Dominoes.

When one falls, they all fall. Besides the game, dominoes represent how things start and inevitably end, unless of course you interfere. Pain can be a catalyst, causing someone to lose hope, give up. Though it can also be a catalyst for good. One thing about dominoes is that when one falls, the impact on the last domino is unknown by the first. In human terms, it means that one occurrence can have a domino effect for change that no human could ever connect or the initial person ever know.

The first affects the second and so on, until the change at the end.

The most recent church shooting, or a suicide, or a loss of a small child, all things encountered over the last few days, all having meaning, somewhere. No, the meaning isn’t always directly connected with the initial act, such as gun control due to another “mass shooting,” but can come about by changes in individuals effected lives. From here on out, a catalyst to inspire change, a certain determination or grit which only comes out when challenged. Though nobody wishes pain on a loved one, or to see members of a church getting killed for “wrong place, wrong time,” the hope is found in seeing things differently. 

Word’s don’t take away from the pain, anything expressible in words demeans it. Some of the most powerful feelings are unable to be presented in word form. So, there is nothing to say to take away, reduce, or undo any recently tragic event you or a loved one, or even a stranger on the news experienced. What can be done though is for the people involved, maybe not the family at this point, but everyone else watching the news, impacted in some way, feeling hopeless or rage, is to see the potential positives a negative can cause. If you see one incident and ask why, get angry, demand some kind of policy in government, then you’re looking to closely. Instead try, for yourself mind you, to look at a larger picture. Un-zoom the camera lens.

Words alone cannot inspire hope or do anything for anyone for that matter. What they do is help, hopefully, set in motion a thought process in one person who affect another and another, etc until changes occur. Initially though, there is no external change until we allow ourselves to see a larger picture, look outside of the immediate and undoubtedly emotionally provoking situation to see something else, see what positives were brought about. To see the person appreciate each day due to the cancer scare. To see the kid appreciate walking and living another day due to a Leukemia diagnosis.

Though it seems futile to try to understand something you couldn’t possibly see, we can increase the chances of a more positive outcome from even the apparently evil of situations.

Have to put a stop to negative, start a different chain of events.

In the short run, seeing things a bit differently, seeing hope in the madness, reminding yourself that each person has their own story and there is no good without the bad, will help you, the individual. In the long run, dominoes will fall the other way too. Positive can spark positive, and hope can instill hope. It is too easy to justify anger and have every media outlet, person on Facebook, or even your more immediate surroundings support it, “Yea, if that happened to me, I would kill the guy too.” But in the end, the one person who listens without advice, takes themselves out and reminds others that how you feel is valid but what you want long-term matters more, can be the catalyst for the change all people reportedly want to see in society.

I don’t know. I truly don’t. I know that in my rational state of mind, though affected by my environment and what seems to be a dark season as well, I cannot say how my emotions would peak if I were in the same situation. What I can say, is that I know in my heart of hearts I want to see good, I guess if that means, “bad” has to happen, then I admit powerlessness to it and try to stay on the path.

God Bless.