A Call for Peace

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
- Mahatma Gandhi -

[retrieved from motivate.vox.com]

September 11th, 2001 was a day of destruction.

September 11th, 2010 was a day of destruction.

First, buildings crumbled; nine years later, pages were torn. On each of these days, ashes lain scattered on the ground. What motivated such destruction, and what could possibly justify these inconceivable actions?

Difference and her daughter, Misunderstanding.

See, Difference has tried relentlessly to parent Misunderstanding, to show her that her behavior is unacceptable. But, like many kids, Misunderstanding views her mother as the enemy. She has chosen to rebel and is constantly fueled by pressure from her peers. Ignorance and Conceit are vogue, and mesmerized by all the glory, Misunderstanding has decided to hate Difference and everything she stands for.

Ask the average person about the significance of Tuesday, September 21st, and he probably won't realize it's International Day of Peace. Geez, seriously? Another random day with some catchy title dedicated to an obscure concept?

Newsflash: We're not talking about National Ice Cream Month here. This day established by the U.N. is "devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and people." It's about participating in acts of peace, big and small, from cease-fire to ending confrontation with a friend or family member. This year, my student organization co-sponsored an event entitled Pathways to Peace: Voices of Faith and Reason. Speakers from Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Baha'i Faith, and secular humanism were invited to talk about their worldviews and the ultimate goal of peace, particularly in an interfaith context. I arrived to see approximately ten other students there - and probably fewer than fifty people overall. My heart sank. Why are we so uncommitted to making peace?

Yeah, yeah, so we're busy. We've got our fast-paced American lives consumed by an endless to-do list. Distractions blind us, and "world peace" remains an idealistic cliché. We laugh as it's epitomized as the go-to answer during beauty pageant interviews.

But while we're caught up in our personal whirlwinds, we find ourselves in quicksand, gradually sinking deeper into our own narrow-mindedness. Planes burned, and so did the Qur'an. I know many people don't see how a man desecrating the Islamic Holy Book in East Lansing, MI can be compared to the devastation of 9/11, but my purpose is not to compare and contrast or to argue over the status of historical events; I simply want to illustrate the noxious cycle that's alive and at work.

At Voices of Faith and Reason, each speaker emphasized the similarities that exist across all worldviews. A Muslim man smiled as he recalled telling an atheist friend that, in a sense, even the two of them share a common notion. The first portion of the Shahadah (Islamic declaration of faith) is La ilaha ill Allah (There is no god but God).

We're human. All of us. At our best, we're rational, intelligent, and compassionate creatures; at our worst, we hurt others and ourselves. We're owners of arrogance and seekers of revenge, and all because we can't - we won't - accept difference.

I call for peace, not to be contained during one established period of time, but to be believed in and hoped for and worked toward... each and every day.

Embrace.

Learning to Love Mittens

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. 

You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. 

You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. 

And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it; you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."

- Elizabeth Gilbert -

I've never liked mittens. Although I'm confident I wore them during my preschool days - and I certainly adore fuzzy articles of clothing - I can't actually relish the inconvenience that comes along with donning mittens. But, alas, this isn't meant to be a stroll down Erin's memory lane (though I'd like to think it's a riveting journey). And the title isn't referring to a form of winter apparel, but rather a certain region nestled between five rather large lakes.

Ahh... Michigan. Lovely, flat land that's home to prevalent obesity, mediocre professional sports teams, wavering car industries, and relentless cloud coverage. Did I mention the April blizzards? In Michigan, April showers don't always bring May flowers, because our showers are in the form of snow.

Okay, so we're all guilty of the occasional Michigan rant and familiar with the jokes often rooted in fact. But as we humans are prone to do, we wind up completely overlooking the good and zooming right in on the bad and the ugly. Seen anyone stop to smell the roses lately? Me, neither. Perhaps we're embarrassed to do so on a literal level, but metaphorically, it's because we've lost interest. 

