Tag: Equality of Mankind; Positive Living

If ONLY

~ Sue Brown ~ Leave a comment

I first saw the homeless man, when I pulled into the parking lot of a large super-store…O.K…WalMart. I have never spent one night without a roof of some sort over my head. He was not standing visibly out in the open, where he could be easily seen, but rather off to the side. He sat on a wooden bench that almost seemed out of place near the large lot…but there he was.

At first, it struck me odd that he was not standing closer to where all the cars were coming in. I was not sure why he had even caught my eye at all, on his remote bench, as the parking lot was busy and I was being cautious. It was the first day in almost a month where the temperature and sun seemed to be in harmony and maybe he was enjoying it.

The man was holding a small sign, which eventually caught my attention; it said nothing more than HOMELESS. He held it very low on his lap. Perhap, he was worried about Security or local police chasing him away. It was then I decided to buy him some food and give it to him as I was leaving the parking lot. Inside I picked up a few prepackaged sandwiches and drinks, got my own toiletry items, and headed back out to my car. From where I had parked, I couldn’t see him any longer. Maybe he had left. When I got closer, I could see that he was still seated in the same spot…in the same position, holding the sign in his lap.

I wondered what I would say to this man. It was difficult to tell how old he was; he was so dirty. His ragged sweatshirt was torn and the soles were pulling off his sneakers, I could see that as I proceeded towards him. He spit onto the pavement in front of him with huge racking coughs and held up his hand not to come any closer. “I have a bad cold,” were his first raspy words. “I’ve been sleeping in the woods.” My bag of food seemed inadequate, but I handed it to him anyway. I hadn’t seen a full grown man quite that thin in a long time. His blue eyes were direct and he didn’t look away, but stared right at me.

Most of his front teeth were missing or badly decayed. He held such sadness in his eyes, that I involuntarily choked up. We chatted back and forth for a bit. I’m not sure why, because he was totally sober, I asked if he would stop drinking and he hesitated… then nodded agreement. When he mentioned he had just been into WalMart checking out the cough/cold medicine and then rattled off the price.. .I knew he was telling the truth about not feeling well.

If I had only stopped and asked him what he needed on the way in, I could have gotten that for him while I was in there, but I hadn’t been that insightful. It also occurred to me that maybe he was completely conning me. I do succumb to that. For some reason, he still struck me as sincere. I noticed a still burning cigarette on the ground next to the bench and asked him to try and stop smoking too.

My own brazenness amazed me! Who did I think I was asking this total stranger to stop drinking and smoking? Again, he nodded agreement. He acknowledged that the soft drink would feel good on his throat, but he didn’t know how much of the sandwich he could eat. I merely asked him that he “try” and felt compelled to mention how thin he was and that he needed to take better care of himself.

As I turned to leave, he called out to me softly. “Thank you for calling me Sir,” he said to me. My throat tightened. “God Bless you, Miss,” he said. “No, may He bless you,” was all I could utter in reply. They were the most sincere words I had said all week. As I waited to pull out of the parking lot, I gave a final glance in my rear view mirror. The man was eagerly tearing open the cellophane on the roast beef sandwich.

All of a sudden…I got it! There, but for the Grace of God… go I!

Please all, during these very trying times, let us focus on EVERYONE who has already have been given their share of Tests and Challenges. Let this not be a time of Political or Social oppositions. Let us be about being good people and helping others even if we are at odds with their lifestyle choices or beliefs. At the end of each of our lives, it appears that everything has been measured out in equal proportions. I am more aware of that each day that I am on this Earth.

Each Human has been given tests, challenges, and fears. But with that comes the HUMAN condition of HOPE. Let us never forget that each of us is put on this Earth for a purpose and that purpose will one day be clear.

,

Let’s “contemplate” how often we use “contempt” in our daily interactions on line, in person, and socially.

~ Sue Brown ~ Leave a comment

Wait! Am I saying we should be better Humans in THOUGHT, WORD, and DEED? Hell yeah!

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “contempt” as “the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration.” It is ultimately derived from the Latin word contemptus which means “to scorn or despise.” As ONE PEOPLE we seem to be doing this quite frequently and more so each day. We actually have contempt of another! It matters little whether it is politics (Dems vs Rep), among races (Black vs White), nationalities (Americans vs China)… it just goes on and on ad nauseam. Enough already!

 I still get a kick out of my old-school Latin and how often our Modern Society defers to it. As written in The New York Times, contempt is not the same thing as strongly disagreeing with someone. Not only are strong disagreements inevitable, but “Disagreement helps us innovate, improve, and find the truth.” It also leads to common understanding and new ideas. The problem isn’t that we disagree; it’s how we disagree. Increasingly, disagreements today are characterized by a “noxious brew of anger and disgust,” which is directed not only at bad ideas, but also at the people who espouse them. Mmmm… This goes beyond incivility and it’s just plain rudeness.

 It even goes beyond intolerance. It’s the conviction that while your side “is driven by benevolence,” the other side “is evil and motivated by hatred.”  Who does this help?  No one! You can probably think of several examples of contempt recently directed at other religions and cultures.. So can I. However, to paraphrase the First Letter of John,  if we say that we are free of contempt, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. That’s worth a long thought.

