Tuesday, October 17, 2017

A Few Thoughts on Peace

Everyone wishes for peace at every possible human level unless they're just psychotic.

But even the non-psychotic people who wish for peace do so at a macro level, which isn't that effective.

For example - we all want "world peace." Meaning - far too big for one person to pull off, sort of "over there" peace - wherever big conflicts are happening, we wish they'd stop. That's macro peace.

But on a micro level, sometimes we don't even try - and especially online.

Let's take any random post about something very benign. (I'll avoid the number of legs on a snowflake stamp for the time being, since it's so controversial.) Let's say Sally posts something like "I like pumpkin spice lattes" with a colorful fall background - and Sally is happy. Instantly, all the pumpkin spice latte haters fill up her page with comments about how much her PSL has done to increase global warming, harm the pygmy micro-leopard in the Congo, and graphic descriptions comparing the taste of it to the taste of the underside of Voldemort's big toe. This is quite typical in social media - and I'm keeping it clean and mild here for my blog's sake.

This does nothing to achieve peace. Peace is what the like button is for. Peace is keeping some opinions (I know - this is unheard of) unspoken while you acknowledge Sally's free will, dignity as a human, and her joy in enjoying something she loves.

Peace is also not achieved by ranting on a company's Facebook page after you got onions on your cheeseburger.

Peace is not achieved by starting a post with "I never typically post about X, BUT..." What follows BUT is never good.

Peace is not achieved by pointing out in Sally's photo of her lunch with heart emoji in the description that she's using a straw, and thereby again endangering the pygmy micro-leopard. That conversation has another context, and it's not the one with the heart emojis on her Instagram account. That's the kind of conversation that should take place in person, and only among friends.

Peace in the modern world, in my opinion, is missing its other half - quiet. You can achieve a lot of peace just by being quiet sometimes. And I truly do believe that micro peace is how we get to macro peace. And probably also how we help save the pygmy micro-leopard, which I would care deeply about had I not just made it up.

If I were going to have any sort of leopard, it would be a micro one, because leopards are scary.

So I come in peace today. And quiet. The quiet of a little snow falling on a wintery village from a colored sky. The video of this from last week is here.


Hope you have a peaceful day. :)

LoveyameanitIcomeinpeacebye.

29 comments:

  1. Peace AND quiet, AAAAAHHH! Your concept of micro peace is spot on. Let it spread far & wide, a bit at a time.
    My need for peace & quiet far exceeds my need for coffee. And that's saying something. I pray everyday for help finding peace, calm & serenity for myself, my family, friends and all those around me.
    Peace & quiet are sometimes elusive, but I'm learning ways to find it.

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  2. You are so right Lydia! Something has happened to plain old civility - I think it went away with all my 8-track cassettes.
    Your card is right on too. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your art. BTW, I think I have a micro-leopard at my house. Her name is Misty. Changed her spots though.

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  3. You are spot on today! I wish my husband's family would read this. Maybe then their crazy FB feuds would end.

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  4. and I love your card, as always.

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  5. Thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts. We forget that peace begins with ourselves. LOVE your card!

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  6. Beautiful thoughts and beautiful card. It does all begin quietly, with the man in the mirror.

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  7. Do you know that those colors together incite violence? So much for your peace piece! LOL 😂
    Just joking! I love the background with its riot of pretty colors!
    I am doing my part for peace by letting go of things that really don’t t matter in my life! Ie...listening to my son ranting because he only got one pickle on his burger at the takeout window. I have asked him many times if stuff like that really affects his life so negatively but he just doesn’t get where I am going with the question. I just quietly remove myself from the conversation and move on to more important things like whether I have enough chocolate to make it through the day! 😁 TFS!

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  8. Thank goodness I don't like pumpkin spice lattes. I wouldn't want to harm the imaginary pygmy micro-leopards! But all kidding aside - your post is insightful and something I hadn't really given enough thought to. Pay it forwards, heart buttons and yes, quiet.

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  9. Oh so true! All of it! #guilty ,except the micro pygmy leopard part, because you just made up!
    This card should be YELLED!!!!!! Pure gorgeousness in a MACRO way!!!!!

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  10. Gorgeous card! I love how vibrant your background is. Timely thoughts!!! I am currently leading a discussion group on taming our tongues and there was a whole chapter devoted to our online tongues!!! It's so crazy out there I am afraid to post anything but cat pictures and cards for fear I will be jumped on! :) Hugs for a post on peace!

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  11. It seems many people live their lives on Facebook. They have no internal life from which peace, love and joy springs. What we feed grows. My Mother taught me -not to feed the wild animals.

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  12. right on, both with your message and fabulous card! thanks

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  13. My mother always told us, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." It seems even more true now that social media has come about. Thanks for sharing your slant on peace &...quiet. Well said, as always, and a good reminder that everything that comes to mind doesn't have to fall out of your mouth.

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  14. Peace and humor. Love it. And what a stunning project.

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  15. Stunning card and wonderful post.

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  16. What a beautiful card Lydia! Love that background!

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  17. That's exactly why I don't engage on Facebook any more. FB seemed to turn me into someone very ugly, even though I felt like the only sane one in the bunch. Enough! I don't discuss politics or religion with anyone, especially with family. Nuff said.

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  18. I love your write-up and agree with all of it - EXCEPT that Sally is always pushing people's buttons with her controversial posts. She needs to get a life! :) <3 This card is GORGEOUS! The clean, white church is gorgeous against this backdrop of bold, beautiful colors.

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    Replies
    1. HAHAH this gave me a much needed laugh out loud! Damn it Sally! :)

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  19. I don't know which is more beautiful, your card or your words. 👏👏👏

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  20. Yes! And now I want a pygmy micro leopard, too.

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