece.
That being said, here's my problem. I'm a moderate. My voter registration says Democrat because I do have a tendency to lean slightly left, but my personal beliefs and perspectives more often than not float somewhere in the middle. And I vote accordingly. Democrats and Republicans get a fair shot with me. Because of this, as I watched the State of the Union Address the other night, I was not sure if I was supposed to stand up and clap or sit with my arms firmly across my chest with a scowl set on my face. It was a real dilemma.
No, not really.
In actuality, I watched this annual demonstration of party pride and partisanship stubbornness and just shook my head at its absurdity. It doesn't matter which party the President belongs to, and it really doesn't matter what he says. All that matters is if you're a part of his party, you stand up and applaud after every couple of sentences and be sure to constantly nod your head in agreement in case the cameras land on you; and if you're a part of the "opposing" party, you remain rigidly in your seat and look disapprovingly at the President with an expression that somehow conveys certainty that if your party's candidate had won the election we wouldn't even be having these problems. Oh, and if you're a Supreme Court Justice, you just drift off to sleep because none of what's being said really applies to you anyway.
Year after year, administration after administration, it's the same deal. The only difference is that the side of room clapping and the side of the room scowling flip flops from time to time.
What I really wanted to do during the State of the Union Address was to be able to stand up, interrupt Obama, and tell the members of Congress to grow up and stop acting like kids on a playground. I mean surely they're mature enough to stop their clapping and scowling long enough to actually listen what their Commander in Chief is really saying before they decide whether it deserves applause or reprimand.
Me, I appreciated Obama's effort. He does honestly seem to be trying to get Congress to work together rather than battling along party lines simply for the sake of battling along party lines. Also, as someone who is currently unemployed and not getting a lot of response to resumes and job applications, I am eager to see if he is able to actually jumpstart jobs growth. However, as I watched the saga of clapping and scowling that was the State of the Union Address, I have to wonder if it's all in vain. If the Democratic majority refuses to pay attention to what the Republicans are saying and actually attempt to compromise and the Republicans refuse to meet the Democrats in the middle, then what does that mean for us, the people they represent? It means our voices get lost in the mix, and it comes down to a bunch of hotheaded politicians with personal agendas making the decisions that could potentially make or break our lives. Maybe they'll get it right - it's been known to happen...but what if they get it wrong? I like to think Obama recognizes the gravity of this - and maybe he does - but even he, just like George W. Bush, is pressured to please his own party in hopes of holding his status. Politics is supposed to be a public service position, but really it's a popularity contest.
Exhibit A is John Edwards. Now, I always had this feeling that there was something behind that shiny smile and $500 haircut, but I really, really wanted to believe that he was this people's politician who had overcome great tragedy with the help of his beautiful, stable family and now was seeking to help others do the same. It's sounds a bit too fairy-talish for someone coming out of Washington, and it turns out that it was. When the perfect facade finally crumbled, everybody saw just how ugly it was underneath. I realize that all of this is his personal life, and he may wish to keep it private. However, he, like Bill Clinton and the Governor of South Carolina, dug this hole for himself by starting off with a lie before finally getting around to the truth. I just think Edwards, by the apparent depths he went to in order to keep his affair and the child it produced hidden, dug his hole a little deeper than the others. It's true that personal issues do not necessarily dictate how well a person can do his or her job. However, I think constituents equate cheating on a spouse to cheating on them. If a politician is willing to screw over (seems fitting) his family - the people who should mean the most to him - then to what extent is he willing to screw over the rest of us - and yes, you could easily insert "her/she" wherever I used "him/he."
By coincidence, just last week I finished reading The Catcher in the Rye. If you didn't know, the author, J.D. Salinger, passed away a few days ago. I don't intend to romanticize Salinger because the man was a bit off his rocker, but due to recent events - as well as the masterful style and structure of the novel - I certainly tip my hat to him for the creation of a character like Holden Caulfield. Holden himself is pretty much at the tipping point as far as sanity is concerned, but I think that allows him to say the things everybody else is thinking - or have repressed for so long they've forgotten to acknowledge them. Basically, Holden is searching for meaning in the world. He's struggling to make sense of life and death as well as the physical and the spiritual. He's disgusted by all of the "phonies" - those that allow the superficial to hold too much weight in their lives - and he's drawn towards those that are honestly seeking to reach out to others.
