I know I use this blog to vent a bit about the various shitstems we all have to deal with in this modern world, but I would also like to talk about what is good about the world. I have the privilege of being a Social Worker. This allows me to connect to people that societal boundaries would otherwise exclude me from. I get to see the beauty of a poor elderly black woman who is suffering from major medical conditions and still has the strength to give to others and maintain a focus on what is meaningful in life. I work with middle age rural christian men who have lost their job and are unable to support their families and see them use such crises as opportunity to make positive changes in their lives and actually improve family relationships as they learn to let go and focus on the strengths of their values and support of their families. I work with mothers who are totally overwhelmed by life and relationships but are still able to see the need to take care of themselves and I get to share in the process with them. I work with ex-cons who have no support from society, but still struggle to improve their situation despite the obstacles and lack of support. I work with individuals that face horrendous bureaucratic hurdles, but still manage to laugh and not let the stress overwhelm them. The examples go on and I do also see many people that are not as able to cope with their situations, but I still get to see their humanity and the strengths they do have.
It is such a privelege, in a society that can focus on division (us & them thinking), to be able to break through barriers and see the commonality we all share as humans. The homeless, the rich CEO, the working poor, etc., we all face the same human emotions. While it is often hard work, the rewards are much greater. I learn from everyone I meet and recieve constant inspiration as I see people grow and sometimes fail in their human struggles. Perhaps one reason I am so passionate about creating a humane, nurturing society is that I have the opportunity to see what we are capable of as humans. When I think about this in relationship to the cold bureaucratic systems and corporate political power structures we have created, I see no other conclusion than the need for real societal change. I look at history and see the progress that has been made by people joining together and sacrificing, so that we can all have better lives. I see that we do have the power in our hearts to change and that the only limitations are in our minds.
