This week was slightly more eventful than last, which is both good and bad.
The Good
My physical therapy is going well — aches and pains are diminishing (especially now that I’m rid of the dreaded walking boot) and I’m walking much better.
The sun has come out and seems to want to stay for a while.
I read some really good books, including Stolen Souls by Stuart Neville (a thriller set in Belfast).
And I watched an excellent movie. The Great Debaters with Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker among others.
The Bad
The horror of the Charleston church shooting has touched all of us. It was the downside of watching The Great Debaters this week because the movie was a constant reminder of what racism used to be in this country and how much is still hanging on. Tied in with the issues of mental health and how we have few defenses against those loners who may or may not turn violent, we have a mess on our hands. And no one seems to know what to do about it.
We seem to have a shooter up here in Northern Colorado who occasionally and randomly tries to kill. Two men have died and one woman was wounded.
And then there’s the frequent shattering of car windows for travelers on I-25 and nearby. No one seems to know what’s causing it.
On a less horrific scale, my desktop computer crashed. A small problem in the grand scheme of things, especially since I do a pretty good job of backing up stuff.
And even more minor, with the sun out, it’s getting pretty darned hot.
Putting It All in Perspective
Life can be hard, unpredictable and often horrific. Pretending everything is fine is one defense. Blaming everyone else for the problem is another.
We see a lot of both on social media, especially Facebook. I read the updates from those who have declared themselves experts on everything known to man and see their rush to judgement and wonder at the arrogance and rigid ideology behind those pronouncements.
The posts are provocative and intended to incite. It would be better to spend that energy out in the community doing something good for others. I’m so tempted sometimes to write, “Put a sock in it, folks, unless you want to tell us what you’ve done today to make the world a better place.”
And maybe I will.
I think all the debates on social media outlets ignore the mental health factors in so many situations. For someone to be sucked into those hate groups or be so extreme in the prejudices, they have to have some significant emotional issues. I don’t think the problem has any easy solution except for every one to do the best they can to be a good person.
Susan Says
Well said, Pat! I am absolutely sickened by what’s happened in Charleston; I really am. But pointing fingers and playing the ‘blame game’ doesn’t solve anything. In fact, it takes our attention away from doing a better job with our humanity. Our time is much better spent doing positive things and helping our communities. Our societal problems won’t be solved in a day. They won’t be solved without a lot of hard work. But they sure won’t be solved if all we do is complain about them.
Thanks for your comment, Margot. It’s so hard to deal with these things when we know we individuals can’t stop them on a national or international level, but if we look at the micro-problem instead of the macro-. there’s much we can do. Today in our newspaper package we received a booklet that included volunteer opportunities in our county. There’s something for everyone, for all ages, and for every skill and talent. It’s a place to start.
I think you should! That is an excellent response.
Sorry about your computer. Glad you back up often.
Thanks, Alex. That’s one vote in favor. 😀
Computers can be a blessing, but we really must be diligent abut back ups. I have my external hard drive easily accessible so all I need to do is plug it in and let it do its thing. Of course, I do have to remember to plug it in….