If No One Cared

I don't have much time to write today. I have a bit more work than usual this week, but I wanted to make sure that I got something in. When I saw this commentary in the Columbus Dispatch, I felt it was something that needed a little more attention.

For a moment, stop and think of what the world would be like if no one looked out for anyone else. Substitute a local issue in your own town for the location specific content. Imagine if every individual in our society thought only of themselves. Visualize how lonely, dirty, and unfriendly our country would be if even half of our population felt the way Ann Fisher describes in her editorial.

Perhaps a few of these thoughts, or thoughts along these lines, have popped into your head. That's okay, it is never too late to start making positive changes in your life and thinking of others. The next time a thought like this materializes, stop to think about from where this thought may be coming. Then imagine yourself in the shoes of the other person. Perhaps it is someone who depends on public transportation to get to work, who has poor health requiring prescriptions, or who can't afford health insurance.

Looking at the world from the perspective of others will help us as individuals to step away from the selfish, "me first" mentality that is creeping into our everyday lives through materialism, commercialism, and the media.

"Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution." - Kahlil Gibran