Perception, beauty and the battle for the eye of the beholder

Nothing is permanent.
Absolutely not a single thing (maybe love, but that’s an esoteric debate for another column).
Not anyone, place, thing, nor situation, even.
We’ve lost sight of this.
Injustices–both perceived and real, are also temporary.
But nobody takes time out to breathe.
And they should.
But how can we breathe when we feel so much is at stake?
We’re too interested in maintaining a fevered pitch, concerned beyond natural reason with righting perceived wrongs, and in the process diluting the pool of causes so much that we only assure apathy sets in once again, whether we like it or not.
There are natural and artificial checks and balances we must trust in.
The Republic is not crumbling
Many rational people occasionally suffer from emotions clouding their judgment. I include myself in this group.
The big difference, however, is that over the years, I’ve learned knee-jerk reactions are not typically the best response, especially those that feature a good heaping of anger atop the festivities.
The problem with anger is that even in the most well-intentioned scenarios, it inevitably will fade (but not before it wreaks havoc). This is because we’re not robots. Nor are we infused with Artificial Intelligence.

I’m not suggesting we adopt Mr. Spock-like attitudes.
What I am recommending, is that we take a page out of the book of that great, modern-day philosopher quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers, and R-E-L-A-X.
We let our emotions take over
When we do, our fears come to the forefront and consume our thinking and action.
We’re very vulnerable in these moments.
We seek strength in solidarity, even if it’s only the half of us and not the whole.
I suck.
You suck.
We all suck.
My point of view is wrong.
Your point of view is wrong.
And all of our points of view are wrong.

So, if we look at current events objectively, we can easily conclude that in one way or another, we all suck. Subsequently, our views, when considered by their sum and not their parts, are all wrong, too.

For how can half be right and the other half wrong?
No matter what side of the line you’re on, you’re wrong and right simultaneously.
The beauty of our country is that dissenting voices are heard and not quashed.
We have the right to peaceably assemble, to bring awareness to our causes.
At the end of any protest, however, must be the conviction that you did the best you could to muster sympathizers with your objectives:

• You might have created petitions to be signed
• You may have signed up people to receive literature to learn more about what you’re trying to accomplish

If you do all of this I salute you.
If you were rude or hateful in the process, I do not.
Human frailty precludes overall greatness in each of us. We all have our shortcomings.

Mr. Rodgers thought the Packers could run the table this year after a less than stellar beginning.
They had an impressive run, but in the end, ravaged with injuries, a better team beat them out to go on to the Super Bowl.
We all need a little help from time to time. Let’s not forget that.
Help yourself.
More importantly, help someone else.
That is the mark of greatness. Not the desperate, futile action that is trying to change someone’s mind to your way of thinking.
Speaking of thinking…
Think about a happy medium.
For compromise is the action both sides of an argument inevitably can agree upon.