“525,600 minutes, how do you measure the life of a woman or a man… how about love?” – Rent
All day long I see people, including myself, with something to complain about. We have a problem. We need someone to blame. Life, everyone’s life, is full of imperfections. It is full of unforeseen bumps, walls, bruises, breaks, tragedies, etc. And it’s full of readily known, easily seen bumps, walls, bruises, and breaks, and in some cases tragedies, as well. None of these, however, are easy for us to deal with. Not on a deeper level. They are things that require time. Sure some are easier for us to process, but to deny that they affect us, to deny that there are residual scars, is simply as stated, denial. It is ultimately unhelpful for all of us.
One of the things that I’ve seen numerous times recently is this statement, “I wish we could return to the morals on which this country was founded.” The statement seems well enough at first glance. But ultimately it is pining for something that never existed in order to blame everyone else for the problems in existence today and tag them as different. It is different, we are different, and that’s why things are the way they are. In reality, we are not all that different. In fact it is how much we have stayed the same in many cases that causes the issues that we have. See, our country was founded on the premise of religious freedom…if you were a protestant. It was founded on morals that included drowning, hanging, and burning females who might be perceived to be a witch. It was founded on denying any human rights, respect or decency to anyone who wasn’t white – as was obvious with slavery and the treatment of native Americans . And to denying a majority of rights, respect, and decency to those who were white, but happened to be poor or a female. You were allowed to murder someone for stealing from you with almost no civil process. It was common practice to allow abuse and mistreatment of women, children, and anyone who wasn’t a powerful (not in the physical sense here) white male. It was founded on the idea that anyone who strayed in any way from the ideas set forth by the males around them could be considered a heretic. It was a time when they believed and practiced the idea that God felt them to be the only worthy members and it was okay to kill, steal, and manipulate their way into power. And the law of the land was much more in line with “an eye for an eye” than a democratic justice system.
Maybe we should go back to the times before this. Perhaps the Renaissance, that was a good time right? Sure our country wasn’t founded then, though it was “found” by a tyrant. Back when we (a human we, here) were crusading around, killing people who thought any differently than us. Taking their land, their money. “Screaming convert or die.” Burning people, hanging people, raping women and children. No? What about the Dark Ages? Should we go back there? What time in history is it that we should return to so that we can find these uplifting morals that I’ve heard so much about?
In truth, those morals are present at all points in time. There are people, probably the majority, who want to do good. Who want to be good. What do we measure a life in once it’s gone? In love? In hate? In blame? What do we measure it in while we are still living? With what do we measure our own lives? If it is not love, then, this is what we have to blame for the way that things are going. If we aren’t learning to love, ourselves, others, and teaching ourselves and others to be better people every day, helping one another rise up, then today will remain just as it was, yesterday, and last week, and even back in the good ole days when this country was founded. It is those who adapt who survive. It isn’t the strongest, or even the smartest, it is those best able to adapt. And it starts with a drop. Just one. One person to start measuring the year, the day, the minute in love, and this ignites the spark.
–It’s been a long time, and this was a bit long – my apologies.
Posted on October 12, 2013, in Uncategorized and tagged between fear and love, glee, hope, life, love, mental health, RENT, self-help. Bookmark the permalink. 42 Comments.
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Sure, that’s perfectly fine!
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this is so… true. if we aren’t learning to love, ourselves, others, and teaching ourselves and others to be better people every day, helping one another rise up, then today will remain just as it was, yesterday
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Wonderful post. We are empowered when we remember to choose love, when we allow ourselves to be guided by love. Imagine how much change we can create if we just acted from a place of gratitude and love always.
And thanks for stopping by my blog and liking my post!
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Thank you for stopping by here as well!
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The musical RENT and Jonathan Larson changed my life so I had to read this. Seasons of Love is actually one of three songs I want played at my memorial (not that I’m planing on dying anytime soon but it’s good to plan ahead). Beautiful post by the way. We see many of the same things and yes, most people want to do good. Here is another song, by my friends Wookiefoot, that you might like. It contains one of my favorite lines, “If love is not the answer then we just asked the wrong question”.
http://music.wookiefoot.com/track/loose-your-mind
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Thanks! That was really cool!
