Something to think about

I am thinking about something today that has come up for me over the weekend. I write this blog mostly as a forum for my own thoughts and to be able to track them over time. I don't really expect anyone to read very often, although some people have,and that's ok, too.

I was talking to someone at work the other night and we were talking about another co-workers blog and I told him that I, too, have a blog. He asked me to send him the address and I hesitated, not knowing what to say. I have always thought that having people at work reading my blog would not be a good thing because sometimes I write about my frustration with my job and don't know that I particularly want anyone at work to know this. It's not about anyone at work per se, it is more my frustration at not seeing the value in what I do. I wonder if I giving my blog address to this person is a good thing? One never knows about these things. Brings to mind the old Buddhist story of the boy who was thrown from the horse, broke his leg, and everyone in the town says, "what a terrible thing," until the army comes through recruiting and the young man cannot go because of his broken leg (a good thing from his perspective, perhaps). So, one never knows whether something is good or bad in the long run.

So, what to do? Is it ok to write, assuming that being anonymous is my protection or does it make sense to be out there and be willing to stand by what I write no matter who reads it? Perhaps it's time now to just put it out there for all to read and stand tall, knowing that it is only my opinion and that's all that really matters. If I look at other people's blogs, I can say - "it's just their opinion." and so, I think it's time to say to anyone reading any of this, "it's just my opinion" and leave it at that.

On another note, I have been reading about the Terry Schaivo case in the news again. I'm not sure what the solution is in that situation. We have all had talks with people in our lives about what we would want to have happen in this situation. Apparently she told her husband that she did not want to be kept alive through artificial means. The parents probably do not believe this or do not agree with her request and are fighting the husband on this issue to keep her alive. As with most things, it is not black and white. I can certainly see both sides of the issue. I wonder, though, if her wishes shouldn't be the most important thing? Isn't what SHE wanted for herself the most important thing? And wouldn't the husband know this? I mean, how many of us have had that discussion in the middle of the night or whenever about "honey, if anything ever happens to me, I want this..." Wouldn't the husband know this? And wouldn't the husband want to honor her wishes? The parents might think they know what's best for her, but in the long run, the person who has had the closest relationship with her and who has the most to lose is the husband. I can see both sides but I really believe that the husband knows what she wanted for herself and is just trying to honor that. I admire his courage in the face of so much turmoil about the whole thing.

I saw the movie "Talk to Her" this morning. See it. It's another case like Terry Schaivo's case. This one has a terrible twist to it, but essentially it is a case of someone who is in a "brain dead" state.

Also, see Hotel Rwanda this past week. A must see movie. In some ways, I am ashamed to say that we did, as a nation, nothing, in light of yet another incidence of mass murder in the world. Somehow, we proclaim that we will not let another mass murder of people occur in the world, but in the end, as in the movie, we say," isn't that terrible" and we go right on eating our evening meal while watching the nightly news. I don't know what can be done. But, as the saying goes, peace begins with me - so unless I figure out what I can do in light of these things, nothing will get done. It's not someone else's responsibility. It's my responsibility and yours. We all share the burden of stopping things like this. Just like the guy in the movie at the hotel. He could have left the country and never looked back, but he stayed and actually did something.

Somehow, it seems impossible that I can do anytrhing about these things, and yet, if I don't, who will?