Cosmic Gardener – Cultivating a Life

One of the cyber forwards that found its way into my email box this week was especially full of vitriol, in this case slanted against youth. Touting the values of the Grey-Haired Brigade that “worked hard, raised our children and worshipped our God” it pretty much blamed the young for all our current economic and political woes. The ageist nature of the missive really troubled me. From my point of view these values attributed to older adults are not age-specific. And if we see evidence of changes in our current society that compromise them surely those of the generations that have come before must bear some responsibility.

The person who passed along the email has a deeply caring nature and perhaps just forwarded it onto me out of frustration with the current worrisome economic and divisive political climate. While I strongly believe that if we do not like something it is important to step up and make our voices heard, placing blame on opposing viewpoints or those that hold them serves no constructive purpose.

Whether age, religion, political persuasion or some other hot issue is the topic of discussion it seems to me that when airing differing opinions rather than attacking another’s perspective the world would no doubt be better served if we did so out of love and a desire to exchange ideas. And in so doing perhaps achieve a point of reference that encompasses both this and that and arrives at a broader and more inclusive viewpoint that transcends either.

 “He drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle and took him in!”
~ Edwin Markham