There are some things that are easy for us to ignore, going about our busy lives. I came across this article because I was woken up early by construction noise in our apartment complex. 5:30 am is no where near the time that I normally wake up, and I was not a happy camper. I even called my landlord and left an angry message. Not a good way to start the week.
Things that were important to me this morning:
Noise. I hate noise, and I can't sleep if there is any noticeable activity within twenty feet of me.
Handing in a paper. Five pages that I won't even remember writing two weeks from now.
My Neil Young t-shirt. Vintage, from the 1983 Shocking Pinks tour. The new love of my life.
Work.
School. Am I really graduating? Gosh, I feel like I've earned it. But why is there a nerve-racking black void waiting to begin the first week of June?
Oh, and I am in the middle of working on a new play, which currently looks like the abandoned pet project of a mad electrician. Live-wire characters tangled with un-grounded plot strings, hanging out of the wall waiting to buzz the unsuspecting playwright who wanders too close. How do I deal with that?
And then, amidst all of my suffering, a news article catches my attention.
Eve Ensler: War on women in Congo
To be completely honest: if I hadn't seen Eve Ensler's name attached, I might not have opened the article at all. It was cnn.com, early in the morning, and I just wasn't in the mood to read about the injustices of femicide.
Note to myself: Fuck you. My own personal version of suffering is nothing at all. Whether I got enough sleep last night is not reason enough to turn a blind eye to all of the other suffering in the world. The grades I get in my final quarter of college are as important as a single letter in the combined works of every writer who ever lived.
Here is what is important: We are all connected through our suffering. And while we do what we can to alleviate our early-morning back aches and our vacation-laden sunburns, it is not until we look outside of ourselves that we can truly overcome.
So here is what today is: today is a chance to alleviate somebody else's suffering. Give something of yourself to somebody else- somebody you are not connected to, a complete stranger. Something that requires effort and sacrifice. Decide for yourself, but keep this in mind: the more you sacrifice to lift someone else's burden, the more you are doing to lessen suffering the world over.
This is my way of saying something very simple. It often seems like we have no control over the things that we read about in the news. How am I supposed to stop the things that Eve Ensler addresses in her article? And what about the millions of unwritten articles addressing the other massive sufferings going on in the world? It starts with the smallest bit of empathy. Buying lunch for the homeless person sleeping in the storefront window doesn't seem like it will change anything, but it will change everything. Suffering ends with compassion. On every level and at every moment.
And that is more important than any poetry every written.
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3 comments:
I get the privilege of helping people end their suffering everyday... but, there is not a lot of sacrifice involved at $70/hour.
"We are all connected through our suffering...it is not until we look outside of ourselves that we can truly overcome"
This gives me new hope and will get me through the rest of the day...mostly inspired to go out and hug people with painted smiles that are mere translucent sheaths to their heartbreak and woes.
Claire
You have been doing this for most of your life, you always are willing to give of yourself in one form or another. Your writing touches many more than you'll ever know and has ellminated more suffering than you'll ever know. Anyone who has crossed your path may not remember your name, but they certainly will remember the kind hearted person that made them smile.
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