“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” Maya Angelou
There are days when you get bouts of reflection regarding people you know. Family, friends or co-workers. Each of us tend to develop thoughts and beliefs about those people, looking to see what they will become.
It may be a troubled teen that just seems to fight against understanding. Or the co-worker that just doesn't understand the meaning of succeeding in their job. Each of them on a path that you have no control over. As I have written before, you dictate your own attitude and path within life. There will be influences upon your life, but you have choice.
That influence I speak of is also something that each of us possess and on others. You can have positive influences and negatives influences upon others. Choose the positive ones and watch that person change over time. You'll be surprised by all of those changes that it takes to create this new person.
Yet when it happens and you see the grand butterfly of a person's life unfold, it will be due to all of those changes, all of those influences by many others including yourself.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
What If It Were You
Today I am back from a great vacation that was good to have. It was full of everything you would expect and all of the other things that life throws at us as well. We made a trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to visit the historical battlefield from the U.S. Civil War. Other locations were visited as well, we passed the Blacksburg, Virginia site of the horrible shootings and other many things observed and enjoyed.
I also had the unfortunate opportunity to witness a head-on accident between a car and motorcycle. Myself and a few others got out, called emergency officials and assisted in any way that we could. I can not tell you if the motorcyclist survived his injuries. From what I observed, he would have been quite lucky if he did. My prayers and thoughts go out to him and his family as well as those also involved in the accident.
It surprised me observing all of this how many people simply left the scene. Many apparently not wanting to get involved, too busy to be concerned with the event that occurred. I direct this last statement to those that were direct witness to the accident. As busy as our lives are, we still need to have concern for our fellow human. It makes me wonder if these are the type of people one could depend upon for anything.
Life is taken away from us in many unexpected ways. It is something that a large majority of us have no control over. Yet for the living, how we respond to the death of another says much about our own character. A small level of compassion can go such a long way in the comforting of those that remain. As I have heard said, "prayers are for the deceased, sympathy is for the living."
Take a moment to think about how you might respond in an emergency. Even though it is tough to know exactly what that is, try to. Doing so now could make a difference in a real situation. As I would hope, if I were in need, out there are people willing to care and take action. Be a person of action to help others.
I also had the unfortunate opportunity to witness a head-on accident between a car and motorcycle. Myself and a few others got out, called emergency officials and assisted in any way that we could. I can not tell you if the motorcyclist survived his injuries. From what I observed, he would have been quite lucky if he did. My prayers and thoughts go out to him and his family as well as those also involved in the accident.
It surprised me observing all of this how many people simply left the scene. Many apparently not wanting to get involved, too busy to be concerned with the event that occurred. I direct this last statement to those that were direct witness to the accident. As busy as our lives are, we still need to have concern for our fellow human. It makes me wonder if these are the type of people one could depend upon for anything.
Life is taken away from us in many unexpected ways. It is something that a large majority of us have no control over. Yet for the living, how we respond to the death of another says much about our own character. A small level of compassion can go such a long way in the comforting of those that remain. As I have heard said, "prayers are for the deceased, sympathy is for the living."
Take a moment to think about how you might respond in an emergency. Even though it is tough to know exactly what that is, try to. Doing so now could make a difference in a real situation. As I would hope, if I were in need, out there are people willing to care and take action. Be a person of action to help others.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Virginia Tech in Memorium
Trying to make sense of the senseless is a very difficult thing to do. The recent events at Virginia Tech underscore how cruel life can be. The unexpected nature of life throwing pain and sorrow at each of us in varying degrees will make us question the senseless.
The responsibility of this tragedy lay with the person whom committed it. People that were directly effected and died much too soon. Your faith and beliefs will provide you with the ability to find some comfort. You will learn about yourself, devastated families will learn about themselves and others remotely effected will learn as well.
How one moves on from an incident such as this will be worked out individually among all of the survivors. Just know that life will continue and you must move on beyond it. This does not mean to lose the great memories of those victims of a senseless act. There will be heart ache and grief for many that will eventually subside. I only hope that each of the families directly effected, the suvivors that are healing right now and those traumatized can find some amount of strength in the days to come.
In memoriam for those that lost their life, I list the victims. My prayers and words of strength to their families.
Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20
Christopher James Bishop, 35
Brian Bluhm, 25
Ryan Clark, 22
Austin Cloyd, 18
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak
Daniel Perez Cueva, 21
Kevin Granata, 45
Matthew Gwaltney, 24
Caitlin Hammaren, 19
Jeremy Herbstritt, 27
Rachael Hill, 18
Emily Jane Hilscher, 19
Jarrett Lane, 22
Matthew La Porte, 20
Henry Lee, 20
Liviu Librescu, 76
G.V. Loganathan, 51
Partahi Lombantoruan, 34
Lauren McCain, 20
Daniel O'Neil, 22
Juan Ortiz, 26
Minal Panchal, 26
Erin Peterson, 18
Michael Pohle, 23
Julia Pryde, 23
Mary Read, 19
Reema Samaha, 18
Waleed Mohammed Shaalan, 32
Leslie Sherman, 20
Maxine Turner, 22
Nicole White, 20
All of these people were beautiful and wonderful. With the loss of each one, the stars will shine a little brighter and the sun a little brighter as each one of them will be shining down upon each of us.
The responsibility of this tragedy lay with the person whom committed it. People that were directly effected and died much too soon. Your faith and beliefs will provide you with the ability to find some comfort. You will learn about yourself, devastated families will learn about themselves and others remotely effected will learn as well.
How one moves on from an incident such as this will be worked out individually among all of the survivors. Just know that life will continue and you must move on beyond it. This does not mean to lose the great memories of those victims of a senseless act. There will be heart ache and grief for many that will eventually subside. I only hope that each of the families directly effected, the suvivors that are healing right now and those traumatized can find some amount of strength in the days to come.
In memoriam for those that lost their life, I list the victims. My prayers and words of strength to their families.
Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20
Christopher James Bishop, 35
Brian Bluhm, 25
Ryan Clark, 22
Austin Cloyd, 18
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak
Daniel Perez Cueva, 21
Kevin Granata, 45
Matthew Gwaltney, 24
Caitlin Hammaren, 19
Jeremy Herbstritt, 27
Rachael Hill, 18
Emily Jane Hilscher, 19
Jarrett Lane, 22
Matthew La Porte, 20
Henry Lee, 20
Liviu Librescu, 76
G.V. Loganathan, 51
Partahi Lombantoruan, 34
Lauren McCain, 20
Daniel O'Neil, 22
Juan Ortiz, 26
Minal Panchal, 26
Erin Peterson, 18
Michael Pohle, 23
Julia Pryde, 23
Mary Read, 19
Reema Samaha, 18
Waleed Mohammed Shaalan, 32
Leslie Sherman, 20
Maxine Turner, 22
Nicole White, 20
All of these people were beautiful and wonderful. With the loss of each one, the stars will shine a little brighter and the sun a little brighter as each one of them will be shining down upon each of us.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Today & Tomorrow
I will be vacationing for a few days and will write again upon my return. Until then, I leave a quote for you to think about today and dream about tomorrow.
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...” Ralph Waldo Emerson
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