Long Live the Union Jack
I spent the greater part of this week working on a post that was supposed to be uploaded today, but this morning's events in London have compelled me to say a few words about something far more important. The post I was planning to use was largely an analysis of the gay marriage debate, but I'm going to save that one for next week. Don't get me wrong. The gay marriage debate is an important one, as is the abortion debate, the economy, censorship and all the other things we like to quibble about, but it takes a tragedy to remind us that politics, in the big scheme of things, is (for a serious lack of a better word) bullshit.
The important things in life are not legislated, nor mandated nor subsidized. The important things are made up of love for one's friends and family, laughter, growth, kindness and compassion. Life is short, and any of us can go at any time, whether by terrorist attack, car accident, physical ailment, natural disaster or one of a million other causes. We can debate the issues until the cows come home, and we should, but let's remember today that they are only issues. In spite of our differences, we are united in grief when the lives of the innocent are cut short, and most of us are just trying to live day to day to the best of our abilities.
When I was in 11th grade, one of my teachers told the class that the best way to excel and make the most out of life is to wake up each and every morning and ask ourselves, "How can I be a better person today than I was yesterday?" I never forgot those profound words, though I must admit I haven't always followed them either. I was reminded of them by this morning's tragedy, but I would even take it one step further. How can I be a better person today than I was yesterday, and how can I live my life as though today is my last day on Earth?
Randy Travis has a song called "Three Wooden Crosses," in which he says, "It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you. It's what you leave behind you when you go." The lives of at least 37 people were ended suddenly and tragically in London this morning, and we weep for them because their deaths were injust, because their friends and families are now suffering for them, and because it was not their time. How many of us would live our lives differently if we fully understood how fragile they are? Would we remain closer to our families and do a better job of demonstrating how much we love and appreciate them? Would we show more kindness to strangers and let go of the trivial things that we let weigh us down? Would we realize that political issues for the most part are not life-and-death issues? We should all remember that today, not only to honor those who died, but to remind us that life is way too short not to make the most of it.
Long live the Union Jack.
I spent the greater part of this week working on a post that was supposed to be uploaded today, but this morning's events in London have compelled me to say a few words about something far more important. The post I was planning to use was largely an analysis of the gay marriage debate, but I'm going to save that one for next week. Don't get me wrong. The gay marriage debate is an important one, as is the abortion debate, the economy, censorship and all the other things we like to quibble about, but it takes a tragedy to remind us that politics, in the big scheme of things, is (for a serious lack of a better word) bullshit.
The important things in life are not legislated, nor mandated nor subsidized. The important things are made up of love for one's friends and family, laughter, growth, kindness and compassion. Life is short, and any of us can go at any time, whether by terrorist attack, car accident, physical ailment, natural disaster or one of a million other causes. We can debate the issues until the cows come home, and we should, but let's remember today that they are only issues. In spite of our differences, we are united in grief when the lives of the innocent are cut short, and most of us are just trying to live day to day to the best of our abilities.
When I was in 11th grade, one of my teachers told the class that the best way to excel and make the most out of life is to wake up each and every morning and ask ourselves, "How can I be a better person today than I was yesterday?" I never forgot those profound words, though I must admit I haven't always followed them either. I was reminded of them by this morning's tragedy, but I would even take it one step further. How can I be a better person today than I was yesterday, and how can I live my life as though today is my last day on Earth?
Randy Travis has a song called "Three Wooden Crosses," in which he says, "It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you. It's what you leave behind you when you go." The lives of at least 37 people were ended suddenly and tragically in London this morning, and we weep for them because their deaths were injust, because their friends and families are now suffering for them, and because it was not their time. How many of us would live our lives differently if we fully understood how fragile they are? Would we remain closer to our families and do a better job of demonstrating how much we love and appreciate them? Would we show more kindness to strangers and let go of the trivial things that we let weigh us down? Would we realize that political issues for the most part are not life-and-death issues? We should all remember that today, not only to honor those who died, but to remind us that life is way too short not to make the most of it.
Long live the Union Jack.
posted by Kris Avalon at
3:55 PM
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