I am a bit of a humanist when it comes to seeing people in pain, but I am a bit cynical in regards to those that are in “pain” all the time. You see to many of us in “pain” isn’t the same as in pain.
Allow me to use my limited vocabulary to differentiate the two, because to me, pain is pain. When one is in pain they suffer from true issues, true problems, and some problems could be drug addiction, childhood sexual abuse, or physical abuse of some fashion or another. Now for those in “pain” there may be true or real pain, but now it’s manifested into something dark, disconnected, and cerebral. It’s as if the pain caused a need to control everything in order to block out potential pain.
Ever notice the parent that seems to have a one way ticket on a control trip for example. Try many of our figures of authority; their control takes the place of their connection. At what point can you lead when you discount or abuse your followers? At what point can you teach if the student is viewed as the enemy, an equal, or just “another brick in the wall”?
Now, for those that are in a downward spiral, the need for help is necessary and needs to be expansive but the help rarely comes especially when we have become like cable viewers of a reality show, admiring the destruction of a human life. As many people perish because they were "unable to find the help they needed", there has to be a small percentage of accountability from the rest of us that just wouldn’t participate in helping but enjoyed the position of voyeur.
While many people would say that the populace isn’t responsible for what happens to a single individual, my question isn’t on the basis of responsibility, but that of accountability. Shouldn’t we all share in the pain of a soul being torn down or torn apart?
Doesn’t the loss of one healthy human being damage the human strand that we all are connected to? Isn’t it our right as humans to make sure that we survive in a world that doesn’t die because of pervasive elements that can only flourish when we as good people do nothing?
Pain is pain, no matter what its degree or level. If a football player spirals out of control due to alcohol or drug abuse, don’t we lose out on a great pool of potential and talent?
If a teacher that is burnt out due to educational bureaucracy hurt our future leaders and contributors? At what point did pain garner a litmus test?
Maybe the reality is we all are in pain and the air and aura of pain has become so thick that we just cant see others pain for our own. Or the pain we see in others renders us helpless when we realize we are going through the same thing.
I recommend we start to share in the pain, share in the healing, share each other.
Would you allow your “family” to be treated so harshly?
The construct of blood family is only true when you consider the construct and nothing else. Expound on family and then the elderly lady down the street that is white is now your family, the young black kid that hates school is now your family, the middle aged man that just lost his job and now is considered “over-qualified” for work and “under-qualified” for health care is now your family.
Isn’t the “community” getting smaller as the “family” is dying off?
Let’s save them both…and ourselves.
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