Monday, December 14, 2009

Unbelievable

I was horrified today to learn that an acquantaince (via Twitter) was hit by a car (as a pedestrian) and then the driver tried to get away! How f*****up is that? We are living in one of the most prosperous nations in the world, filled with abundance and luxury and we can't stop after nearly killing someone?

The degree of selfishness and narcissism in our society is simply beyond comprehension to me. How could the driver do that? Did he/she think they could get away with that kind of crime - a hit and run in the morning? What is equally confusing to me is the disrespect that the hospital staff had for a symbol of the relationship - a chain & lock used by the boy in a Boy/Sir family. Understood that it might be foreign to many, but clearly it was important to the individual, but it perhaps(best case scenario) wasn't recognized as important. Worst case, it was simply dismissed or devalued. Last time I checked, we are very aware of religious icons being important to people's healing. We treat them with respect. Why can't we respect relationships in the same way?

As a consultant, I am constantly asked to put myself in the "shoes" of the business owner and industry. I can manage to do that regularly. Can't we do that for our fellow humans about the relationships they are in? I think we live in a society too facinated with the Puritan social standard or expectation. We need to take a hard look at ourselves and our integrity before we callously disregard the importance of other people.

Particularly now, there is a need to be more kind, more focused and more aware of our brothers and sisters in the world. You don't have to even like them, but acknowledge that they have people that love and care about them. Each of us is NOT the focus of the universe, but most of us have a small universe of family and friends that revolves around us. So take a moment during the holidays to others and pay it forward. Don't be the asshole who hits somebody with a car and then tries to get away - rest assured, that karmic debt will come around to you.

Finally - for those three guys in the Pacific Northwest and their universe of friends and family around them; know at least one near stranger cares about you, hopes for a speedy recovery and is sending support out to you from So Cal.

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