We Are The Center Of Our Own Universe

I have often heard the expression, "all politics are local". I am inclined to take this idea further. All reactions are personal, the further away they are mentally or physically, the less impact they have on our own feelings. Most of us feel badly about an earthquake in Haiti that kills hundreds of thousands of people. When a whale kills its trainer 1000 miles away, it hits closer to home, and although we feel badly it has little personal effect on us as individuals. A fatal accident happens down the street to a neighbor that we know; we react with greater feeling and compassion. Something dramatic happens to a member of our immediate family, we feel that tragedy deeply, emotionally, and personally.

When the politicians talk about "loss of jobs" or "healthcare", we are very aware but still not emotionally affected. However, when this general condition causes us to lose our jobs or our health insurance, it becomes a matter of momentous proportions.

When I was in business I was genuinely interested in the state of the economy and the economic health of our country. I am still interested, but, just as all politics are local, our emotions are most deeply involved when it affects us directly. It reminds me of the sarcastic definition of the difference between a recession and a depression. A recession is what happens when the guy down the street loses his job. A depression is what happens when I lose my job. Regardless of how altruistic we may be, we are truly the center of our own universe.

I feel badly about many things that are happening in the world today. I hear very discouraging words. The problems we face in the world today seem to be almost insurmountable. It would seem that intelligent people of goodwill could resolve differences of opinion and come to some conclusion that will make medical care available to all Americans who need it. It is particularly frustrating when you realize the amount of waste that takes place, and the vast sums of money that are spent for bad causes. For many years my thinking has been against the grain on our necessity to leap into action and attack in many corners of the world where we are not directly involved. Perhaps the reason I feel so strongly about American kids facing death in a hostile arena is because I am a combat veteran and can well appreciate what they go through. At 86 I have seen too many noble statements built on false premise. I never questioned the reason for fighting in World War II, but I have questioned early on in every conflict that succeeded World War II, The reason given for Vietnam was that we were attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin. Further events proved that we had never suffered such an attack. We would buy the premise for the war in Iraq because "they had weapons of mass distraction". After hundreds of thousands of people were killed, we found that there were no such weapons. Yet anybody that questioned the wisdom of these wars were called unpatriotic traitors.

The point that I am trying to make is that each of us is the center of his or her own universe. The closer we are to home, the more likely we are to understand each situation. We can also more easily apply to our own judgment and witness the effect of our thoughts on what we do. I do not know how much good my donation did to Haiti relief, or even if the funds got there and were used. I do know that my donation to my local medical clinic was used to benefit my own neighbors. I know that the help I gave to a friend was put to good use and contributed to the welfare and happiness of that person. Our first consideration should be our close friends and family. This does not mean we ignore the needs from around the world. But we can be assured that time and money spent personally on projects and people we know is a recognizable and gratifying reward. The satisfaction is more immediate and the good feelings generated are felt and magnified the closer we are to the problem we help to solve.

I feel there is no such thing as a truly unselfish act. Any act of kindness is like "radar". The act bounces off the recipient and comes right back to the individual who made it happen. We certainly feel much better when those close to us are feeling good. Just as we are ultimately responsible for our own health and happiness, the world is improved if we help somebody or something that we know and can touch.

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