Tuesday, May 3, 2011

In the silence between the act and the aftermath.....

Oh, the nightmares I had last night, my friends.

And all the thoughts that run through my head.....

It isn't pleasant in the corners of my mind this morning:

I have images of grieving families all over the world.

I have a quiet pride for the men and women who stand on front lines and do unpleasant things to protect me and my right to speak my mind....but I hold their bravery in the highest of esteem.

I have images of people celebrating in the streets at the destruction of people and property in the early days of the last decade; and I have images of people celebrating the killing of a single man in the desert.

I was angry when I saw the first. And I was ashamed when I saw the second.

Yes...a few days ago I vented my feelings at the results; and I stand by them not as an exultation of joy, but as a guy who's life was complicated by the man's presence, and will be further complicated by the man's absence.

I'm reminded that we are all of us, Americans, descended from those that used violence to break from what they considered their oppressors. We dumped tea into the harbor dressed as Indians. We stood behind rocks and trees when most armies still met in long lines on the field of battle.

I'm also reminded of a great novella written by Richard Matheson, called I AM LEGEND; and one of the guiding principles of the novel was the fact that when everybody turns into vampires....then the humans are actually the disease. It's a question of perspective.

I have done my best in my sobriety to remove malice from my heart; but I am human and the need for vengeance runs in our blood. I have turned to Faith to help out, but religion rears its ugly head from time to time and that confuses the issue. But I bear no malice for those that seek to avenge themselves upon us for whatever reasons they need to justify the behavior.

I seek, as I have always sought, to understand. And understanding requires knowledge; and knowledge requires conversation.....not preaching, or pontification, but honest conversation.

When knowledge is achieved, and parity is met, then through that a comfortable peace will be achieved.....

Then I'll dance in the streets.

And I would be pleased if you would all join me; it's been far too long since we all danced with spirit and love and abandon.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Deep words for a time of interesting tension. Thank you for sharing wisdom old' friend.

Mark W.

Misti Ridiculous said...

I'll dance with you. That you can count on.