| ME FIRST WORLD...Today marks the 27th anniversary of my birth into this dynamic realm known as life....And I can't decide if I have learned a lot in that period or nothing at all. Like most things, the answer probably falls somewhere in between. All of my life experiences have exposed me to many great things and many not so great. It is the not so great that worries me and what I will address here. Of all the challenging and difficult tasks one can face in life, none is more difficult than understanding human interaction. While history has shown that cooperation, loyalty, and honesty have proven the most productive elements in human relationships, we all seem to be heading away from these humanistic traits. Sure, we can all find a way to be cooperative and loyal when the results are beneficial to ourselves. But when it's for the greater good, or even more difficult, for the good of only others, few rush to the forefront. While conservatives and liberals alike give to charitable causes, such as churches and for "feeding the poor", most do so to make themselves feel better or have a false "moral obligation." I personally have been described as many things in my life but compassionate is not among the top. That being said, many would describe me as cooperative, loyal, and honest---nearly all to a fault. And while I haven't done much for the "greater good", I have done many things for those that are close to me, namely my family and friends, without any expectation of a beneficial return. The reason I do these things is because I genuinely care for these individuals, and no other human act reveals caring quite like an act of selflessness. For this I have been rewarded with people who have used, abused, and manipulated these acts of caring purely for there own benefit and only to the detriment of myself. And time after time, I reasoned these actions of others as misguided, ignorant, or accidental. It is only now that I am beginning to see that even those who profess to care about me the most, will deliberately and maliciously use my emotions for them for their own personal gain whether large or small, not matter the effects on me or my life. Even with this realization, I am faced with a troubling decision---Do I abandon trust, cooperation, loyalty, and honesty so that I may protect myself in this ME FIRST WORLD, or do I hope that those I choose to surround myself with, will embrace these values and reciprocate the genuine concern I feel for them?? Today, for once, I only have this question, no answer.... Maybe the next 27 years, God willing, will bring me the answer I seek or expose this as my greatest weakness... Stay tuned.... |
