Feeling Human

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I’ve been feeling a lot of sadness of late. I’m a very sensitive person and take a lot to heart. But I also feel that I have the power to create positivity in which I’m able to deal with the roller coaster of life.

I’ve been following the impeachment hearings in the United States. It’s a very politicized event, with people thinking that it’s only about being for or against the current President. The bigger picture in my mind is ensuring that the US maintains its democratic ideals allowing for a variety of opinions. As I listened to both sides present their arguments, I realized that this is not about “truth” and “facts” but more about what is best for the person making the statements. As an example, from limited testimony it is obvious that the President did something very wrong. But he didn’t allow the US Congress to find out the “truth” because he withheld information and told people not to testify. Yet his defenders state that the House of Representatives didn’t do their job. Instead of a “trial” in the Senate in which more facts could have come out, there were no witnesses called, due to self-interest on the part of many of the Senators.

Naively, I expect life to be fair and for people to listen to one another without attacking. However, this sense of civility can be hard to come by. I recently friended and then unfriended a person on Facebook. I had some sense that this person had very different political views from me. I posted something which I thought was innocuous in response to a post on his Facebook page. I was then attacked from some of this person’s “friends.” In a private note I told the person that I had unfriended him because I want to be more positive. I received a scathing note from him saying that he didn’t want to have anything to do with me, that I need to learn about tolerance. 

I realize that I must make changes in my life. I went into a “Trump Store” to see what was inside. The people were nice enough as I saw life sized posters of the President and t-shirts with his sayings. Although I wanted to go into the store with an effort towards talking I felt my anger rising, just because these people were supporting someone who I felt was reprehensible. After leaving the store and in getting over my anger I realized how sad I was that people would support such a person who in my mind should have nothing to do with leading the US.

David Brooks, in his article “The Future of American Politics” (New York  Times, 1/30/20), discusses how we need to weave ourselves together, through respect, knowing that we can’t be dogmatic, and by really listening to others. This is not an easy task given how divided the US seems to be. But it is something well worth considering if we are to get back to civility.

All of the above caused me to pause to feel an unlimited amount of sadness because this is what my birth country has become, where if you’re not for someone you’re against them and it’s okay to bully others into “hearing” your opinion.

There is also the personal side of things and how I know that we can help one another. On January 26, I was at the Desert Ability Center Up/Down Doubles Tennis Tournament when I heard the news of Kobe Bryant’s and other people’s deaths in a helicopter crash. I followed Kobe throughout his career and also in his retirement where he been making a huge impact. Although I never met him, I’ve felt such a huge sense of loss and sadness, not only for Kobe and his daughter but for the lives of the children and their parents who also passed away.

No matter how “human” I am I try to keep in mind this truth: In the end it’s about how we treat others and how selfless we are able to be in the everyday situations of life, putting  others needs before our own. I wonder what the world would look like if we all held to this sentiment.

 

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