This Week's Word & Thought: Hate

Definition of hate

a:  intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury

b:  extreme dislike or disgust:  antipathy, loathing had a great hate of hard work

After hearing the news this morning about the attack on basically children in Manchester, England, my emotions kept jumping from fear to tears to hate.  When I would reach hate, I would tell myself, “No!”, because they would win. 

The hostile environment around the world is becoming prolific purely by the emotional actions of other people.  We have a choice to hate or not to hate.  We have a choice to examine deeply those little fears and prejudices we hide away, with many no longer hiding them.  Sometimes our fears, prejudices, and potential hate work in reverse.  We are in some way one of the targets of hate, therefore have the potential to hate back.  Maybe because we are liberal or conservative, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, Gay, Straight, Bi, Trans, or in denial?  Or because we are black, brown, white, English speaking, Spanish speaking, Mandarin speaking, or Arabic speaking, or speak one of the 6,905 other languages in the world?  And what about all those damn dialects within languages that you don’t understand!? Maybe it is because you are from one of the “other” 195 countries in the world?

Perhaps it is a different type of scary group.  Such as “old people” (me), people with disabilities always in your way, or someone with a chronic illness (they probably did something to cause it)?  Perhaps it is veterans, police officers, or people who like guns!?  You know they are all violent! Maybe it is the poor you shun because they are a burden on society and thus you, or the rich because they have it easy and get away with everything?  It could be as simple as long hair, shaved heads, pony tails on men, chubby people, tattoos, or some other physical manifestation that just wrecks your sensibilities?

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  - Martin Luther King, Jr.

We must embrace our differences if we are to survive and flourish.  Why?  Look at these statistics and hopefully it will give you reason to pause and think about the actions you take.  Hopefully it will help you self-examine your own biases and prejudices.

• World Population:  7.5 Billion human beings
• Languages Spoken:  1.1B Mandarin Chinese, 490M Hindi, 420M Spanish, 510M English, 230M Arabic, 213M Portuguese, 215M Bengali, 255M Russian, 127M Japanese, 229M German, and then the rest of the world languages with many in the millions
• Religions:  2.2B Christians, 1.6B Muslims, 1.1B Unaffiliated, 1.0B Hindus, 488M Buddhists, 405M Folk Religions, 58M Other Minor Religions, 14M Jewish
• Population by Gender:  3.8B M and 3.7B F
• Population by Sexual Identify:  basically, all over the board depending on which research or source – briefly, we are a very diverse world population by sexual orientation and gender identification with the younger population being more like “Who cares?”

In summary and based on just this sampling of reasons for potential fear and hate, you can’t possibly make all this diversity into a “you”.  It is impossible, impractical, and in reality, ridiculous.  However, think of all the knowledge you could gain from knowing some of these human beings who are so different from you.  Here is a quote from my blog on February 9, 2014.

“If Nature, or God, or Allah, or Jehovah, or evolution, or whatever you wish to call the force that causes us and all life to exist can create roses of a vast and beautiful array, why is it so complicated and fearful to believe that force can also create a beautiful and vast array of us?  Rage against the injustice people.  Do not be part of the silent majority.  Your uniqueness may be next.”

Namaste,

Tom

This Week's Word & Thought: Triumph!

I know this post is late, but this has been a strangely challenging week.  Seemed several events occurred that could cause you to pretty much question everything!  Forget the insanity of our current administration we are barraged with on a daily basis.  Forget the insane amount of violence and hate that seems to be occurring at an increased rate.  It was a week with items that bothered me even beyond the stress of these other two recent “norms” we must deal with daily.

Someone close to me who works as a medical professional spoke of the passing of an 18-month-old patient.  I saw a video this week of a Syrian boy pleading for the world to intervene and stop the attacks on civilians.  There were the latest reports this last week on how far Venezuela has fallen into almost total chaos with people starving and military control becoming the norm.  I had a friend having some major issues that had them in a relatively dark place mentally and emotionally.  I was very worried.  The topper, work has been tough this week as well as the endless commute.  I know, “Woe is me!”

