Love and Kindness in Dark Times.

I should be a very angry man. The "ordeals" I have been through over the past few week should have made me bitter and hard. It should have filled me with hatred but instead it has lead me down a different path. Instead, I thought, "No! That is not the way".

I have decided that no matter how much the system belittles and beats me, I will not lose my soul! I will not lose my faith in my fellow human!

In the dark days that I believe lay ahead (and I don't mean 2012) I am urging you to do the same. Keep helping your fellow man. Do not be beaten. Do not give up. Keep the flame alive!

I will leave you with a song and a story my great grandfather told me.

During world war two, my grandfather was fighting with and American regiment to free Paris from the Germans. During an 11hour firefight a short American Jewish man had what most people would call a "mental breakdown". My grandfather called it the most courageous display of humanity he had and would ever see.

This small man broke cover during a hail of fire, walked over 200yrds to a german solider who had been shot. The german had been screaming for over an hour. The small man knelt down beside the german (bullets still flying). He lifted the mans head, pulling it towards his chest. He held his hand and rub his head.

The sound of gun fire stopped. Everyone lowered their weapons to watch in shock an amazement. The guns went silent for 20 minutes, until the man died in the arms of his "enemy".

The small man went back to his weapon, the gunfire started again....

How much I or you believe the story does not matter, the point is the same..



ALS

The small man knelt down beside the german (bullets still flying). He lifted the mans head, pulling it towards his chest. He held his hand and rub his head.

THIS is who we really are as a species.

The small man went back to his weapon, the gunfire started again....

This is not.

War is not our natural state, it's a manipulation of the people by their governments.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


Could agree more my friend.

ALS

Just a little bump.

ALS

I do what I can to help others. I have always put others before myself. Sure, I have had a selfish past, but I soon grew out of it, though it took around 31 years of my current 39 to do so. It's never too late. I feel more empathy for others and I think that's what's missing in the world. Putting ourselves in others' shoes and giving love, hope, help if possible, it all adds up. Even a kind word or loving smile can go a long way.

Believe it or not, I have seen more love and compassion and giving from this site than any where else and I love it. It floors me how good total strangers are on here. I think slowly people are starting to see that positive gains much better results than negativity.

I have seen more love and compassion and giving from this site than any where else and I love it. It floors me how good total strangers are on here.

reply to post by sarra1833


It is beautiful isn't it?

I finally decided to share a personal experience and was truly shocked at the replies. I had figured I would get mocked off the forum

I recently remember reading a thread where a kind soul was taking their own time to provide a service for others.

When she gets caught up let me know. I want her to look into my eyes

S&F OP! Thanks.

Well, Love and Kindness are the best thing that can give comfort and courage during dark times.

Wow That Was Awesome, it goes to show we can live in Peace. Killing Does NOT Solve the problems of this world only Love and Compassion and Caring makes a Difference ! Wars only make the Rich Richer and the Poor DIE !!! "Thou Shalt Not Kill". & "Love Thy Neighbor". Thanks for Posting.

My friend, this is trippy.

I had a bit of a breakdown a couple of months back. I realized I wasn't who I wanted to be....who the f**k is this angry pr*ck yelling at everyone in the world over the most insignifciant 'issues'.

I decided to try to stop being angry at every little iota of life...started counting how many times I got angry at cars and people in general on the way to work (1 hr commute). I was almost to 30 by lunch.... W.T.F?

I used to talk about how everyone, even the most evil wicked harded criminal, has some level of goodness in their souls, even if well hidden. Suddenly I hate everyone? what happened to me?

I stopped getting mad at every tiny event. And, I'll say coincidentally because it would be bizarre if not, more things started testing my patience. I wouldn't get 1 car driving 35mph in a 55 on the way to work. If I passed that guy, I'd have another one pull out a minute later cutting me off and going slow.

So now I (do my best to) ignore it...I never pass anyone, I will let anyone out into an intersection if I can. I will do whatever I can to try to not cause unwarranted agitation to anyone in my life or who passed by in a flit of time through it. And, boy, things get crazy. I will still have to say coincidental for lack of wanting to go nuts...but it seems like Murphy got a Doctorate at the University of Rube Goldberg in the way events unfold to cause dumb little nuissances more than ever...but it's fun.

I laugh if I slam my hand, I back off of cars to ensure they don't think I want to pass, I nod and small smile to as many people as I can....even tho most of them aren't looking.

One tiny example before my TL,DR post is closed:
I decided to drive to Staten Island the Friday after Sandy. It was late (around 8) and my wife thought I was nuts (I know I'm nuts). Stopped at a local Harbor Freight and picked up about $500 in blankets and stuffed my little car. They were thrilled to have them. (this was the back story....)

On my way home, it was like 2:30 in the morning....there was NOBODY on the roads. Suddenly, there's a car about 50yds back. As soon as he gets behind me...his brights go on. I start getting annoyed. Then more annoyed, Then pissed... then thinking about locking up the brakes, throwing # out the window, getting behind him...... But I caught myself. I said, "does this matter in my life?". So I drove on w/ my head slightly more to the right than normal to avoid direct glare.

