On Fire

Today I am grateful for a pleasant visit with friends I haven't sat down with in months. I am also grateful for wireless headphones. 

The wildfires burning in the western United States have been devastating and far-reaching. I have family in both Colorado and Oregon. They are safe and haven't been directly impacted beyond the smoke and ash and poor air quality. 

My sisters have lived in Colorado for nearly 40 years, and in Oregon for over 25 years . . . and they say they have never seen it this bad.  It has never been this close, leaving ash on their cars and forcing them indoors because of the respiratory danger. 

A recent report says that over 4.6 million acres have burned in these recent fires. People have lost homes, livelihoods, and their lives. Some people have lost everything except what they were able to quickly grab as they evacuated in a rush. 

It continues to be a tough and devastating year, insult added to injury, for so many people in so many ways. My country is on fire in more ways than one. 

One of my sisters and I were discussing this state of affairs the other day. Some of our thoughts are captured here:

"Think for yourself, but not only of yourself."   

"We all want to be heard, but we don't want to listen."

"We have been heading toward this for a couple decades... becoming more complacent, entitled, reactive, and lazy." 

"The impact of social media must be considered. It has positives, but it also contributes to the decline mentioned in the lines directly above this.  We have made our own brains sick by what we feed it." 

"We have become less tolerant and more filled with harshness and even hatred." 

Such strong words make me bristle. They may make you bristle too. I hope they do. 

I use "we" and that may not sit well. It may make you uncomfortable. It should.  I have to use "we" because this is our nation, these are our communities, our homes. We are all part of the problem if we are stuck in the problems. We only become part of viable solutions when we contribute with helpful actions and words. (Unless it is a time where inaction and silence are the best choices.) 

This is all rather disheartening, but I also remain rather hopeful.  I see and hear good every day among my fellow humans. Small ways, day in and day out, make a sizable difference. It starts with me, each of us, taking an honest look at ourselves and how we can do better. 

Start by listening with kind attention, to yourself and others. We can't possibly know someone else's real story if we aren't listening. And it is in the real stories that we find our common ground back.