Some people may say by the way I speak about things that I am naive. In fact, it is said by many that people who live here as a whole are living in a "bubble," meaning that we are all naive and know nothing about the "real world" as anywhere else. Allow me to sidetrack just a little by stating that this general statement annoys me. The people here are not immune to the struggles and horrors that life can bring.
I've watched as a friend became addicted to drugs, who died at a very young age due to sudden kidney failure. I've watched women die from cancer at a younger age than they should have. I have seen a girl in my school disappear overnight, never to be seen again. I've watched a former coworker nearly die in front of me at work from heart failure. As a child, I was teased and bullied verbally. I grew up depending almost entirely on the food my family grew and was raised on hand-me-downs and home made clothes (only remembering one time when I got a new dress from the store that was never worn before). Most of my toys were used from a thrift store since new toys were too expensive. Assisting in taking care of a severely disabled brother since the age of seven has not always been easy either.
I am not ignorant of what others are dealing with elsewhere as well. Those poor people who have become victims of crime or terror out there have had terrible things to deal with, perhaps even more than some of us could ever imagine. Unfortunately, this kind of ugliness is not new to this world. Looking back in history, it seems like it is part of a terror cycle that has occurred since the beginning of history. There always seems to be someone or some group that has sought power over someone else sometimes seeking personal glory, other times seeking it through a so-called religious crusade with such terrible things humans humans have suffered by the hand of other humans.
I cringe at thinking about some of the terrible torture and spilled blood this earth has seen. Though as terrible as these things are, some of our most revered historical figures have provided us inspiration. Joan of Arc (whether or not you believe she actually received revelation), now a Catholic saint, was falsely accused of heresy and burned at the stake; Martin Luther after posting his list knew he would have to deal with the oppression of the Catholics; George Washington as general of an army that was clearly weaker than the Red Coats led them to victory and assisted in bringing about the birth of the United States; there are those many unnamed heroes during WWII who helped Jews escape the Nazis perhaps even putting their own life in their hands; and even Florence Nightingale became a type of hero by improving the nursing system in helping the injured soldiers. There are so many examples.
It's not so much being naive as it is choosing to look at the positive perspective. There is a lot to worry about out there, but I've said it before and still stick to it, "The sun still shines on a cloudy day." The light may be hidden, but it is there.
