We live in a sick, twisted world. This world is cold and unforgiving. No, something didn't just "happen to me" that's suddenly made me turn dark and negative. Turn on the news anytime you like and you'll get the latest and greatest DOOM and GLOOM. It's the reason I do not watch the news anymore (to be honest, ESPN SportsCenter is now depressing enough)...
*stands up on soap box, 1/2 of crowd walks away while 1/4 of crowd rolls eyes*
Most American news stations are there to make money (not necessarily to report the most important breaking news, as we may have been force fed to believe). News stations will show us and report on the most horrific things they can find because fear is compelling and draws higher viewer ratings. The more blood, guts and fear they peddle, the more 90% of the American public watch. The higher the viewer ratings, the higher the dollars paid for advertising spots and the more profitable a news outfit is.
Think of it this way: when we pass a really, really bad accident on the freeway (that is on the opposite side of the divider), often times, traffic is worse for the lookie-loos than it is for the reduced to 2-lanes accident side. Most humans simply can't help themselves. In America, generally people get more up-in-arms over the sight of a woman's breast (on TV or movies) than they do seeing graphic violence in a TV show or movie. Graphic violence is commonplace (and accepted) because we see it on the news nearly every day.
*steps off of soap box after having lost 1/2 the audience again*
ESPN SportsCenter news clip:
http://es.pn/12pmRGo
On a run a couple nights ago (pretty much how every one of my BLOGS starts and is conceived) I was back and forth with one of my best buddies, Josh,
JDF - "So, are you ready for the end of the world?"
JS - "Maybe. But might just be the end of things the way we knew it. New beginning, maybe?"
JDF - "The way things have gone in the world, recently, wouldn't surprise me if the powers that be hit the reset button saying, 'well, that experiment failed.'"
JS - "Yeah, no kidding. But I don't think it's going to end."
JDF - "Neither do I... but I can't help but wonder if one of these days, somebody is finally going to be right about it. If it really were the end, we've got a lot to get done in the next few days."
So, here's the thing (wait for it...)...
What IF the world were going to end in a day or two?
If you knew you had 1 FULL DAY left, what would you do with it?
Start here: nearly everyone regrets something (according to every interview of people on their death bed, they regret what they did NOT do most, very few talk of regrets of having done something specifically). Most of my regrets are from interpersonal interaction, and again, generally I regret things I didn't SAY and didn't DO, not the mistakes I made (which I learned from, ultimately). If you only had a day or two to live, would you call a family member OR close friend whom you've had a "falling out" with and bury the hatchet? Would you make sure those you love most know how much they are loved by expressing that to them? Would you do something new you've always wanted to do but never made the time for? Would you be more courageous if our time was about to run out?
What would YOU do?
My invitation to you (if you had the mental stamina to make it this far in my blabbering foolishness)... call somebody, RIGHT NOW. It can be someone you love to make sure they know how much. Sometimes that's the easy call. So make that call first. Then when you hang up, call the person you ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WANT TO CALL. Bury the hatchet, fall on the sword, take your lumps, be the bigger person (insert whatever cliche will inspire you)... because the world MIGHT just end, and why not have the energy surrounding you be love and renewal?
Even if you don't believe the world will end, the person(s) you failed to call might be gone sooner than you think, suddenly, unexpectedly. I lost a friend I loved dearly in October, the day before my birthday (she was my age), and I think about that almost every day. Our time here is short, it's going to be done-and-gone before we know it. Get right with the people that are (or were) the most important to you... and do it NOW. *I'm not writing ANY MORE until you do*
Let me know (in the comments) what you did! Who did you call???
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