A Shoutout

 

A shoutout to people who still know how to use filters when they speak, realizing the ultimate objective is not putting others in their place, but to create an environment where dialogue, learning and growth are valued.

A shoutout to people who still know how to dress modestly in public, realizing the world is not your personal space for you alone to be comfortable in. 

A shoutout to people who reprocess information, realizing that not everything was covered comprehensively in 5th grade. 

A shoutout to people who don’t create terms primarily to use as labels to insult those they don’t agree with. 

A shoutout to those that question from a position of curiosity rather than question for the purpose of condemnation. 

A shoutout to those who listen with the intent to understand. 

A shoutout to those who seek peace, even if a solution is not in sight. 

A shoutout to people who realize they are not stuck in traffic, rather, they are traffic. 

A shoutout to people who purpose to explain less with words, using actions more. 

A shoutout to people who act positively when the cameras aren’t on, and there’s little or no chance for attention. 

A shoutout to people who don’t need to  say “read that again”.

A shoutout to people who don’t have to be first in order to be winning. 

How My World View Failed Me and Everyone Else

Without going into particulars, the worst thing about my or anyone else’s world view is calling it a world view. I always should have kept it as simply a personal belief system. But once I promote my belief system to a world view, I’m basically proclaiming what “should” be for all, in order for the world to be a better place. That’s how a belief system (abbreviated bs) turns to BS. If everyone believed as I do, we’d all be better off (according to world view holders). Anyone who deviates from my belief system will inevitably encounter consequences which automatically are classified as “you problems”. Should’ve done it my way. Should’ve believed like I believe. 

See…it’s BS.

What I want now is for my belief system to be considered with as much courtesy and respect as the next guy’s. I don’t have to have certain stores celebrating my belief system with belief system friendly merchandise. Just compatible. Compatible with mine, no more, no less than the next guy’s.

Have you ever wondered where John Lennon got the lyric “Imagine there’s no heaven”? I haven’t researched and studied his philosophy. But my guess is he would be pretty elusive in his description when asked. And a lot of people I’ve known over the years really wouldn’t put much stock in his explanation anyway, as they’d prefer to apply their own explanation on his behalf with or without his input. Like…Lennon was anti god, anti heaven, and that song is proof. 

Well. I don’t know about that. Certain thoughts spring to mind when I consider that lyric. One thought is that it seems to me that many people’s endgame to their belief system is based on their view of eternity..the hereafter…heaven. And so they develop their belief system based on what matters in light of eternity..and consequently promote that as a world view for the here and now. 

How many wars have occurred because differing world views were in conflict? Because differing interpretations of the afterlife are applied to formulate these world views?

Side note: I love free will. But for the life of me I can’t figure out why people would war with others over differing religious beliefs. If God gave us free will, isn’t He already allowing for differing thought processes? And He gives everyone their lifetime to think it out…freely? So why would anyone take it upon themselves to truncate God’s timeframe for someone, especially if it resulted in eternal damnation? Wouldn’t God call those into account for playing god and cutting short a life He was allowing to live longer..under free will?

Anyway. 

So…imagine that dynamic didn’t exist..the striving to promote one’s world view over another through persecution, conflict and wars.. I can see how that could result in more peace here on earth, if that dynamic didn’t exist. Instead we have world views supposedly based in morality derived from divinely inspired writings..being forced upon the populations using whatever corrupt political strategies achieve the desired end result…free-will be damned. 

People see through that and are disgusted. I know I am. 

My personal belief system is fine for me. If we talk and help each other think through life’s difficulties…awesome. But I’m not going to impose my belief system on you or others. Nor do I want that from you. Of course we live under common laws for the sake of civility. And right now common laws allow me to observe my personal beliefs to the fullest extent I personally enjoy. That’s never really been in jeopardy in my lifetime, despite what fear some try to promote in an effort to secure their own belief systems while opposing others. 

I’m done with that, and have been done with that for years. 

Peace. 

…Or not. 

Much of that is up to you, depending if you can be at peace letting someone else live according to their belief system that is different than yours. If it bugs the hell out of you, well, that sounds like a you problem. And maybe that’s why peace is elusive. 

Born in 98

I was quietly awaiting my turn to get called back. Another patient walked in and was giving information to the receptionist. Something something 1998. A mere child I thought…. born in ‘98. Sheesh. I had to look up to see how young this child was. Except I didn’t see a child. I saw a burly man with a burly beard. My brain raced. 24? No way, I told myself. But honestly, he could’ve been two years into a profession by now. 

98, sigh. I had grandparents born in 98, or sometime in the 1890s. And this grown man was 100 years younger than my grandparents. Mind blown. In an instant 100 years flashed before my eyes. 

I’ve been to quite a few appointments recently. Getting poked, injected, imaged, and diagnosed. I’m actually quite ok. Well, part of me isn’t. But that isn’t anything new. Until recently I’ve been oblivious to a condition I’ve had my entire life. Why it took 60 years to manifest itself in the form of recognizable symptoms, I have no idea. I guess my case hasn’t been very severe. So I’m lucky in that regard. 

In today’s world my condition can be identified before birth, and in some cases even repaired in utero. That technology was not available when I was born. And like I said, I didn’t even experience outward symptoms until I was 60. And now my condition can be repaired laparoscopically. Most patients receiving my procedure are kids. Actual kids, not just by my definition. A couple of times some instruments had to be replaced because they were pediatric, not adult sized. But they can repair old guys like me too. It’s an amazing age. 

And the body is an amazing thing. We can both be resilient and fragile at the same time. Haven’t we all been rendered powerless by a single eyelash? And we’ve recovered from surgeries…that were brought on by other frailties. 

This recent health experience has made me more aware of my own aging process. I wonder what else is ticking in my body, and is just a matter of time before another dashboard light comes on. I’m also much more thankful to have a healthcare system that routinely checks for and treats issues I may have. I’m really fortunate in that regard. 

I’ve pretty much given away my age here, but I consider myself barely a boomer. I’ve never really bought into the boomer vs millennial drama. Most of the people taking care of me the last several months have been millennials. And I couldn’t be in better hands. Maybe it’s different in other fields. But in healthcare…millennials are nailing it in the workplace. At least, that’s been my experience. I bet that’s the case in other fields as well. And you know what? That gives me peace of mind. I’m not getting any younger. And nobody has called me “boomer” yet. And they won’t. They’re too respectful for that, in my experience anyway. 

Shoot…I’ve even been helped by some Gen Z’s along the way… gasp. Some of them are quite burly by now, having been born in …‘98…or so. Maybe we’re not quite so different after all. We’re just at different experience levels. That’s it. I’m at Boomer Level 61. Just a kid to some. Waiting for my childhood surgery, with the rest of the kids. 

My Year In Review

Once again I was named Luckiest Man of the Year…again…a streak of several years in a row now. The regularity is kind of like the Chiefs winning the AFC West, or the Jayhawks basketball team winning the Big12 title. Pretty consistent for years now. 

And I hope to continue that streak with this new year. If you’re like me, then you know I struggle with the word “luck”. I’m not sure I really believe in it. Maybe I believe more in dumb luck and smart luck. Smart luck is where you position yourself for good things to happen, then are still blown away when they do. And I’ll take whatever dumb luck comes my way. I still don’t know how to describe it. But I can’t exactly bring myself to say God has blessed me with all the excess I’ve accumulated or hoarded for myself. Nor can I say He hasn’t. So, for now, I’m calling it luck…with a wink and smile looking up, hoping for a wink and smile in return, realizing I may never receive it. But I’m still looking up with anticipation. 

Here’s to looking up with a wink and a smile in 2022. Happy New Year everyone.