I do not recall being lonely as a child. I had a lot of friends at school. As a matter of fact school was a haven from home. Most times I looked forward to going to see my friends. In college I wasn’t a loner. I was active and out going. For most of my childhood I didn’t feel lonely but as the years passed and I saw more and more of the world around me I found it necessary to pull away. My beliefs about the world and hope had been challenged. It was not until I regained hope for myself and saw that there was hope for others too that being a loner was no longer a safeguard but a burden.
In middle school I read the book The Diary of Ann Frank. I thought about what she went through and how horrible it must have been to see what she saw at her age. Although I felt for her I was somewhat negatively impacted by her thoughts on the basic good of humanity. I thought to myself, “Come on girl, give me a brake.” It seemed rather …well, truthfully it sounded like a load of crap. How on earth could she say such a thing with horrific events unfolding with each tick of the clock? It didn’t make any sense to me. I thought she wore rose coloured glasses. I actually thought a victim of Nazi’s wore rose coloured glasses. Boy did I have nerve! I had nerve but no true understanding of the human heart or the human spirit. It would take years before I gained a fraction of her understanding. She was right, humanity in general isn’t bad. Individuals are bad not humanity. It’s true, when you break down humanity you have individuals but only some of them are bad but most of them are like me. I figure most individuals want what I want and reject the things I reject. We don’t want to turn the TV on to see who died today way before their time. We want to pass the time with joy not kill it with mindless dribble which distracts us from current outbreaks in violence and other crime. We want inner peace and peace around us. Most people want peace and that realization opened the door allowing me to leave my loner’s life behind and not give up on myself…. or you.
Despite watching the news today and seeing two girls who now have a reason to begin a life time of healing I still believe the world has a chance. Despite watching the news today and hearing about a man that got in his car and drove drunk wiping out an entire family I still believe there is hope for the world. I believe it because I know too many people that don’t hurt children and too many people that don’t get behind the wheel of a car drunk. I know many, many people that would pick up a garden tool instead of a gun. I know many, many people that would rather shake a hand than raise one. Yes, the world if full of violent individuals but it is also full of individuals that care. So when you turn on the news and see every sort of crime remember the people you know who don’t offend. It just might help keep hope for yourself and hope for the rest of the world alive.
Austin’s August
I Will Not Withdraw
Wednesday, June 06, 2007-2:04PM EST
Thank you.
I’ve always saw the news as an hour of nothing more than, “Look at the worst of what happened today for the next hour”. I really wish that a news station somewhere could do “The best of what happened today for the next hour”. I know its been tried by some individual reporters who but with no luck so far. Too many of us feel that if we don’t know about who got murdered, beaten, etc. today than we’re “uninformed and blind to the world around us”. I know the world out there can be cruel and that people hurt each other everyday. I don’t need to watch the news as a reminder.
Thank you for pointing out though that most people don’t hurt others maliciously. Its just the constant “in your face” coverage of those that do that give the rest of us a disposition for assuming the worst of everyone around us.
Thanks Austin.
Hope Sent,
~ Ani
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I contacted a local news person and told her that good news should be reported as well. I told her the reason I sent her the letter was because it was her face I saw report the death of a family of 7 murdered in their own home. It was her face I saw report every other crime and horrific event in the last year…everything from the crash with college students being killed to the story about the identity mix up of who was dead and who wasn’t. I saw her face when it was reported that a man put cameras on a local campus to watch the men at the gym change their clothing. I told her I didn’t see the producers or anyone who makes all the decisions about what stories to cover. I saw her face, therefore she got the letter. When she wrote me back she thanked me for my concern. So far she’s reported that two girls were assaulted by two men at a restaurant I visited 3 days prior as well as numerous other atrocities. I’ve not seen a reason, a real reason, to watch the news. I figure they should balance it but balance and media are words that don’t go to together.
Austin
Austin: thank you so much for sharing this. It’s an inspiration for me, as I tend to feel negative about humanity at times. thanks for letting me use this for the blog carnival.
Austin, I love this post. And so glad that you can see the good in humanity.