Looking at the past few weeks, I can kind of see things from Holden's perspective. There's a stark contrast between the pure desperation in Haiti and the clapping and scowling in Washington. I have to wonder if the politicians - even those that have been to Haiti or have witnessed similar situations - really stop to think about the frivolity of some of the things they fight over in relation to people who are having to battle for scraps of food for basic survival. I have to wonder if I even really understand. I doubt it. I'm still seeking just like Holden is, only maybe my faith gives me a little more hope and a little more optimism. I see the potential, but we're still a long way from reaching it.
The only way Haiti will recover is through a collaborative effort from a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds. The same is true for the state of this country. It's easy to get more than a little nervous - especially with the amount of national debt - and it's easy to pass the blame - even Obama passed it off to Bush during his speech. However, once you're in a hole, it doesn't matter so much how you got in there, it matters how you get out. Neither sticking our heads in the sand nor passing the blame - whether it be to Bush or Obama or Wall Street or Congress or Democrats or Republicans or whoever - is going to help us now. What counts is where we go from here. Do we keep digging deeper or do we take advantage of opportunities to build? I encourage those who have firmly dug in on one side or the other to start seeking ways to shake hands rather than turn a cold shoulder. There are a bunch of us out there, and we all seem fully confident that our perspective is the best. Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. I'm sure many of you can pick mine apart with ease. But whether you're far right, far left, or floating somewhere in the crossfire like me, we're all in this together...whether we like it or not.
Now, before you all start sharpening your respective liberal or conservative claws, I want to make it clear that I have purposely avoided getting too specific on the issues that are currently on the table because I simply want to share a few observations I've had over the last couple of weeks. I'm also not interested in getting into a knock-down, drag-out political street fight over who is right about this and who is wrong about that. Anyway, hopefully, how I feel about those sorts of things will be quite obvious by the end of this piece.
That being said, here's my problem. I'm a moderate. My voter registration says Democrat because I do have a tendency to lean slightly left, but my personal beliefs and perspectives more often than not float somewhere in the middle. And I vote accordingly. Democrats and Republicans get a fair shot with me. Because of this, as I watched the State of the Union Address the other night, I was not sure if I was supposed to stand up and clap or sit with my arms firmly across my chest with a scowl set on my face. It was a real dilemma.
No, not really.
In actuality, I watched this annual demonstration of party pride and partisanship stubbornness and just shook my head at its absurdity. It doesn't matter which party the President belongs to, and it really doesn't matter what he says. All that matters is if you're a part of his party, you stand up and applaud after every couple of sentences and be sure to constantly nod your head in agreement in case the cameras land on you; and if you're a part of the "opposing" party, you remain rigidly in your seat and look disapprovingly at the President with an expression that somehow conveys certainty that if your party's candidate had won the election we wouldn't even be having these problems. Oh, and if you're a Supreme Court Justice, you just drift off to sleep because none of what's being said really applies to you anyway.
Year after year, administration after administration, it's the same deal. The only difference is that the side of room clapping and the side of the room scowling flip flops from time to time.
What I really wanted to do during the State of the Union Address was to be able to stand up, interrupt Obama, and tell the members of Congress to grow up and stop acting like kids on a playground. I mean surely they're mature enough to stop their clapping and scowling long enough to actually listen what their Commander in Chief is really saying before they decide whether it deserves applause or reprimand.
