Today I saw pictures of fire, buildings tumbled, cars destroyed. Pictures of blood splattered, men with guns, planes dropping bombs. I saw pictures of a city with parts of it flattened, children in the streets crying… Today, I saw war.
The sad part about this is it becomes an image that is all too common place in our world. The destruction on TV, the news pages as we look at our computer during the day. As I walked in the street, I heard the honking of horns and the continuous stream of anger, anger directed outwards, anger directed inwards.
Today I felt war, the war within people as they lose the fight over and over again to grow and be, to love and to accept. I wish I could say war was something new that people just made in this day and age, that it was just another part of the continuing destruction of the earth that we live in. But, I cannot. War has been around probably since the beginning of time. When man looked at other men and decided they were different they must die. That when man looked at the animals roaming the land and they feared so they killed. When man looked at the food on the other mans place and envied so the other man died so he could be fed.
I sit in my cocoon in this world. I have everything that I can possibly want. I have worked hard and long for it. I am sure many people envy it. Some would even possibly kill for it. I go through life looking forward, still dreaming, and still believing. Afraid that if I fall into the mindset of the world at war, that I will become just like them. Someone who is mindless and hates, who will kill for differences, who refuses to listen because I am hardened.
Today I cried as the despair of the world hit me and I realized that all my life I have hoped for peace and that the dream is but a dream for man cannot help but hate. But, still I hope and do not give into despair. For if but one person can go through life and take the time to smile, take a deep breath and apologize when anger explodes, and can learn to love even when someone hurts you maybe, just maybe there will be one less war.
