With recent world events, it is difficult to steer inspiration away from what is unfolding in the media and, as much as I feel that nobody wants to read any more ‘Rest in Peace’ posts, I feel it would be ignorant of me not to send out a few thoughts to victims of all natural and fateful disasters. Every day, I scour the news in hope of ‘a light at the end of the tunnel’ for the suffering and desperate, only to find more heartache.
What more can a little, old me do other than sit back and pray that one day soon, something significantly good will happen? Should I turn a blind eye to matters beyond my control? Should I be content in my bubble of safety and be grateful that any problem that rumbles more than twenty miles away could not possibly affect me? Or, should I close my eyes and banish dysfunction of society from my mind? I have an option to acknowledge the distant torment, but I do not have an option to not care.
However much I remind myself of my lucky deal in life, sympathy tugs my heartstrings and I just want to help in some way. Yet, I cannot hold back a Tsunami, I cannot catch a bullet, I cannot feed the population of the third word and I cannot invent a cure for Aids.
As a parent, I am surrounded by figurines of Superheroes and Action Men, with tales of good overcoming evil, the innocent being protected by the power of justice and ‘happily ever afters’. If only real-life was as glossy. If only we could sleep peacefully knowing that a hero prowls the night defending our future. Imagine being rest-assured that a man in a cape holds all the powers to hold back nature.
If I could write an ending to this tragedy, who would save the day? The truth is my inspiration is guided by history. When, since the beginning of time, has there ever been anything other than nature, conflict and consequence? How can there be a ‘happily ever after’ without a definition of ‘happy’?
It is much easier to write a list of things to change than to write a list of how to change things. It is far simpler to pick faults than it is to find solutions. However, there is always this one possibility nagging away in my mind. There is always one word screaming through my trail of thought. There is always that last choice, no matter how I distract myself from the simplicity...
