Bad Day
I look at my television in annoyance as yet another days' worth of news is nothing but death and human stupidity. Is there anything else going on in the world? Or have we all just lost our minds? I usually judge the type of day it's been from the news. I find that's the best way to tell, because I believe it's only a good day when something good around the world happens to someone. Hard to tell these days though, with people hitting other people with cars, and other people shooting someone over something so little as junk items.
When did society become so enthralled by the Macabre? When did the birth of a child become irrelevant to the lives lost? It's like the human race has given up hope for the future and we all expect some kind of immanent doom to befall us. But even then why shouldn't we be happy for new life? It's not that I believe no one cares for new life, but it doesn't have the same kind of impact on people as it used to back in the day. It used to be a joyous occasion when someone was born and everyone near and far could tell when it had happened. It saddens me to know people don't care as much these days.
All I see these days is sorrow, anger and vengeful looks on the television… the radio isn't much better. It's focusing on car accidents somewhere on the highway, or the police chase that killed a family of 3. Why can't they instead talk about the chase that didn't end in tragedy?
Doesn't anyone see what their actions and feelings are doing to the coming generations? If all we do now is focus on the bad then all our future generations are going to focus on is the negative. I can guarantee that if we look at the current generation and asked them what was going on in the world these days all they'd be able to talk about is the "Bad Economy" or "The War in Iraq", or even the ever popular "Obama Policy". Sure it's good that the current generation is aware of these things, but when that's all that's ground into the minds of the young and when asked to remember something positive about a negative situation… it will only ensure the endurance of the trial of these hard times.
It wasn't long ago I was talking with one of my friends, who is younger then I by a fair margin, about a fire that had occurred not too long ago up in the mountains it was hard to hear everything he had to say on the matter. I recalled how a group of firemen had gotten caught in the fire and had to fight their way back to the trucks. Out of like seven men five had gotten back to the trucks and the other two got split from the others and were killed in the fire, but I only knew that a fair number had made it back to the trucks and helped end the fire. But my friend was able to tell me the names of the two men who had died, and how they had died in horrific grimness.
It was another bad day.
9/11… a bad day. Hurricane Katrina… another bad day. It's been a while since there's been a good day in the world. For one moment in your life, shut out the sounds of the radio and visions of the television and take a deep breath. When you shut your eyes what do you see after of a day of living in the world? All I see is the sad faces of the men carrying a coffin of a deceased friend or relative… the blank look in their eyes and the tears on their faces. The color of the tombstone recently placed, yet untouched by the elements. And even if I manage to suppress the images, I cannot suppress the great sadness that always comes with the sight. Every day my heart breaks a little more at the cruelty of life and my own weakness to express how I feel about it.
How can we all live in a world of "Bad Days" and not break from the stress? If I could do one thing in this world it would be to give this world one good day. One is all it would need for a sense of peace and hope to retake the world that has allowed itself to be consumed by guilt and doubt. As one of my favorite bands say: "When you get that feelin', when you start believing that it's a miracle, it's hysteria." I don't think all hysteria is bad, I'm sure someone could feel happiness to the point of near hysteria. I myself sometimes when I'm alone something might pop into my head that brings me to the brink of tears each time. Something that fills me with hope and a light I cannot explain.
Don't you know what I'm talking about? If you heard something good about the world you'd smile, but then if you kept hearing good things smiling would turn to a bright mood, the sunlight would feel warmer, the world would seem less harsh, bad traffic would feel like nothing, and it would lead to making you think positively. After all this, once hope and the light have made a home in your heart how could you keep it in? Sometimes when there's no way to explain the way you feel all there is are tears. Not all tears are from sorrow and despair are bad, remember everything negative that has ever been done has been taken to mock the good.
But just think, seeing someone with hope and light in their heart, think of looking into their eyes and feeling what they feel just from the single look. How long has it been since the last time the world cowed before the hope of the world? How long has it been since a smile defeated the sorrow evil has wrought? When was the last time a single handshake ended the hate that has lasted for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years?
"Separated we move on, united we fall." Def Leppard also said in one of their songs. And it is totally true, because we can move on alone, but when one of us fails and falls so will the rest of us follow. Which brings to mind another quote: "When a good man suffers, the whole world suffers with him." How long has it been since the good man didn't suffer? The world suffers not just because of one man, but it suffers because all the world's good men suffer on some degree from the pain and suffering of the world.
I know there's no quick-fix to ease the suffering of the good men, just like there's no way to teach someone of the hope and light. The only thing we can do is grasp at the thoughts that give us hope in any situation, and try to make it all a reality. It all starts by accepting happiness and letting go of the things that pain us, no matter how horrid they are. And not everything happens overnight, but the longer you try the easier it becomes and the more you do it. The first step to being able to forgive others is learning to forgive yourself. It's all a journey, only you can take the first step. And like a good man once told me: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But once you take the first step you're half way there." To me that means Half the effort of getting hope and light back in your life is putting the effort into just trying.
But I recently have come to believe in a quote I hope one day will be recognized: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But once you take the first step you're half way there. But it's a road more easily traveled with company." I will try to make this effort of remembering the light and hope, but I will not always succeed. I just have to remember that as long as I let others join me on this journey they can help me up when I stumble, and we can cheer each other on when the road seems endless and bleak.
To those who will try also, I will not lie to you: The road you start on will seem endless and empty, with a cloud that always seems to rain on you as you try to leave it behind… but just remember the more people you let in one your life the more you will come to see that the more people you have with you will help the sun come out in your life. The road will no longer feel endless, just constantly growing for you and those close to you. It will seem also to become more alive and accepting, allowing you more distance in a day then it started letting you. This road is endless for those who want it to be, and has stopping points for those who have lost their footing and need help.
"The darkest period doesn't come at night." Just before the clouds break it will be it's hardest, where the darkness will fight to drag you down. But that's why it's a road more easily traveled with company, because with the combined hope of you and those close to you the darkness will cow before the might of your resolve. And the world will bow before those who have defeated despair and sorrow, and the light will shine in their eyes with newfound life. It will glow in their eyes as brightly as the sun, and all around them will feel it.
And trust in this one thing: the day someone can feel true hope and light from either within themselves or from someone they are close to…
That is a good day.