About 2 minutes later.... A rig comes flying up behind the guy, gets in the left lane, passes him, and lodges himself between us.

I just looked back and said, "Thank You" and went home to my family

reply to post by ALOSTSOUL


Thank you for this. Every time I turn on the news and see a story about all of the wars going on, the crooked financial system, or mutilated dolphins, I lose a little more faith in my fellow man.

While I don't believe that we will ever truly learn to just love one another, it's stories like these that give me a reason to cling to that last shred of hope.

Thank you again, my friend. Peace to you.

Beautiful thread.
As a man who continually fights against my shadow....liberationn is possible...we do not hav eto commit suicide to escape the harping evil inside.

Just say F### it I can survive by not wanting, by taking the blows and smiling.

I am loved by God.........if I chooose.

reply to post by Dr Expired


Well said...
In the new mode that I am attempting to attain, I don't care if it's magical make believe fantasy camp, or a true test of my self and personal growth...the end result is the same, surrounding myself with positive instead of negative.

I am an avid gun owner and, tho I still fully believe in the 2nd ammendment because the greed of man will always be something we fight against, I have changed my attitude regarding how I (hope I) will handle myself in the 'end of days' type of scenario that has been beaten into me. I choose to lay down my arms if the 'Great Change' takes place. If even a shred of any religion, physics regarding positive and negative energy, the yin-yang, etc are true, ,then it is a time for growth, not for battle. If I should die, I would prefer to die trying to do good for my family and humanity instead of using anger and vengance to keep me on the wrong side of the fence.

Originally posted by sarra1833
I do what I can to help others. I have always put others before myself. Sure, I have had a selfish past, but I soon grew out of it, though it took around 31 years of my current 39 to do so. It's never too late. I feel more empathy for others and I think that's what's missing in the world. Putting ourselves in others' shoes and giving love, hope, help if possible, it all adds up. Even a kind word or loving smile can go a long way.

Believe it or not, I have seen more love and compassion and giving from this site than any where else and I love it. It floors me how good total strangers are on here. I think slowly people are starting to see that positive gains much better results than negativity.

It to amazes me how kind (most of) the people are on ATS. This site has helped me through a lot, the site is one of the reasons I havent gone off the beaten path.

ALS

Originally posted by Dr Expired
Beautiful thread.
As a man who continually fights against my shadow....liberationn is possible...we do not hav eto commit suicide to escape the harping evil inside.

Just say F### it I can survive by not wanting, by taking the blows and smiling.

I am loved by God.........if I chooose.

I found that my mental health was much better when I helped others. It started with me just doing extra things for customers at work (I'm a removal man), I found that I felt much better for it. So now I do weekly voluntarily work at the stroke ward.

ALS

It does amaze me how everyone in modern society is so depressed and angry (self included, but trying to fix the glitch). But, I'd love to take a survey of all of my friends and acquaintences. It appears that something like Sandy destorying so many lives immediately drives them with purpose and, tho it's filthy, laborious, tedious, dangerous work....it really seems to make people happy to work for humanity, So there seems to be a harsh juxtaposition between the fact that we are such an unhappy, angry society stuck in the modern version of mental slavery next to some real desire within to not be stuck in this quagmire of modernization and capitalism. We long for a tribe where we work together... I work, you work, we trade, we live....all within earshot of family and friends

reply to post by NoMoreAngerToChangeTheWor


I have wondered why depression seems to be at epidemic levels in todays society. I put it down to three things, lack of spirituality (not religion). Food, ie; preservatives, e numbers etc..etc. Main stream media, the constant reporting of war and hate.

But, again, these symptom "causers" can all be countered with love and kindness.

ALS

I was delving into my own misery to figure out where I took the wrong turn. I have a very good job at a top tier tech company. I have an Electrical Engineering degree, and I firmware for very high end monitoring of thresholds in datacenters.

What I realized, while seeing if looking for another job would make me happier, is that it is not possible in my current version of civilization. Every job entails the same thing......a narrow scope of tasks for which you will get really good, slowly progress, and be a master at that narrow scope of tasks by the time you retire.

I don't want to be 'the best' and anything in such a narrow scope. I realized why I could never apply myself in school (got good grades, but never did a lick of work). It's because I can't apply myself in modern society and how the carrer path algorithm works. I have no interest in ANYthing, I have interest in EVERYthing. I want to know all there is, I want to try anything and everything that is possible.

It's how I live at home...but I never put 2 and 2 together. I have more tools than any one person should have. I have multiple toolboxes for most trades (plumbing, electrical, upolstery, car/home theater, concrete, leather work,...). How quickly have humans evolved in the short stint that is the current recorded history? I think the problem is answered in that question. We strive to surpass ourselves. We strive to work with everyone and learn everything there is to know. We strive to pass knowledge and continue the growth for which we are designed.

Me thinks we have had someone lock up the emergency brakes on us and have throttled back our own reason for being here.

Everything happens for a reason, my good friend.

Even if it may be a death in the family, or a loved one..one must see it as something positive.

The Game would not be a Game if there weren't a catalyst; if there wasn't a way to go different ways. [if you can see what Im getting at.]