Nowhere Left to Hide. Not!

If you believe that the world is in turmoil and there is nowhere safely left to hide from the notion that a piano is about to fall on your head, then perhaps you should just not go outside ever again. You could stay in your own little world and cocoon in the back of your head; safely ensconced from the beauty of the real world and miss the reason for living.  Other people. Other places.  Other cultures.

ISIS, leftists, rightists, fence sitters, radicals, pacifists, vegans, meat lovers, religious absolutists, atheists, agnostics, hawks, doves, trolls, financial philanderers, petty criminals, felons, boiler room scam artists, people who prey on the old and poor, the self-centered selfie-addicted, self-absorbed politicians, well-meaning politicians, idiots, savants, people with bad manners, intolerant people with good manners, racists, zombies, natural disasters, your family at Thanksgiving, anybody on New Year’s Eve, all mirrors (you might see yourself)… avoid them all.   Your ignorance will make you so much more at peace.  Ignorant, but at peace.  That is, if flat lining while your still breathing is a semblance of a life well spent.

Or simply stop watching, reading and fretting about the news and get outside and see the world for yourself.  Meet other people. Visit new places.  Experience the world on your own terms.  Rather than listening to pundits (where is Will Rogers when you need him?) with little or no scholarly perspective pontificate about subjects merely to radicalize your point of view for ratings, whatever it might be, you could actually experience your own reality, come to your own conclusions and learn that while there is a great deal wrong with our world, there is also a great deal right with it.  Glass half full versus half empty?  Absolutely!

I am not immune from the underbelly of life.  At times it is just plain scary.  Evil exists.  Pretending it does not is foolhardy.  Wariness is not just advised, it is prudency cubed.  Even the strongest spirits remain cognizant that the world is not a perfect place.  But, forever focusing on the dark side is downright depressing.  The alternative is so much more appealing. That is why I love my job so much.   At the Greater Impact Foundation the people I meet epitomize what is so good about the world.  No, they are not saints, but they are good of heart with the best of intentions because there is nothing more worthy than people trying to help other people.  

I won’t embarrass them here but the organizations they represent are worth noting.  Drishtee in India, Good Weave in Nepal, Food for the Poor everywhere, Eco-Fuels and KickStart in Africa are just a few.  These organizations focus on helping the poor.  They are just the tip of the iceberg.  The news rarely acknowledges them, but they are worthy.  Meeting these people.  Visiting their communities.  Experiencing the diversity of our planet. Seeing the positive change they engender.  Sharing their kindness is invigorating.  It is impossible to understand the beauty around us cocooning alone in fear of the unknown.  Not everyone has the opportunity to do this.  That is why I feel blessed that I have nowhere to hide.  If a piano is to fall on my head, so be it.  In the meantime I am ready.  My glass has already overflowed.