Me, I appreciated Obama's effort. He does honestly seem to be trying to get Congress to work together rather than battling along party lines simply for the sake of battling along party lines. Also, as someone who is currently unemployed and not getting a lot of response to resumes and job applications, I am eager to see if he is able to actually jumpstart jobs growth. However, as I watched the saga of clapping and scowling that was the State of the Union Address, I have to wonder if it's all in vain. If the Democratic majority refuses to pay attention to what the Republicans are saying and actually attempt to compromise and the Republicans refuse to meet the Democrats in the middle, then what does that mean for us, the people they represent? It means our voices get lost in the mix, and it comes down to a bunch of hotheaded politicians with personal agendas making the decisions that could potentially make or break our lives. Maybe they'll get it right - it's been known to happen...but what if they get it wrong? I like to think Obama recognizes the gravity of this - and maybe he does - but even he, just like George W. Bush, is pressured to please his own party in hopes of holding his status. Politics is supposed to be a public service position, but really it's a popularity contest.
Exhibit A is John Edwards. Now, I always had this feeling that there was something behind that shiny smile and $500 haircut, but I really, really wanted to believe that he was this people's politician who had overcome great tragedy with the help of his beautiful, stable family and now was seeking to help others do the same. It's sounds a bit too fairy-talish for someone coming out of Washington, and it turns out that it was. When the perfect facade finally crumbled, everybody saw just how ugly it was underneath. I realize that all of this is his personal life, and he may wish to keep it private. However, he, like Bill Clinton and the Governor of South Carolina, dug this hole for himself by starting off with a lie before finally getting around to the truth. I just think Edwards, by the apparent depths he went to in order to keep his affair and the child it produced hidden, dug his hole a little deeper than the others. It's true that personal issues do not necessarily dictate how well a person can do his or her job. However, I think constituents equate cheating on a spouse to cheating on them. If a politician is willing to screw over (seems fitting) his family - the people who should mean the most to him - then to what extent is he willing to screw over the rest of us - and yes, you could easily insert "her/she" wherever I used "him/he."
By coincidence, just last week I finished reading The Catcher in the Rye. If you didn't know, the author, J.D. Salinger, passed away a few days ago. I don't intend to romanticize Salinger because the man was a bit off his rocker, but due to recent events - as well as the masterful style and structure of the novel - I certainly tip my hat to him for the creation of a character like Holden Caulfield. Holden himself is pretty much at the tipping point as far as sanity is concerned, but I think that allows him to say the things everybody else is thinking - or have repressed for so long they've forgotten to acknowledge them. Basically, Holden is searching for meaning in the world. He's struggling to make sense of life and death as well as the physical and the spiritual. He's disgusted by all of the "phonies" - those that allow the superficial to hold too much weight in their lives - and he's drawn towards those that are honestly seeking to reach out to others.
Looking at the past few weeks, I can kind of see things from Holden's perspective. There's a stark contrast between the pure desperation in Haiti and the clapping and scowling in Washington. I have to wonder if the politicians - even those that have been to Haiti or have witnessed similar situations - really stop to think about the frivolity of some of the things they fight over in relation to people who are having to battle for scraps of food for basic survival. I have to wonder if I even really understand. I doubt it. I'm still seeking just like Holden is, only maybe my faith gives me a little more hope and a little more optimism. I see the potential, but we're still a long way from reaching it.
The only way Haiti will recover is through a collaborative effort from a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds. The same is true for the state of this country. It's easy to get more than a little nervous - especially with the amount of national debt - and it's easy to pass the blame - even Obama passed it off to Bush during his speech. However, once you're in a hole, it doesn't matter so much how you got in there, it matters how you get out. Neither sticking our heads in the sand nor passing the blame - whether it be to Bush or Obama or Wall Street or Congress or Democrats or Republicans or whoever - is going to help us now. What counts is where we go from here. Do we keep digging deeper or do we take advantage of opportunities to build? I encourage those who have firmly dug in on one side or the other to start seeking ways to shake hands rather than turn a cold shoulder. There are a bunch of us out there, and we all seem fully confident that our perspective is the best. Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. I'm sure many of you can pick mine apart with ease. But whether you're far right, far left, or floating somewhere in the crossfire like me, we're all in this together...whether we like it or not.
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