MY WAY
It is often true that some of the likes and dislikes we claim to be basic in our lives are flawed.
We might agree as to surface qualities we deem just and good, and fair and right according to generalized religious or social principles we have had patiently dinned into our heads from childhood. Sooner or later, however, we find that some disagreement will arise because all of us did not listen uniformly to parental instructions along such lines. Some individuals, at this point, henceforth to be designated as “they”, are sure we were the ones who “did not get it” years ago. We, of course, know we did listen well and gained an understand of basic rules of social order.
Being mutually assured of being right, “we” and “they” graciously step aside, on many such occsions, and each seems to allows the other to have his or her own way.
Blessed, indeed, is the family in which such give-and-take is actually practiced as the path to peace.
It doesn't always work out that well, of course.
I'm certain you know, as I do, of families in which such petty bickering over minor differences have disturbed the family for many years. In the worst cases, we could even cite situations in which brothers and sisters – or other family pairs – including husbands and wives, mothers and sons or daughters - have refused to even speak with each other for years, even though they shared the same living areas. I have seen that horrible situation exist between brother and sister, husband and wife, two sisters, two brothers and other such combinations, including third-party complications and, after many years of suffering such a blight, neither one of the parties could really say what had been wrong for so long a time. The division had, usually, come about through some minor problem which, once formed, gained new growth with every change of season until it became an unrecognizable mass of everything and nothing held together by non-existent ties, hooks locks and knotted strings of malicious words and thoughtless accusations.
It would seem silly to say that we can think along such lines in regard to world wide “peace”. But, after all, what are we other than a large family, growing, contending, changing group of people. As with most of the “worst cases” I have know, it was – in truth - “too late”. They have gone too far. That is something to ponder when we take on world-wide peace problems, but that does not permit us to continue working on the world “peace” problems by keeping in touch with our own friends and neighbors.
That's where it all starts, really!
A trite thought? Yes. Tiresomely so, because it is being said over and over again, at many levels. Until we, as individual citizens of nations, can get along with each other, there can be little hope for Peace on Earth
At this precise moment, what petty little different lets you think you are different, even “better than” someone else? Such a handicap can exist without our being aware of it at all.
You work on yours and I'll work on mine, then we can get together again some time. Best make some notes, too, because we might not remember what our differences used to be.
A.L.M. December 12, 2002 [c563wds]
