Perspectives

“My Dream”

One aspect of most (perhaps all?) creatures, is that a common threat will tend to bring them together. We are no different in that we too have a tendency to unite against a common enemy however, despite the seriousness of COVID-19, there is still antagonism, discrimination and just plain aggression, both within and across numerous borders, towards people who are perceived as “different”. Politicians who sow the seeds of dissention with divisive politics, must take some of the responsibility but, ultimately, each of us is responsible for our own actions.

I am sure that we are all hoping for the control of COVID-19 and its variants during 2021. Most of us are probably hoping for the vaccine as early as possible. There seems little doubt that it will soon join the many other life threatening conditions that are now under control but then …  we are left with the ever present antagonism and discrimination.

Below is “My Dream”, which is a poem taken from my book “Just Thinking” (click book cover over to right – may have to scroll – for more information. The link below goes to my  reading of it (audio only).

“My Dream”

I dream of a day

When we’ll all be friends

I dream, as I look at the stars

That the world will see

That being valued and free

Is better than destruction and war

***

I dream of a day

When my friends are yours

Although from quite different lands

That you understand

All colours and beliefs

Can live in peace. Can hold hands

***

I dream of a day

Hopefully not far away

When compassion wins in the end

We’re all human after all

We all stumble and fall

Let’s help each other up and be friends

***

I dream of a day

When the killing has stopped

And peace prevails at last

Borders are open

Old vendettas forgotten

Past beliefs… will stay in the past

***

I dream of a day…

But it is only a dream

So many people will say

Perhaps I am delusional

Perhaps just a dreamer

But to survive, we must find a way

***

To break down barriers

To live together in peace

That will be a challenge for some

But why must we label

Our different neighbours?

Why can’t we become as one?

***

We all want respect

We all want freedom

Let’s open our eyes and see

That we all want the same

It’s really not complicated

It’s peace, for you and for me

***

I dream of a day

When world peace is achieved

When the pen is the only weapon

There will be universal love

And to the power above I’ll say

“Thank you. Our Earth has become Heaven.”

People of the Street.

Just imagine …..

Just imagine that, because you feel the experience would be valuable to you, you decide to spend a night on the streets in your town. To so many people, it would be a crazy idea … but what if you really wanted to know what others are experiencing  on a daily basis?

The following verses are from “The Project”, which is part of a collection of verses in a book “Just Thinking”. Click on book cover in right column (may have to scroll) for more information.

I sit tonight on the pavement,
People watching… just to see
Who says “Hello”?
Who just walks by?
Who actually acknowledges me?

But I don’t seem to exist
In so many passing eyes.
Am I an embarrassment?
Do I make them feel uncomfortable?
Perhaps I am simply despised?

They are colder than the air
Which surrounds me this night.
For a caring and humane society,
At least as I understand it,
That’s really not right.

We’ve probably all done it at some point in our lives. We have side stepped somebody on the street; may have thought derogatory thoughts about them; wondered why they don’t get a job like the rest of us; wondered whether “that girl” was a sex trade worker; turned away from them rather than risk eye contact. In general, we have all probably disapproved as they do not fit “our standard”.

They’re wrapped up in their lives.
Fashionable; conforming; neat.
They just don’t see…
People like me…
People who live on the street.

Sadly, that tends to be the state of our society. We are so controlled by commerce, which suggests that either we “play the game” or be considered something less than normal. We struggle to buy that nice house; we want peer approval so must stay in fashion; If we don’t whiten our teeth, will we ever smile again?  So much advertising pushes the message that unless you buy/use their product, then clearly something is wrong with you. This comes often from comments like “This must be in everybody’s bathroom” … “Everybody in our survey gave us a 5 star rating” … “Do you want to be the only one without …….”  “Surely you can afford a few pennies a week?” Many companies have a psychologist on their sales team, so they know how to convince you that their product is invaluable, and that your life is incomplete without it.

When was the last time you heard that it would be humane to just acknowledge a street person? When was the last time you affirmed that a street person was, in fact, a person?

I am lucky and I know it.
I do have a home.
I do have food and friends,
And I can leave here whenever I choose.
Unlike many… l am not alone.

To live on the streets
Is in nobody’s dreams.
There are reasons behind such a move.
Reasons we may not understand but
Is life ever what it seems?

It is such a basic fact that nobody has gone through school with the dream  of living on the street! If we can accept that statement, then we must acknowledge that those people must have experienced something which put them on the street.

Say “Hello!” to the next person you see,
Sitting in their sidewalk home.
Recognize that reasons they must surely have,
To live in such a way.
Being ignored… and alone.

It would be pure fantasy to believe that we can take all those people and reintegrate them back into our society, but is it such a stretch of our imagination to actually acknowledge that they exist.  Perhaps even smile at them? Perhaps just say “Hi”, or even  go and get them a coffee?

And when you say farewell.
When you leave and go to your home.
Remember those people
Who… for whatever reasons,
Will be spending another night on the streets… cold and alone.

Just thinking.

Perspectives!

The world would appear to be evolving into a very unstable place to live and, sadly, that has nothing to do with environmental changes; the structural integrity of our planet, or some cataclysmic event in our solar system. Sadly … it has everything to do with us. Continue reading →

A different perspective!

I have written a number of Posts where “Perspective” has been the driving force (put it in the search field and you will get quite a few responses). Perspectives are important (if we are going to survive as a species) because everybody has a history, and that history has created personal perspectives.

Trying to see the world from Ray’s  perspective helps in our ongoing canine/human relationship. Just acknowledging that we are, who we are, because of our perspectives should hopefully drive home the simple fact that we can be very different … and have every right to be that way. Why is that person living on the street? Why did that couple do those things to that child? How that did lady achieve fame so quickly? If we understood their history and their resulting perspectives on life, all could well become very clear. Continue reading →

Was that me?

It is so easy to comment negatively when confronted with an apparent lack of thought.  It is so easy to make the assumption that “I know that … so why don’t you?” It is so easy to generally put somebody down (or elevate oneself … the difference is simply perspective) with no justification. Continue reading →

Perceptions, and choices, again!

Since this blog started in 2014, I have referenced “perceptions” a number of times and it has always been in the context of how we see our world. This really shouldn’t surprise anybody because we all want to have some comfort level/acceptance in our world, and for us to get to that level, we have to know the culture of our world. Continue reading →