Improve the World-101
It often seems as though suffering is woven into the very fabrics of our society, relationships, history and even our natural surroundings. But that’s no excuse for our own “advertent” or intentional thoughtless acts or cruelty, contrarily, that is exactly what demands that we do everything in our power to stop the mindless acts that can cause deep human harm and lasting damage.
There are many reasons why both young and old people perpetuate harm. The least of which is selfish arrogance. The worst is often that a similar harm was perpetuated against them at some point in their life. Society has turned blind eyes toward the selfish acts of some young people in society and schools alike. Such acts and behavior make headline news ONLY when damage is severe and often irreversible. The lessons learned during childhood and adolescence will fortunately or in some cases unfortunately, last a lifetime, so if there is a chance to intervene, it’s while they are young.
Our children may in a measurable way achieve some level of success or acceptance within their peer group, but this is no reason to assume that their overall behavior is in other ways tolerable, much less admirable. We need to either become or identify role models that young people can identify with, that are the very face of selfless, humble and caring people. My parents taught me to watch over the innocent, embrace the rejected and speak out against injustice. Later they checked to make sure that I’d learned the lesson. It didn’t always make me popular with the “populars” in school but it always made me feel better and at least one other person feel safe. How one intervenes safely depends on the circumstances and a large slingshot filled with common sense. When you are blessed with attributes that most people ignore, tolerate or admire, you have an even greater responsibility to employ those blessings for others who are less fortunate. It may take decades, but the good that you can deliver daily will become the seeds of some future harvest. Make the choice to be better every day. It was never enough to simply be a “good person.” We all need to spread that goodness to improve the world.
JC CALKINS with COMMON SENSE 4 UNCOMMON PEOPLE April 5, 2010
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