A Reminder: The World Is Brutal
I feel like we often take advantages of all the luxuries we have in life. I am no exception….I have it extremely well compared to most. This week started with some nicely smoked ribs. Ribs are so good! Then we did all sorts of fun stuff……I got some bike rides in with the big (my oldest son), got to coach some little league baseball, had an adult league hockey game, went to a MLB game (Go Giants!!!), went to a stock car race and I got to run some trails. This was more than most weeks but my goodness….what a week!! It really doesn’t get much better than that. Truly, I am so grateful for all of this.
I try not to lose sight of how hard I’ve worked to get here and where I’ve come from. Things weren’t always so easy. I carry a reminder in my pocket everyday which makes me think about my roots in an effort to keep my mind in check.
Lately, I have been thinking more about how nice we all have it. While some people certainly have it nicer than others, I think collectively in the United States, we have it pretty good for the most part. Again, I know there are exceptions to this and I don’t want to discount that. The vast majority of us have running water, electricity, relatively inexpensive food options, waste management, shelter, cars, cell phones (mini computers) and the list goes on. Human existense wasn’t always so easy. We are in an age where these things are now part of life and expected. I think that is why when something goes a little wrong in the world, people start to go sideways.
Try to keep things in perspective. Appreciate all of the things that you DO have and continue to work hard for it. Don’t get complacent or life will find a way to knock you off your pedestal. Thankfully, mother nature has its subtle ways of reminding you if you keep your eyes peeled.
Yesterday, while on my run, I was given a quick little reminder of what life used to be like. I didn’t feel like running much. It was a little hot, I had stayed up late the night before and I had eaten a massive breakfast. Then I saw two lizards wrapped up in the middle of the trail. At first I thought they were in the process of making more little baby lizards to extend their reptile empire. Then I realized that one of the lizard’s jaws was firmly locked onto the other lizard’s throat. It was savage looking! I made a noise to see if they were still alive and the aggressor scrambled with the victim into the bushes held by the throat. It was savagely brutal….there is no other way to describe it.
Anyway, it reminded me about how lucky we have it as humans. Most of us never have to deal with this savagery. In nature, this is how it is EVERY SINGLE DAY. Think about if you still had to go hunt for a meal. What if your neighbor was always trying to kill you to survive themselves? It’s crazy to think about in the world we live in today but we aren’t very far removed from this existense.
Ok, enough of that. Go be happy again. Just remember, be grateful for the things and people that you have in your life. Things might not always be so easy. Here are a couple pretty pictures (also from my run yesterday) to send you back into the world.
Run a trail…..be happy!
