Day 204; Keeping The Peace, The Colorodo Shootings and Sunday Morning Musings

The view from my friend's hard earned PEACE

Keeping The Peace, The Colorado Shootings and Other Sunday Morning Musings

A few mornings ago, when I first learned of the mass killings at a late night premier of new movie, I was sitting and writing as I do each morning. On that morning though, my daughter had miraculously gotten up early and was sitting across from me.

I read the news, held my head in agony and then told her what had occurred. I looked up and saw my own reflection as she mimicked the same gesture of extreme sadness.

“I hate when these things happen,” she said somberly. I turned on the live feed and my daughter politely asked me to turn it off. “I don’t want to hear it.” She said.

I could see the pained grief in her eyes and I did as she requested. Then I asked a question. “How is it then, that you and your siblings have dragged me to zombie, vampire and chain saw massacre movies over the years?” I reminded her that they always laughed at me when I cringed and covered my eyes to the graphic violence in the movie.

Her only answer was “That’s different; it’s not real.”

What she and most people don’t understand is that our exposure to violence really does desensitize us to it.

 That day, most people watched the news in horror, commented on gun control or the need for harsher punishments but then went about their business as if everything would just right itself.

Please take the time to watch the documentary I AM where the question is posed, “What is wrong with the world?” The answer comes back I AM. Then the film maker points out that I AM is also the answer to the question of what is right with it.

We are the problem and we are also the solution. What we cause, we can change. While you may argue that you had no hand in the situation, I can point out that doing nothing is the problem.

Peace doesn’t just happen; you have to work at it and then you have to work at it some more.

I live in a beautiful and peaceful environment. It is incredibly clean and orderly. Without being seen, my sister Chris moves about cleaning and organizing on a regular basis. We all try to maintain what she has done, but she is diligent about cleanliness. The floors don’t clean themselves and neither do the unseen areas behind the appliances.

When people come here they always comment on how remarkably clean it is and we all look at Chris who quietly does her thing. Still, everyone in the house has to play their part to help maintain the work she does.

I hope you are feeling me. What I’m saying is this, God, the government, society and the almighty “They” can only do so much to make our lives work. We must meditate, pray, get up and work to improve our own lives and the lives of others so that the world we live in may be better as a result.

Within your home and life there must be discipline and creativity. You need just enough disorder to remind you to put things back in order.

 If you want prayer in school, teach your children to pray at home and when they go to school the prayer will be there with them.

We are the problem and we are the solution.

Just as I told my daughter, I’m telling you now that the more we turn our backs on problems, the greater those problems become.

“Do not fear your enemies. The worst they can do is kill you. Do not fear your friends. At worst, they may betray you. Fear those who do not care; they neither kill nor betray, but betrayal and murder exist because of their silent consent.”---Bruno Jasienski

Be you, be well, be better

Bertice Berry, PhD.

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