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A great post with a great message. Take responsibility for our own lives and love more often than complain and hate.. If we could all follow through on this then the world would be less judgemental and a more tolerant place.
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Thank you! It would be!
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good blog post…I feel that people will see what they focus their eyes upon. If they want to see the good in something, then they will see it, or vice versa. I for one, seek truth, and I feel you do also.
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I do. And I think you are right!
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How often do we hear that the world “used to be a better place” and the golden age of anything was, “when i was there” 🙂 It’s become fashionable to crib about anything that is ‘Today’. I personally believe, that the world is a better place today than it ever was. Culture, tradition and morals were never what they used to be. There is nothing wrong with this change as well, as long as it fits the time. http://bhaskar2312.wordpress.com
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Thanks!
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Great post. Sometimes we just have to stop and say, “This is the time; this very moment so let’s embrace it.” Thanks.
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Yes, you’re right! Thanks!
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So glad you stopped by and liked my post, which resulted in me coming over here. Great writing! So glad to see you’re jumping back into blogging 🙂
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Thanks! I enjoyed your post!! 🙂
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Your post has two powerful messages here. The first one encompasses both morals and human rights. Whilst I agree they follow along similar lines, to me they are not exactly the same. Each one of us can follow a proper moral code within us. Human rights, on the other hand are very much a community/state driven philosophy. So while I agree that we have actually made some progress in terms of human rights (we no longer burn suspected witches without due process for example); personal moral codes do seem to have taken a battering. Your second powerful message I agree with entirely, that of taking personal responsibility for our lives, and as part of that our own moral code.
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Those are great points. Thanks so much for sharing here. 🙂
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This was beautiful. Beautiful, because I recognize this in my own Country. I live on one of the Dutch Caribbean Islands and being an island doesn’t necessarily mean we arent the same. We say humans have progressed and developed. But if you realy look close….we havent changed a bit!
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But, I do think it’s good that we might be putting ourselves in a position to raise awareness now. Because we can’t get anywhere without first realizing there are both problems and feasible solutions. So maybe we will start to change!! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
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Proust seems quite appropriate here: “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were. Great post. Thanks for sharing.
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Yes, very much!
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Thank you for liking my post.
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🙂 Thanks for writing it!
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Bravo! All too often we like to ‘romanticize’ the past. I like to point out indoor plumbing whenever folks get a little too heady over their love for the way things were 🙂 Cheers.
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Hahaha!! That’s a great point!
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Hi Lauren and thank you for “Liking” a post on my new blog–just started a month ago!
I agree with you that most people are fundamentally “good”, loving and caring. In the media, we tend to report on the worst and most cruel aspects of human nature, and we may get an unbalanced view of the world (one of the reasons I try to limit my exposure to the mainstream media). I wish our news reporting was more balanced, as negativity frequently attracts even more negativity into our lives.
John
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Yes, all good points!! and Keep at it, you’re off to a great start!
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It really begins with one… and it lies in each of us. This is really great! I enjoyed it a lot! 🙂
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Thank you so much!
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Very intelligent and well-stated argument. This is what I’d like to hear more of on TV news.
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Thanks! I would, too!
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No need to apologise. It is a very good post. Welcome back
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Thank you!
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🙂
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lovely post lauren – welcome back
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Thank you 🙂
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Welcome back, and with a great post. I agree wholeheartedly, and challenging as it may be, the only way is forward…and to take those steps with love. Blessings, Harula xxxxx
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Thank you! Forward is the only real way to go, I agree!
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It has been a long time… and you’re right there has always been those that try to live life in kindness, love and with morals but there has always been those that didn’t….. Hope you and your son are well… Diane
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We are, thank you and I was thinking of you the other day. So I’m glad I decided to post something!
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