The End?

The world is not going to end tomorrow.

Every day I have to struggle to keep my mind focused on the fact that today isn't the last one. From early childhood I was raised to expect Jesus's return at any minute. Today I am constantly reminded by the media, self help gurus, and various products to "live today like there is no tomorrow". Well fuck that. There is going to be a tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

  A couple of weeks ago on a lazy Sunday morning spent with my daughters and my girlfriend, someone knocked on my door. I grew up in the country and have recently moved into the "city"(population 1,500), so I get a little edgy every time someone knocks on my door. I told my kids to take the dog out back and sit down and be quiet (I told you I get edgy). I opened it to find two of the nicest looking senior citizens you could imagine. Right away I thought "Oh boy, here it comes". I greeted them with a "Good morning".

 The lady started with, "Good morning. I would like to talk to you a little bit if you have some time."

  I just sat there and listened for a bit. "Have you noticed that the word seems to keep getting worse? With the wars and politicall unrest. God has a plan, and I would like to discuss it with you."

I stopped her, "Ma'am, I appreciate what your trying to do here, but my beliefs aren't going to agree with yours. I appreciate what your doing. Please by all means keep it up. Have a great day." At that point I closed the door. They left smiling and waving. All in all a good exchange. I politely expressed my opinion to them without being rude or discouraging to them. I felt pretty good that my kids heard me be such a good example. (Yea Me!)

 After they left I was disturbed by how she started the conversation. Is the world getting worse? I have always felt that the world is neither getting worse or better. The progress that media and social networks have had in the past couple of decades are just making all the bad news more accessible. The main thing I remind myself is the universe is huge, and we are nothing compared to the size and scope of the world. Our time here is short, the amount of space we take up is small, and the importance we have is nothing in the grand scheme.

 There are constants. People are capable of terrible horrors to each other, and on the other side we are capable of exceptional good. This has been the case from the very begining when we developed cognitive thought. It will always be so until we evolve into something that isn't so petty. Starving children in Africa, Terrorists in Iraq, and flash mobs in Cleveland do not affect me. There are things that do effect me, but I can't do anything about. There always will be. I am not in control of anything but my own actions.

 I have to live my life in a way that makes me happy, and makes my children better people. I am example to them. My daughters are going to use my ex-wife's and my behavior as a blue print to create their own. I can't control my ex, but I can control my portion of that blue print. I know that the world is not going to end tomorrow.  Will I be here tomorrow? I don't know. I could die in a car crash on my way home today, but I'm not going to let that remote possibility change how I live today. I am going to live each day like there is going to be a thousand tomorrows for me. I'm gonna make plans, goals, and dream a little every day. I don't expect any of them to come true, but it's fun. If I expect the world to end, I will stop being the person that I need to be for my daughters. I want them to have hope in themselves and to learn nothing instant is going to make them happy.

Here for now,
Tommy