Life is Good

There are plenty of things to worry and concern ourselves with. We live in interesting times to say the least, and one could not be blamed for at times being overwhelmed and anxious, even bitter and outraged at all the goings on in our universe. There are wars being waged without just cause and genocide being perpetrated while the world goes about with reactions ranging from indifference to ineffectiveness. The national economy is in rough shape, possibly on the verge of a major collapse, and so far the best our guardians have come up with is to throw exorbitant amounts of money at the problem, which while it may or may not have the intended effect of averting a financial meltdown, will assuredly, in the short term at least, add to our already massive national debt. Electoral politics, that promised to give us an intelligent and articulate debate on issues of importance and relevance earlier in the year, has devolved into the standard personal bashing and generalities while offering little of importance to potential voters, as evidenced by the first in a series of presidential debates that occurred recently. In short, we are a nation on the descendancy, our economic clout, our military might, and most importantly our moral standing in the world have all taken a hit, not just over the last 7 years of the current administration but over the last couple decades. Whether we continue on a downward arc, and how long it takes for the effects to become more noticeable are open questions, but from a historical perspective we seem to be a civilization that has reached it apex. So with all of this being the case, why not just crawl into a hole and throw up our hands in despair? Because quite simply, what is wrong with our society pales in comparison to what is still great about it.

Life is good indeed, and there is plenty to be thankful for, despite the tendency to focus on the gloom and doom that is often prevalent. History often focuses on the macro perspective, looking at the actions of political leaders and making broad sweeping statements about eras, but life is so much more accurately looked at as a mosaic, a million tiny strokes that while nearly imperceptible individually combine to make up the times of our lives, or of the lives of any age we choose to look at. It is the details, the little things if you will, that affect us so much more than the major policy decisions and events that get most of the focus. And those details are what gives life it's beauty, it's raison d' etre.

Time spent with family and friends, the moments that will stay in our consciousness years from now, the simple and often random thing that happen in our lives, the funny stories and precious experiences that occur no matter who the president is or the current state of the budget deficit. Going to see my daughter perform a musical with her incredibly talented youth theatre group, or watching my son's undefeated freshman football team pound another rival into submission. Having a morning coffee at Starbucks and enjoying excellent conversation with my mom, watching the Sunday morning talk shows and discussing politics with my wife, watching PTI and discussing sports with my son, or just watching Seinfeld reruns while we all eat dinner together and laughing yet again at episodes and lines I know by heart. The smile from a pretty girl that warms your soul, especially if she also happens to be your wife. Long athletic legs and short shorts. A great piece of jazz that blends together perfectly and permeates to the core of your being. A random encounter with a perfect stranger who is then no longer a stranger. A fiery sunrise, and a smooth, mellow sunset. A cool evening breeze at the end of a long hot summer. The smell of freshly brewed coffee at the start of the day, and the rich brown texture of a pint of Guinness at the start of the evening. Learning something new, and then sharing it with others, such as the poetry of a 13th century Persian named Rumi that I recently came across. Life is full of these sort of wonderful moments, and life is full of truth, beauty, love, and hope, which is what sustains us and allows us to reinvent ourselves every day, much like a river, never the same and never static, always moving forward. Rumi writes that love is a river, drink from it. I'm drinking as much as I can, each and every day, because life is too short and just too darn good to do otherwise.