Perspective - continued

The complete lack of any heat was constraining, the absence of any feeling was numbing and weighed us down like a coat made from the blackest coal dug from deep within an underground mine. The intense darkness bore down on us like an out of control freight train. Yet somehow we were unable to see beyond our pain; to contemplate our future. How could we begin to plan our next move when the pervading darkness ate away at our will to try anything new?

The darkness made it so much easier to hide from our own integrity and the cold emphasised our weakening internal strength. Our souls longed for slumber, a reversion of awareness. Anything to avoid the need for prolonged examination of our situation, feelings and hopeless desires.

Incredibly, a small sliver of light, began to penetrate through the ubiquitous blackness and somehow mesmerised us, stealing our focus. We were energised by the tiniest hint of heat emanating from the same source and an eagerness to move toward the light quickly began to overtake us. Our breath returned as we realised it might soon be at an end and our feelings of hopelessness began to subside. With half a smile I turned to you, only to be shocked to rediscover things that had been hidden from our view for so long.

You saw the look on my face and began to turn, instantly drawing these forgotten issues to your attention too. We looked at each other and in that moment knew we had to (you choose):

Rise in support of each other and move away from issues previously hidden in the dark,
Reach for another bottle of XYZ to sooth our cares away,
Turn slowly from each other, refocussing on those hidden things and shrink a little inside, or
We start screaming at each other, trying to apportion blame for the situation.

Luckily we chose to turn and run towards the light? Tears of pain and happiness now streaming down our cheeks. The warmth of our connection with each other and with the light rekindling our inner beings.  

Life can be so wonderful and fulfilling when we have good friends who stick by us through trouble and strife. Our lives are further enriched when we are that good friend. Yet the modern media in our western democratic capitalist society continually bemoans the hopelessness of governments seeking to lay the blame for all of our pain on this external system. Whilst the mass media continues to perpetrate the myth that our lot in life is not our fault, personal responsibility remains a laughable concept to many. Can you see how this attitude of blame spreading with its push to promote an external locus of self-control makes it so easy for us to argue with each other about trivial matters?

The Strand at night, Townsville

Every day the mass media is pointing out what the editor of a newspaper or executive producer of a news program disagrees with, what will whip up hysteria and ultimately what they think will sell. And they will argue all day, that they have the moral authourity to draw our attention to those things hidden in the darkness. My point is that these practices constantly focus the public's attention on what is wrong with ...  (insert trendy topic here) ... I believe this perpetuates the widespread exclusion throughout society of the habit of self-examination, looking at our own hidden issues. Fear my friends, fear of public shame and hysteria aimed at us.

So whilst other powerful influences in society continue to point toward the futile, the failures and the insipidly pointless, I hope we have the courage to point toward the light. To embrace the gentle warm glow of positivity and encourage others with our friendship, even though that appears amazingly difficult to do.

Let's Drive,

ren0vator