Those that are better at managing internal obstacles stand a better chance at managing external ones.
I run a path that goes by a retirement village. This path is usually frequented by some of the elderly residents. Some of them have quite a difficult time with mobility, or are generally slow. As I run past, nearly all of them smile and wave. You can sometimes see the pain on their faces while struggling forward. I’ve been the angry guy in the car, trying to get somewhere quickly, behind an elderly person driving. I’ve wished their neurons would fire faster, and that they would consider everyone else around them. Lately however, during the running I’ve simply imagined myself at that advanced age. Probably wishing my neurons would fire faster, wanting to move quicker. I started to imagine these people as they were at my age; probably working hard, full of hope and energy; striving toward something. They could have once been young Mothers and Fathers. Husbands. Wives. They were and are somebody’s child. Somebody’s sister or brother. Somebody’s best friend. At it’s core, it’s just an empathy exercise, but it did open my eyes to how life progresses for all of us, and that some day, God willing, we’ll be there with slow reaction times, and full hearts.
No one ever thinks they’re the villain. Our future generations won’t either. Let’s think about they might look upon our current actions. Especially the self-righteous ones. In our self-righteousness, and self-indulgence, we have a public reaction that feels good for a moment, and may even get “applause”, but we don’t like ourselves for later. This is the root of all addictive behavior: porn, booze, eating, phone scrolling. Dopamine is a bitch. Don’t let it own you.
People have been wearing masks in public for as long as history has had Man. We interact with each other differently. Holy with one group. Drinking and cussing like sailors with another. We use different language and employ political maneuvers at “work”, while being completely vulnerable with our significant others. We use Instagram to depict a happiness that is only half true. People born on Third will downplay their privilege and support all the “right causes” while employing shocking amounts of entitlement. Everybody here are wearing their masks, ALWAYS.
Blessed are the generations that didn’t, or won’t have to deal with e-mail.
Andrew L Hamilton 