I bring these events up not to depress you or drag you down.  I bring them up to point out those around you may be having a bad day, week, month, etc.  Sometimes a kind word or thought is needed and sometimes just “being there” with understanding, love, and patience.  It also helps to let someone know that as long as you are alive and able, you can help impact change to improve the human condition.  You being here now, alive and reading this, is nothing short of a triumphant win of the lottery that is our universe. 

I am very glad you won.

“For me, the vast marvel is to be alive. For man, or for flowers or beast or bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly and perfectly alive.” – Al Purdy

One of the most perfect observations I have read.  So, go and be perfectly alive and revel in it and those around whom you consider friends and loved ones.

BTW, here is some information on Al Purdy.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Purdy

Namaste,

Tom

This Week's Word & Thought: Learning

I was having a brief discussion with my work bud, Mean Joe Meanor, about the topic of learning.  We both agreed that as you progressed in age and hopefully gain some wisdom, you realize the greatest way to learn is to listen.  If you are ever to understand what information or knowledge you have that is valuable to those around you, first you listen.  Only then are you able to learn what to teach.

The professional work environment can sometimes be so competitive that those in it believe they must be heard to be of value.  That is simply not true.  To be of value at work, you must first be able to learn and then through that knowledge understand what it is you have to offer so others may learn.  This process is circular in nature and should always be continuous.  Never stop listening and never stop learning.

What did you listen to today?  What did you learn today?  

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Namaste,

Tom

This Week's Word & Thought: Believe

Sometimes I have some random thought that becomes stuck in my poor feeble brain and it continues to swirl and circle until I take it out and examine it.  I was thinking about life, happiness, beauty.  I was thinking about what that means to me.  And, sometimes you simply want to think about something that makes you smile.  Whether it was a funny joke, your four-legged friend’s antics, the love of another, or the pure joy of a child.  Sometimes you just want to smile inside. 

One of the images, or rather person, that always pops into my mind when I want to think a feeling of happiness is of Audrey Hepburn.  As a child, I always thought she was one of the most beautiful and kind people in the world.  As my childhood was a bit cloudy and dark, I always gravitated to adult images who appeared kind and gentle.  She became a part of my adolescent growth as what someone could be.  I say that so you understand this wasn’t a childhood crush on a star.  This was a child who was looking to find good in someone.  That meant hope.

As I grew into adulthood, I was now fortunate enough to realize that Audrey Hepburn truly was an exceptional human being.  She loved life, those around her, and those who were less fortunate.  She was a truly great humanitarian and example of what goodness can be.  Here is one of my all-time favorite quotes from her.  It simply makes me smile and feel happy.  It makes me believe.

“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” – Audrey Hepburn

A little about Ms. Hepburn from Wikipedia:

Audrey Hepburn; born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; (4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress, model, dancer and humanitarian. Recognized as a film and fashion icon, Hepburn was active during Hollywood's Golden Age. She was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend in Golden Age Hollywood and was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame. Born in Ixelles, a district of Brussels, Hepburn spent her childhood between Belgium, England and the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, she studied ballet with Sonia Gaskell before moving to London in 1948, continuing her ballet training with Marie Rambert, and then performing as a chorus girl in West End musical theatre productions.

Following minor appearances in several films, Hepburn starred in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi after being spotted by French novelist Colette, on whose work the play was based. She shot to stardom for playing the lead role in Roman Holiday (1953), for which she was the first actress to win an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for a single performance. The same year Hepburn won a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her performance in Ondine. She went on to star in a number of successful films, such as Sabrina (1954), The Nun's Story (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Charade (1963), My Fair Lady (1964) and Wait Until Dark (1967), for which she received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. Hepburn won a record three BAFTA Awards for Best British Actress in a Leading Role. In recognition of her film career, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from BAFTA, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and the Special Tony Award. She remains one of the 12 people who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards.

Hepburn appeared in fewer films as her life went on, devoting much of her later life to UNICEF. She had contributed to the organization since 1954, then worked in some of the poorest communities of Africa, South America and Asia between 1988 and 1992. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in December 1992. A month later, Hepburn died of appendiceal cancer at her home in Switzerland at the age of 63.

Namaste,

Tom