Some days when I read about something tragic happening that did not need to happen, I just want to shut all my electronics off and live forever in solitary confinement. But, I know this is not realistic or rational. Now there is a word I want to define. Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines rational as “having reason or understanding”. Sadly, I continue to think that we are living in a very irrational world. Who do I blame that on? Myself for my contribution to it, and for allowing others to make me feel this way? Politicians and other people of power using their platforms to further divide? The media for feeding me this irrationality Twenty-Four/Seven? I suppose it is all of it.
I will begin with myself, the first person to have free will. I like to think that I behave and think rationally more often than not. I am human, however, which means when my buttons get pushed, or I am angered in any way, it becomes much harder to be clear, to hear and understand the entirety of the truth of someone else. It is then, that I must learn to have strength, that I must put the divine back into my life, and that I must learn to have faith and walk through fear to reach clarity, calm, and peace. Only then can rational come back into play. I heard someone say not to long ago, that they would change when someone else changed. Why? Why wait? Why do I need to add more irrationality into an already irrational circumstance? Maybe, just maybe, if in the moments of irrationality, I can somehow get to my divinely guided place of calm and clarity, well then, just maybe we can have a rational outcome. If I become the change, then maybe I can sway the circumstance back to rational. I will continue to try to walk this way and have hope for better outcomes in my life, and that is the best I can do.
As far as politicians and others in powerful positions, how rational is it, that you tell people who follow you to fight back, to kick someone when they are down, to be uncivil, to get up in other’s faces? How rational is it, when you go full throttle after the crimes of those you disagree with, yet ignore the same thing being done by a friend, peer, group member, colleague, etc.? A crime is a crime, no matter who commits it. How rational is it, when you tell a mass of people, that I would never vote for someone who does not have my skin color, or shares my religion, or my gender, or my sexuality? How do you know what I would do, and how I would vote, if you are not willing to get to know me. Getting to know me, would require divinity in your heart, and rationality in your mind. Maybe, just maybe, if you were not trying to control me, you might just see that I am open-hearted and open-minded as are many. I have learned in my life that great leaders make every attempt to lift people up as they rise, or even sacrifice to help others rise, they do not hold people down or destroy people to gain power. Irrationality belongs to those that do the latter.
As far as the media, I am a big believer in the freedom of the press, and realize it is the responsibility of the viewer, or the reader, to fact check, to look for truth, to supposedly trust and for sure verify. I am one that tries to truth seek and not just believe. Sadly, I am finding that increasingly as decades pass, and in your attempts to be the first to report on every tragedy, to politicize every tragedy, and to vilify those with whom you disagree, that I am feeling a huge lack of authenticity and integrity from you. I am feeling it is far more important to you to get viewers or followers, than to factually give me information. If truth was the point, than context would matter. How does America feel? What is the truth anymore? When you use your opinion to sway and facts are besides the matter, where do we go for facts? Oh I will continue to watch or read, I almost have no choice in that. And I will go to multiple sources to broaden my perspective. I just wish you, would put a little divinity and rationality back in what you report. That would make it a whole lot easier for a person like me to trust you.
Maybe you will find this entire post irrational, and maybe it is. But, for every life lost that does not need to be, and for every life destroyed that should not be, I find myself wondering why. How did we get here? Why do we stay so angry? Where have we put the divine; our God or creator? Why do we refuse to hear each other, see each other, understand each other? We must find a way to open our hearts and minds because that is where rationality is. Well this is my two cents and I am here waiting for your addition to the pot. When you are ready, I would love to hear what you have to say.