I have been following the news about the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa with interest. I am not especially afraid of contracting Ebola. The odds of me coming into contact with someone who has the disease in the virulent stages while they are contagious are slim to none, so it's not so much personal as it is a matter of pondering the vagaries of life. It is easy to think you are in isolation in safe little rural Minnesota, but in fact, a man was heading back to this very state from Africa when he was found to be carrying the disease from which he ultimately died. We are not really alone in this world.
It is sad he died, and I am very sorry for his family, but it wasn't a random chance that caused him to get sick. He went back to Africa to attend the funeral of his sister who had died from the same disease. That is not quite the same as sitting on a plane next to the sick person without knowing it and suddenly you are dying.
It all makes me wonder why good people, like Dr. Kent Brantly, who has dedicated his life to helping others, get sick and possibly die, while people like Jesse Ventura, who has dedicated his life to helping himself, profit and get richer. It is bewildering.
The world is a crazy place these days. When I was young, women wouldn't have considered being seen in a bra and panties in public. You didn't even see them on television advertisements. It was unseemly and indecent, and everyone understood that. So I find it bewildering that celebrities now walk the red carpet in see through clothing and brag about wearing no undies. What is THAT about? Have we lost all our common sense?
I try not to be a curmudgeon. It worked for Andy Rooney, but he was a unique case. I live in the world. I love my iPad, my cell phone, my car, my indoor plumbing. But I don't love some of the ways the world has changed in the last 50 years. I regret the loss of common decency, the lack of common sense, the inadequate parenting, the focus on money instead of relationships, the drive for material goods instead of spiritual fulfillment that I see being pushed from every angle.
I long for a world in which politicians understood compromise, drive by shootings were never heard of, meth wasn't a reality, and churches were as full as sports stadiums.
Karma is a frequently misunderstood term. It is not a random act of fate that leads to one's own karma. Instead, it is the sum of your own previous existence which leads to your own outcome. If you live well in this life, you will live better in the next one. And if you live poorly in this life, the next one will reflect that, as well. It is sometimes hard to see bad people profiting from their negative behavior, wishing that fate would deal them a humbling a blow. Karma will eventually deal with them, but not at our whim. Ultimately, we decide what matters, and how we respond to it will impact how we feel about our life. Good or bad, we do have control over our own existence, and I think more people should exercise that control.
I think we need to laugh often, we need to love the people in our lives fully, we need to extend grace where it is required, we need to have a sense of perspective about what really matters in life, and we need to live in such a way that we find peace in our souls. We do not have to live a Jerry Springer lifestyle, even though we live in the world.
Personally, I want to retreat to Walton's Mountain and life a simpler life where things make sense. But for now, I will try to put a smile on my face each day and live the best life I can. I am not perfect, but I will try to extend to others the grace I would like for myself, and hopefully in the end, what goes around will come back to me.
Good morning, world. It's another day, and I plan to spend it living the best I can. I can't stop Ebola or terrorists from taking their toll, but I can make my own corner of the world a slightly better place. One candle can banish the darkness. Let's light up the world today.
Thanks for listening.
