25 THINGS THAT BREAK MY HEART
I've been a long time in the wilderness with a lot on my mind. Here's my list of 25 Things That Break My Heart:
1. The sound of children crying out of loneliness, pain or discomfort.
2. When my girlfriend cries.
3. When politicians shamelessly grandstand at the expense of our freedom and a person's individual choice (see the Schiavo case).
4. Lost puppies and kittens.
5. Anybody I know who suffered a brain trauma or a disease like Alzheimers, when you can remember the person they were as compared to who they are now.
6. When people blame teachers for the declining quality of the public schools while they hop into their SUV's and drop their kids off at a private school in the suburbs.
7. Oil spills.
8. When I read a poem by Pablo Neruda and realize I will never, ever, write a poem that good.
9. Teenagers raising babies.
10. The realization that almost everything George Orwell and Aldous Huxley wrote about the future has, or soon will, become horrifyingly true.
11. The knowledge that George W. Bush is our President.
12. (from 11) The fact that at least 50 percent of the United States is not only not horrified by that fact, but actually thinks it's a good idea.
13. When long friendships end for no good reason.
14. Knowing that Africa is the richest continent on Earth but that colonialism, racism and tribalism have left it the most impoverished continent on Earth for over 200 years.
15. When a team in any sport makes a thrilling comeback only too fall justthisshort at the end.
16. Seeing little girls, six and younger, enrolled in beauty pageants.
17. Knowing that in much of the Muslim world, women are treated as second or third class citizens.
18. Knowing that in these "liberalized, free" United States we've never had a female president and women make 68 cents for every dollar a man is paid.
19. Pedophiles who molest again and again and again. If they can't be cured, why are they allowed to live in society?
20. Seeing young men and women going off to Iraq, knowing that 1 in 5 will suffer some permanent psychological scarring, 1 in 10 will be seriously wounded and 1 in 1000 will probably be killed.
21. Knowing that the administration that sent these people into harm's way continues to cut their benefits when they return, find ways to extend their tours of duty while there and fails to provide adequate protection and armament in the field.
22. Watching one insipid reality or "celebrity documentary" show after another premiere on the tube while writers and performers with real talent suffer in obscurity and never get their shot.
23. Every other story that came out of the December 26 tsunami (the one thing for which my birthday will now probably be forever known).
24. Looking at that part of the skyline where the World Trade Center used to be.
25. Willful ignorance.
What breaks your heart? Write in with some suggestions...
Peace.
1. The sound of children crying out of loneliness, pain or discomfort.
2. When my girlfriend cries.
3. When politicians shamelessly grandstand at the expense of our freedom and a person's individual choice (see the Schiavo case).
4. Lost puppies and kittens.
5. Anybody I know who suffered a brain trauma or a disease like Alzheimers, when you can remember the person they were as compared to who they are now.
6. When people blame teachers for the declining quality of the public schools while they hop into their SUV's and drop their kids off at a private school in the suburbs.
7. Oil spills.
8. When I read a poem by Pablo Neruda and realize I will never, ever, write a poem that good.
9. Teenagers raising babies.
10. The realization that almost everything George Orwell and Aldous Huxley wrote about the future has, or soon will, become horrifyingly true.
11. The knowledge that George W. Bush is our President.
12. (from 11) The fact that at least 50 percent of the United States is not only not horrified by that fact, but actually thinks it's a good idea.
13. When long friendships end for no good reason.
14. Knowing that Africa is the richest continent on Earth but that colonialism, racism and tribalism have left it the most impoverished continent on Earth for over 200 years.
15. When a team in any sport makes a thrilling comeback only too fall justthisshort at the end.
16. Seeing little girls, six and younger, enrolled in beauty pageants.
17. Knowing that in much of the Muslim world, women are treated as second or third class citizens.
18. Knowing that in these "liberalized, free" United States we've never had a female president and women make 68 cents for every dollar a man is paid.
19. Pedophiles who molest again and again and again. If they can't be cured, why are they allowed to live in society?
20. Seeing young men and women going off to Iraq, knowing that 1 in 5 will suffer some permanent psychological scarring, 1 in 10 will be seriously wounded and 1 in 1000 will probably be killed.
21. Knowing that the administration that sent these people into harm's way continues to cut their benefits when they return, find ways to extend their tours of duty while there and fails to provide adequate protection and armament in the field.
22. Watching one insipid reality or "celebrity documentary" show after another premiere on the tube while writers and performers with real talent suffer in obscurity and never get their shot.
23. Every other story that came out of the December 26 tsunami (the one thing for which my birthday will now probably be forever known).
24. Looking at that part of the skyline where the World Trade Center used to be.
25. Willful ignorance.
What breaks your heart? Write in with some suggestions...
Peace.
posted by Reggie E. Scott at 2:56 PM
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