You don't have to have read or enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love to appreciate Gilbert's words above. We receive blessings, and then what do we do? We sit and stare, totally dumbfounded as to what to make of them. Or maybe, just maybe, we don't even recognize them as blessings. Too often, we peer over the fence into our neighbor's yard without appreciating the green hue of our own grass.  

My grass isn't even green in the first place, you might say.

Well, have you tended to your yard lately? Happiness requires personal strength; it demands endurance. You need to take full advantage of what God grants you.

Michigan, like any other place, has its flaws. But what about the positive aspects of our mitten? About a month ago, I considered all the regions across the United States and tried to pinpoint my perfect destination. But what I discovered is that every location has a downside. The moderate temperatures along the coastlines are tempting, but I couldn't imagine the absence of seasonal changes. New England might be nice, but there's certainly no relief in the winter. Some U.S. states offer a milder winter, but the humidity skyrockets during the summer months. After careful thought, I concluded that my idealistic world featuring "mild winters, non-humid summers, and beautiful fall color" couldn't possibly exist.

But what does exist is Michigan's scenic (if short) autumn. The cool, crisp feeling in the air... the tastes and scents of local cider mills... the vivid, picturesque backdrop of golden and crimson trees. I can say, with conviction, that I adore our fall.

[This photograph was taken at school, fall 2009 :)]

It's time that we recognize the beauty and goodness surrounding us - even if we only witness it in seemingly trivial things or moments. I'm convinced that authentic "meaninglessness" doesn't exist. Each and every thing has the potential to be meaningful because we give it meaning. We "must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it;" and even the most minuscule trace of meaning serves as our lifesaver as we make our way to the surface. We struggle again and again, but we count our blessings and strive for contentment.

If only we could remember how many people lack a place to call home - lack the warmth and comfort we know and often ignore - we just might find that mittens (of any form) aren't so bad after all.

Embrace.

Hello, World

Mr. Feeny: "Believe in yourselves. Dream. Try. Do good.

Topanga: "Don't you mean 'do well'?"

Mr. Feeny: "No... I mean 'do good.'"

Boy Meets World was and is more than a successful sitcom and thoroughly satisfying pastime. Concealed within each laugh track are bits & pieces of knowledge and comfort. You giggle, you cry, and you darn near fall in love with fictional characters. (Yep, admit it. You've become emotionally invested in relationships and events that don't actually exist).

But you're proud of it.

Every day, we strive; many days, we fail. But what's even worse than failure itself is our too-frequent response to it: giving up and giving in. One definition of a challenge is "something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc." The very reason something is a challenge is that it requires one to work and to commit. If we refuse to give some of our time and energy, we won't succeed. So isn't throwing in the towel a bit counterproductive?

You're probably wondering how this relates to a hit 90s show. Well, each character had something to overcome - whether significant or rather trivial in hindsight. So here's what I've learned from the trials and tribulations of 

Boy Meets World.

ONE. Trust those whom you love...

[Especially if you've known them your whole life.]

TWO. Don't make fun of someone's name...

[Even if it is "Topanga."]

THREE. Forgive, even when it's difficult...

[It's a reminder that no one - even you - is perfect.]

FOUR. Know that time helps the healing process...

[So sometimes, you need to let it go for a bit. It took Cory a while to get this memo.] 

FIVE. School really isn't that bad...

[After all, it's where you've made some wonderful friends and memories.]

SIX. Don't always judge on first impressions alone...

[Even a weirdo like Eric Matthews can end up being a great person :)]

SEVEN. Be happy with what God gave you...

[Your hair may look like Velcro from afar, but embrace it because it's what makes you unique.]

EIGHT. People can change if they want to...

[Even irresponsible Shawn Hunter. If they're willing to try, be willing to give them a chance.]

NINE. "Old" isn't synonymous with "senile"...

[Some are pretty wise. Case in point: Feeny. Or should I say, F-F-F-Feeny!]

TEN. Love is real

[It's not always easy, but it's out there. Don't give up on that Cory&Topanga romance.]

Embrace.