.
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Let the World Change You
It seems quite obvious
hardships, pain and suffering
are for most the norm.
It seems equally true
that most who live in rich nations
are quite blinded to this fact –
unless the fact can sell commercial time
and it is splashed on the TV
or headlined in the newspaper –
Ignoring the plight of millions
cannot be so easy, can it?
Apparently, it can.
Just call it “cognitive dissonance.”
Call it lack of empathy.
Call it lack of compassion.
But really, it’s lack of awareness.
I met a fellow-traveller
who had seen many parts of this world,
– not the touristy-type places
splashed as bill-boards on ocean-fronts –
but places where everyday is a struggle
and each struggle, an adventure.
He claimed the people he met
in those skeletal places
changed his outlook on life.
It was there he saw compassion come alive
for the very first time.
It was there people showed him life
is neither about money nor possessions,
nor about finding happiness.
It was there he heard laughter as from a child –
free and sincere.
There he tasted food fully appreciated
and there he found
he could give thanks for life
for each day there is a miracle –
not of survival as many believe
but of joyful acceptance.
Bio:
Sharran is a "natural" kind of natural person. For example, he won't drive a car, preferring to walk or bicycle wherever he goes, and molding the procurement of his simple needs around these two basic modes of transportation. Hence, Sharran senses much more of the world around him than do most people. This keen environmental awareness is reflected in much of his poetry.
(author retains copyright)
.
Let the World Change You
It seems quite obvious
hardships, pain and suffering
are for most the norm.
It seems equally true
that most who live in rich nations
are quite blinded to this fact –
unless the fact can sell commercial time
and it is splashed on the TV
or headlined in the newspaper –
Ignoring the plight of millions
cannot be so easy, can it?
Apparently, it can.
Just call it “cognitive dissonance.”
Call it lack of empathy.
Call it lack of compassion.
But really, it’s lack of awareness.
I met a fellow-traveller
who had seen many parts of this world,
– not the touristy-type places
splashed as bill-boards on ocean-fronts –
but places where everyday is a struggle
and each struggle, an adventure.
He claimed the people he met
in those skeletal places
changed his outlook on life.
It was there he saw compassion come alive
for the very first time.
It was there people showed him life
is neither about money nor possessions,
nor about finding happiness.
It was there he heard laughter as from a child –
free and sincere.
There he tasted food fully appreciated
and there he found
he could give thanks for life
for each day there is a miracle –
not of survival as many believe
but of joyful acceptance.
Bio:
Sharran is a "natural" kind of natural person. For example, he won't drive a car, preferring to walk or bicycle wherever he goes, and molding the procurement of his simple needs around these two basic modes of transportation. Hence, Sharran senses much more of the world around him than do most people. This keen environmental awareness is reflected in much of his poetry.
(author retains copyright)
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