We Design What We See
"People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea that most things are keyhole shaped." - Author Unknown
There are so many things in this world that we cannot comprehend. There are events that take place and human drama that unfolds on a daily basis that causes us to just shake our heads and wonder how can this happen. We have no understanding of the emotions involved or the pain or happiness created by the event. As an example, February 6, 2007 was the seventh anniversary of the death of Samantha Walsh. The light shines brighter on this year's anniversary because the young man who murdered her has applied for parole. In a recent edition of The Telegram, the letter written by Samantha's mom to the parole board, as well as an article concerning the events leading up to the parole hearing for Michael Lewis, was carried as a front page story. What struck me as I read both the story and the letter was my inability to comprehend the feelings involved on all sides of this story.
What don't I understand? The first thought is how can a sixteen year old boy take the life of a thirteen year old girl? How does a Mom & Dad live with the loss of their little girl day after day? How does a Mom & Dad live with the fact that their son took the life of this little girl? Does this young man, who is now 23 years old, have any idea the pain that he has caused? As a society, are we able to balance the need for punishment against the need for rehabilitation? Better yet, as a society are we able to forgive? If you read the book written by Samantha's uncle Gordon Walsh, titled "Into the Night - The Samantha Walsh Story", you will gain a very good insight into what all of the above mentioned people went through just seven short years ago.
To debate, discuss or even contemplate answers to these questions is certainly beyond the realm of this blog. But their are words from this story that fit into each one of our lives. Certainly not to the same degree as in this story, but they are a part of our lives on a daily basis. Words like pain, loss, punishment and forgiveness, enter and re-enter our lives, sometimes on an hourly basis. We inflict pain without consideration for the loss, we inflict punishment without consideration of forgiveness. We gossip without thought, we accuse withour proof, we put other people down just so we can raise ourselves up. Never do we think about the harm we are doing or the pain we are causing.
My life has been like this for a long, long time. I am critical of others, because I want to feel better. I seek out personal loss because I know the loss I have cost others. I punish others because of my fears and forgiveness is only a word, never a legitimate thought. What I have done is try to create in others the thoughts and deeds that rightfully belong to me. I have tried to skirt my own responsibility by blaming others. What I fail to realize is that I have been the architect of my own pain, my own losses, my own punishment, and my own lack of forgiveness. Daily we each have the power to make this a better place to live. We each have the ability to inflict a little happiness, lend a little smile and speak a little good. We only need to look beyond our own little world into the lives of others. See in them that which we desire for ourselves, and instead of being thrifty, spend the richness of our spirit, for that is a well that will never run dry.
There are so many things in this world that we cannot comprehend. There are events that take place and human drama that unfolds on a daily basis that causes us to just shake our heads and wonder how can this happen. We have no understanding of the emotions involved or the pain or happiness created by the event. As an example, February 6, 2007 was the seventh anniversary of the death of Samantha Walsh. The light shines brighter on this year's anniversary because the young man who murdered her has applied for parole. In a recent edition of The Telegram, the letter written by Samantha's mom to the parole board, as well as an article concerning the events leading up to the parole hearing for Michael Lewis, was carried as a front page story. What struck me as I read both the story and the letter was my inability to comprehend the feelings involved on all sides of this story.
What don't I understand? The first thought is how can a sixteen year old boy take the life of a thirteen year old girl? How does a Mom & Dad live with the loss of their little girl day after day? How does a Mom & Dad live with the fact that their son took the life of this little girl? Does this young man, who is now 23 years old, have any idea the pain that he has caused? As a society, are we able to balance the need for punishment against the need for rehabilitation? Better yet, as a society are we able to forgive? If you read the book written by Samantha's uncle Gordon Walsh, titled "Into the Night - The Samantha Walsh Story", you will gain a very good insight into what all of the above mentioned people went through just seven short years ago.
To debate, discuss or even contemplate answers to these questions is certainly beyond the realm of this blog. But their are words from this story that fit into each one of our lives. Certainly not to the same degree as in this story, but they are a part of our lives on a daily basis. Words like pain, loss, punishment and forgiveness, enter and re-enter our lives, sometimes on an hourly basis. We inflict pain without consideration for the loss, we inflict punishment without consideration of forgiveness. We gossip without thought, we accuse withour proof, we put other people down just so we can raise ourselves up. Never do we think about the harm we are doing or the pain we are causing.
My life has been like this for a long, long time. I am critical of others, because I want to feel better. I seek out personal loss because I know the loss I have cost others. I punish others because of my fears and forgiveness is only a word, never a legitimate thought. What I have done is try to create in others the thoughts and deeds that rightfully belong to me. I have tried to skirt my own responsibility by blaming others. What I fail to realize is that I have been the architect of my own pain, my own losses, my own punishment, and my own lack of forgiveness. Daily we each have the power to make this a better place to live. We each have the ability to inflict a little happiness, lend a little smile and speak a little good. We only need to look beyond our own little world into the lives of others. See in them that which we desire for ourselves, and instead of being thrifty, spend the richness of our spirit, for that is a well that will never run dry.
posted by Taximan at 10:10 AM
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