Life and Death

In the end we’re all the same.

-- Ben Kweller, rock musician

Well, I guess this depends on your views about the afterlife if indeed there is one. Heaven, Nirvana, worm food, somebody's gonna be right and if the truth is that there is nothing then nobody is going to know. Weird, eh?

While equality in death is debatable, it shouldn't be that way in life. We're all people, and it doesn't make sense that we've divided the world into "Us" and "Them" (Pink Floyd, anyone?). We all have the same basic drives. We want food, shelter, clothing, companionship, and freedom. It all comes down to these things, no matter who you are.


We don't need to wait until we die to be the same. Even with the wide array of personalities out there, at the heart of it, we're all the same now.

"In three decades of polling, I’ve found that while individuals make mistakes in judgment, America as a whole rarely does. A collective wisdom emerges from a poll or vote that is far greater than the sum of its parts."

-- John Zogby Pollster, president and CEO of Zogby International.

This guy is kidding, right?

Well, I suppose one one level it's true. "America" doesn't make mistakes. It's a country, a benign entity incapable of conscious thought. And when someone says something such as, "America doesn't make mistakes" I'd assume one was referring to those at the head of the American government, representing the American populace. And yes, America has made some pretty damn stupid mistakes in judgement. Just mention Iraq and weapons of mass destruction in the same sentence and see who doesn't snicker.

Dinner is Served!

"With all the food leaving our kitchens each night, I’m still astonished that this country has a hunger problem. There are hungry people in every community who cannot afford food. While I can’t help every family, I can start by helping one."
-- Tom Douglas Chef and author.

I try not to carry cash with me when I go downtown. Too many people ask me to give it to them, and then the next person comes along and I have to say, "Sorry, I gave all my money to that guy." That, and I do not feel comfortable supporting someone's drug habit. Now I know not all street people are on drugs, but many are. This is a different issue. Instead, I carry my debit card. Provided my account balance is somewhere in the realm of ten bucks, I have no problem buying someone some dinner.

But that's not enough. You can teach a man to fish to feed himself, but who owns the pond? Poverty goes deeper than a single meal can solve.

I don't propose that I have the answers. I have no idea how we're supposed to fix the hunger problem. And I know that I cannot fix it with one Big Mac.

But hey, it's a start!

Have you noticed that dogs are the new kids? You take a walk with your kid and your dog, but nobody says, “What a cute kid!” Instead they say, “What a cute dog! What’s his name? Is he a rescue?” Maybe if I put a collar and leash on my kid someone will notice her.
-- Judy Gruen Humorist and author of The Women’s Daily Irony Supplement.

Perhaps in this age of pedophiles running rampant, not mentioning the cuteness of someone's child is more of a personal safety mechanism than sheer rudeness. Of course the likes of Paris Hilton have made "small yappy-type" dogs that fit in handbags all the rage. Also, nobody cares if you name your dog something ridiculous like Apple or Moon Unit.

Twinkle, Twinkle Under a Bushel

"All the darkness of the world cannot extinguish the light of a small candle."
-- Reza Deghati Photographer, humanitarian and National Geographic Fellow.

Poetic, isn't it? If anything, darkness encourages the light. We don't usually use candles in rooms with electric lights switched on. They're reserved for quieter, darker, more intimate moments. Nobody goes on a candle-lit lunch date.

I can't help but hum to myself that old Sunday school song, "This Little Light of Mine". That's the spirit Deghati touches on. Nothing can stop the light that shines out of you, whatever that light may be. A light will shine in the darkness, if it's not hidden under a bushel. Well, even then light's probably going to sneak out through the cracks, but the general idea is that light shines strongest unimpeded by things that would block it. It does little good if it's too dim to allow one to see anything.

And for today's depressing thought:

While darkness cannot defeat light, space and time can. Sure we see stars burning billions of miles (or kilometres - whatever!) away, but these are massive orbs of flaming gas - not your commonplace dollar store votives. Even then, there is so much that we cannot see; the vastness of our universe is simply too great.