Single Bullet Theory

In our culture, and in this age, we often look for answers that are tidy. We want answers that won't raise too many more questions. The reference to the Kennedy assassination begs the question, is there ever a tidy answer? Some think, or hope, or say not. I think that there is a single, magic bullet, as simple and elegant as the egg, as well designed as the red blood cell and as reliable as the sun's rise and fall along the horizon from season to season. In spite of the naysayers, the conspiracy theorists and those who couch their arguments in the plush folds of greed, opulence and self-interest that they claim to be ruled by "human nature", I must stand for something more. Love.
It seems that when we look around, we see that many evils seem to persist. If we rely on the media to tell us about the world, they will spare no effort in bringing us human tragedy on a grand scale morning noon and night. No matter how far away the cameras have to roam, or how disorienting their perspective, the bad news always outweighs the good. This doesn't jive with my experience, probably not yours either. What I want to speak of here is the propensity I have found, maybe it is truly human nature, to be compassionate, caring and helpful. Just this week, I had left my wallet in my other jacket. I went to work and on the way home realized that I had no money and not enough fuel to make it home. A kind person at the fuel station paid for enough fuel to get me home. Bless her humanity, you know, she could have said no.
Many years ago, when I was a child, my mother got stranded at the same fuel stop with two children and a broken down car. Back then they had let us use their phone, given us some warm food, and then, they helped us find a way to get towed all the way home by a goodhearted fellow who had a tow truck.
The dozens of times that I have needed help along my own path I have been blessed by the people who have helped in whatever capacity they could. If we could find a single golden thread amongst the human fabric, it would be this compassion. The stories of love usually take longer to tell. There is certainly less flash, bang, boom and bash. After all, the compassionate caring that follows most emergencies is a harder story to tell than most media outlets are willing to attempt. In addition to the greater commitment required to tell this deeper story, the limited amount of "space" requires superficiality and remember, there will always be new human tragedy to focus on tomorrow. Keeping the camera's unblinking eye on the same images dilutes the message, and the propensity of people to switch channels rises exponentially over time.
The magic bullet that is alive within us is this innate propensity to love. When we begin to care, it may disturb the sour pusses among us. Some actually react with violence and derision. This can be understandable for those who have had to exist without love, or who have only experienced corrupted forms of it. In my experience, it seems to be easier for many to deal with their own shortcomings if the bar is set low. If everyone has evil intent, or is corrupted by greed and self-interest, our own overtures to compassion and caring seem greater. It then is less of a stretch to imagine that we are good people. My own perspective is that as we allow others to be more and better beings, we are invited to do more for one another, strive for more fruitful and better outcomes for our fellow humans and to lead lives of compassion and caring that support others as well as the planet that we inhabit.
A new breed of individuals is just saying no to the bitterness and deceit of the past. Indeed, there have always been those among us who gave selflessly for the betterment of their families, communities and humanity. They have proven that the need for Love is great, but that the rewards for loving are even greater. I, along with countless others see signs of change everywhere. It is high time that the forces of exploitation and oppression give way to the basic human instinct that we call love. When we work cooperatively, we are enriched by and through the successes of others and there is less damage to the earth as well. This in turn leads to a higher standard of living for everyone. Just the act of giving can be it's own reward.
Aim high and remember, even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there. Another great line spoken by a wise person long ago is that all that is necessary for evil to exist in the world is for good people to do nothing. We are the single bullet, when we cultivate and spread the seeds of love!