the goddess michele of "small victory" see linkie love list
has got a great tribute to firefighters up that definately wont let you flip thru the photos of the California fires without feeling something for the heroes fighting against those flames again...
which got me to thinking
and pondering
and ranting
so here it comes
---
there are so many things we skim past in our daily lives
so much we miss out on
so much we don't feel, hear, see that really warrants our attention..
we see the images of the terrible california fires and once we have re-assured ourselves that we dont have property there and no one we know and love does, we simply move on..we skip over the brave men and women charging into those fires, risking their lives, sometimes losing their lives..we skip over the people who have lost their homes and maybe everything material they cared about..
and we turn to the next channel..
whats on there..
oh a little more violence in Iraq a few more soldiers wounded or killed..
we're not interested ..cause haven't you heard?? the war is over!!
this little piddly stuff, well its just not real news anymore
never mind the fact that soldiers are still over there getting killed
all the time..and that basically the shit is starting to look like Vietman with
sand...
so we flip the channel again..
its a busload of children, parents, tourists, commuters getting blown up
murdered, torn to pieces by a suicide bomber in israel
oh this happens every day...we say...that's not news...more death in israel
this does not affect us
this does not land on our front door..
and maybe while we are busily skimming over
all the news items that dont personally affect us
and just deleting them from our minds as soon as we turn the channel
maybe
there are wild flowers blooming from cracks in the sidewalks..
they push their way thru the cracks..how did they survive?
hey did they find the strength these tiny white and purple things to push open concrete...??
but we are late for work so we step on the flowers and keep going..
on the way to the "4" train a young homeless woman huddles outside a "Starbucks" she has a mangy mutt that looks to be half pitt bull curled up beside her, a dirty piece of cardboad sits on her lap, on it is written
"NEED MONEY TO FEED ME AND MY DOG"
maybe the dog gets your attention
but its too much work to fish for change
and you're late for work
so you rush past her..
you hear the train pulling in so you run past
the other commuters, weaving in and out of people
and just manage to shove yourself in the door before
it shuts
you made the train
you wont be late for work..
it will be okay
you have about 5 minutes of time strap hanging before your stop
you look up and stare at the plastic surgery advertisements
a little girl holding her moms hand
looks up at you
she smiles
you smile
but it doesnt feel real
and she senses it
and looks away
you look away too
one day
when you have time
you'll have a kid
or spend time with kids
or be a big sister
or a volunteer
or some such thing
but not now
and not anytime soon
you're busy
you've got things to do
everything else can wait
and then one day
when you're retired
the job is over
you've got the money in the bank
and the mortgage paid off
you wonder
what ever happened to those kids
what ever happened to your life
what ever happened to love
to joy
to wonder
to appreciation
to Israel??
but then you feel tired
and you're too tired to wonder
so you go to sleep
and you sleep
sleep
sleep
like you've been sleeping your whole life
