The Value of a Smile, Living in a Bucket of Chaos, A Species of Embarrassment

"A smile puts you on the right track. A smile makes the world a beautiful place. When you lose your smile, you lose your way in the chaos of life."

— Roy T. Bennett (The Light in the Heart)

Welcome back to the free internet soup kitchen, I’m Anson, your daily chef, I’m cooking up some corn chowder today, I do hope you enjoy. I put some chicken and sausage in for my nonvegan friends, vegans you’ll want to pass on today’s offering. 

I’m sitting atop a mountain, the sky is blue, the sun just peaked out, and it looks to be a beautiful day. Today is moving day; we’re going to load our kid’s belongings up and move her to our downtown condo. I’ve been restricted from lifting heavy things due to my recent fall, so our neighbor and his son will be helping us. Between you and me, I’m fine, I’m healed, but my Queen is a little protective of her jester, so I’ll carry the lighter items as our strong men do their thang.

Is it just me, or is the world more chaotic today than in recent history? It looks like our President will be impeached, Israel’s Prime Minister just got arrested for bribery, they are killing people in the streets of Iran, and Hong Kong is a powder keg just waiting to blow. Throw in the roll-out of the Tesla truck that didn’t go as Elon had planned, and we’ve got a world about ready to blow.

What happened?  I think what happened is that we live in the greatest time in the history of humanity and we are not satisfied with enjoying our spoils. It was not too long ago we were running for our lives, just trying to feed ourselves, living to a ripe old age of 30 before nature snuffed out our personal candles.

We should be enjoying this time, but instead can’t help but fight, scream, and live in a bucket of chaos. It not just we Americans; it is the entire world that seems to have gone a little crazy. So, what does living in this crazed chaotic world mean to you?

I can tell you from my perspective I’m a little embarrassed about how we humans are acting. If there are another being or beings watching our little earth experiment, I’m sure he or they is shaking their heads at how we are treating each other. The experiment looks like a full-on failure. Why can’t we all enjoy the miracle of life? Why can’t we focus on the good of humanity and enjoy the peace and prosperity that is present for every human living today?

We were to meet with a friend yesterday afternoon for a drink. I got a late notice he was not able to make it, so my Queen, myself, and our kid sat together and had a drink at our local watering hole. As we sat I watched the people and what I saw was friends hugging each other, laughing, smiling, enjoying their Friday afternoon. The microcosm of the restaurant was not full of hate and anger, but love and understanding. 

A few of our friends stopped by our table to say hi. We chatted about our weekend plans; hugs were shared, smiles were beaming, that is the world we live on a small scale. If I broaden out our scope to our community, things seem to be going very well. It seems locally that people truly love each other and want the best for their fellow humans being.

The state in which I sit, Colorado, seems like a safe joyful place. I don’t see people killing one another, sans the random school shooting we seem to be treating each other with respect and love. Since we live in Indiana as well, I’ll say the same thing, Indiana is full of good people, doing good things, loving and supporting each other.

But as we pull the lens back and look at our country, there is where the problem begins to shine. I think the values and ideals of the Midwest, the middle of the country, are counter to those living on the coasts. I can’t explain why this phenomenon exists, but if you compare the rhetoric, laws, and rules put in place in say New York, they are counter what we see in cities like Indianapolis and Denver.

Is it the sheer concentration of people in these cities that make them want to live in chaos? Are they fighting to hold their place, their little piece of the pie that makes them different than those of us that live in the less concentrated or populated places in our country?

I am not belittling or challenging the way of life in the cities of New York, San Francisco, or Los Angles, but if you walk down the street and are forced to dodge needles and human waste, something is amiss in your community. It also seems that the folks living in these areas think they have a superior intellect to those of us choosing to live in the middle of the country. They deem us fly over people and wonder why we don’t join them in their cesspool.

I have no solutions, only my perspective as to the way our world is this very moment. Chaos seems to be winning in the war of peace and prosperity, and I ask that you join me in trying to dial back the senseless rhetoric of hate and anger. I ask that you be kind to others, no matter their race, color, or creed. I ask that you smile when you see a stranger and try to be empathetic when judging your fellow humans. No one knows what is going on in another’s life; some are struggling and need the kindness and love of everyone just to get through the day.

As I type these words, there is a herd of deer outside my window, enjoying the morning, seemingly happy to be in a community of love and understanding. I think, for the most part, the animal world has a better understanding of what our creator intended for our world to be.  Of course, there are predators, nature is metal, but most animals live in harmony choosing to feed on the earth not bothering the other species that do not share their DNA.

This chowder is hot, spicy, and real. Sorry for being so negative about our world, but I call it as I see it. We are at a crossroads of damage and destruction, and if we don’t change our ways, our world, as we know it will soon end. Instead of breeding hate, we need to return to our natural state of love and understanding. Then and only then can we live in a world where the Creator or Creators will smile down and be thankful for the world they created. I hate to say it, but we are a species of embarrassment.

"A smile puts you on the right track. A smile makes the world a beautiful place. When you lose your smile, you lose your way in the chaos of life."

— Roy T. Bennett (The Light in the Heart)