Can we honestly say that we never think of our opponents, in any area, as: not quite as informed, educated, or forward thinking as we are?  Do we always strive to be “greater than thou” with people while we criticize their ideas? The fact that we  ourselves are often unjustly maligned… isn’t a reason to reciprocate in kind. In the case of contempt for our opponents, things like social media, cable news, and political websites can be such occasions. These are the mechanisms and media for modern propaganda and word peddlers.  They are  folks who profit from the culture of contempt.

Contempt is not the same thing as strongly disagreeing with someone. Not only are strong disagreements inevitable, but disagreement helps us innovate, improve, and find the truth.” It also leads to common understanding and new ideas.The problem isn’t that we disagree; it’s how we disagree. Increasingly, disagreements today are characterized by a “noxious brew of anger and disgust,” which is directed not only at bad ideas, but also at the people who espouse them. Mmmm…This goes beyond incivility and rudeness. 

It’s the conviction that while your side “is driven by benevolence,” the other side “is evil and motivated by hatred.”  Who does this help?  No one!?  Do we always strive to be “greater than thou” with people while we criticize their ideas? The fact that we  ourselves are often unjustly maligned… isn’t a reason to reciprocate in kind.

My Christmas Wish for All!

~ Sue Brown ~ Leave a comment

These past months have been so much more than a “normal” test of Human Endurance and Personal Strength. “Strength” that includes physical strength as well as emotional strength are always ours to endure. The recent Presidential Election just added to the drama. Personally, some days are overwhelming; we all continue to have our own individual challenges as well . It is so easy to become sad and lonely. I get that.

We live in a world of constant and often frightening change and never know of our tomorrow (s). I often ask myself … what will tomorrow bring! Will I have a blessed day with no worries or sickness upon me? Will I be able to cope with what will be passed to me through my day? Will I make a difference to others who might be challenged more than I am?

Finally, it dawns on me that I am so blessed to just be able to wake up and open my eyes each and every morning. I get to experience glorious LIFE yet again. I should treasure each day, even during this time, and make everyday day count in my life. This is true now more than ever, right?

We must not dwell on the past and ruin our present. Our past sometimes can haunt us and make our present day not too enjoyable. If your own past has haunted you and it’s fixable, then go after the problem and resolve it, so that you can live in peace. If it cannot be fixed, then choose to let it go. CHOOSE to be at peace, happy, and help others.

As time and moments pass us by, they are then called memories and can be either positive or negative. We all want to have in our lives the best and happiest memories. None of us want to have bad memories of anything, but unfortunately, we will have many of them and disappointments to go along with them. It’s good to put everything in perspective. I coined a special word, years ago for my own personal memories that are painful; I call them “memroids.” It still works.

I try to live everyday to the fullest and make each day count because there is no guarantee to the length of our individual times on Earth. In my journey, there have been acquired lessons of great value. Treat all people with respect and kindness. Turn the other cheek as hard as it might be. Learn to love and respect yourself, because without that, you will have a hard time loving and respecting others.

Really appreciate what you have in your Life and don’t take anything for granted. We can all improve the quality of our existence with some extra hard work to achieve a personal goal. However, if that goal is not achieved, the gain is in the personal knowledge that all effort was put forth in the venture of trying.

I try to make it a habit to glance into the sky and say thanks for all things in Life… exactly as given. This includes these last few months of Covid-19. My days are rewarding; yet challenging, happy; while melancholy at times, enlightening; even at this point in my life, and exhausting; while at the same time… I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Each day we experience is as different and individual as each one of us. May we choose to live it well.

One Universe is “One Nation Under God.”

Featured ~ Sue Brown ~ Leave a comment

     What is absolutely liberating to think about, is the reality that all Men, everywhere… are created equal.  We really are.  It’s almost so simple, that at first glance, it might be overlooked.  However in contemplation, we see the sameness. Here, in my country of America, we have been obsessing over Local and National Politics. The reality is that one of the two Candidates will win; that already is a given. Some will be elated, some will be angry and annoyed. As the current catch phrase says, “It is what it is.” We forget quite often, that our worries are “First World Problems,” and not at all what is the current major concern in other countries or those that are labeled “Third World Countries.”

 We, in all countries, have the same basic needs for: food, clothing, and shelter; the same basic desires for: love, understanding, and compassion; and the same non-ending tests and challenges to not only be better people for ourselves, but for the world around us.  Every Man, every Nation, everywhere!  Now, this is the sameness of all Humanity. Dwell on this thought and truth; let it sink in.

As we continue through the last little bit of the year 2020, let us focus not on what we don’t have, but rather focus on what we already have been given.  LIFE!   Life is good, although not always easy. It is especially apparent to us all during 2020!  It appears that we are frequently put in positions of personal challenge and hopefully we grow from those experiences.   I know from  experience, it is often difficult to weather these tests, but it can be done. 

 Do something with those tests/challenges that make the world a better place for those following in our footsteps.  No change is too small.  No action is too little.     Life is our gift and the most wonderful thing is the realization that all men, everywhere, start out the same.   And… By the Grace of God, hopefully, we meet up in Eternity… as ONE!  Have a meaningful week.