“…All Life is Inextricably Linked…”
In my effort to maintain my sanity at this stage in life, I make a daily, concerted effort NOT to watch cable news (ESPN excluded, of course). Listening to, and watching the talking heads is often an exercise in foolishness. The term unbiased journalism has become an oxymoron, and I find that there are seemingly more commercials than actual news.
However, when i’m in a binge mindset, I find myself watching what I disdain. As I see the stories about Haiti, Katrina, the BP catastrophe, youth crime and violence, and others…my otherwise cheerful state swiftly turns to head-shaking. I am convicted by the fact that someway, somehow, someone socialized me to beleive that those horrific stories are effecting “those” people.
The pain and suffering in Haiti has nothing to do with me. I’m in Michigan! We have Great Lakes! Why should I be concerned about the oil spill in the gulf? Then I hear the voice of a childhood friends father saying: “Ain’t nothin’ cookin’ but the peas in the pot, and the peas wouldn’t be cookin if the water wasn’t hot.”
As a child, I didn’t understand what this ghetto anthem was saying. Now that i’m a grown man with a family, career, and responsibility; I understand.
Whatever is “cookin'” in my life is a direct result of someone(s) preparing the way. I / we cannot live our lives forgetting the impact of our actions on others and their actions upon us. I am grateful for those who have “made the water hot” for me and my family, and am determined to continue to try to “heat up” the water for someone else.
We are inextricably linked…like it or not. Let’s not pass up opportunities to help someone else who needs something “cooking” in their lives.
For Your Reflection: Why not perform a random act of kindness for the next person that you see.
Peace, Blessings, and Connection,
T2