Today Is The Day Designated To Remember Both The Terror And Devastation Of The Holocaust And Those Who Chose To Be Heroes In The Midst Of Those Very Circumstances. While Remembering The Worst Of Us As Humans Is Important…Those Who Don’t Know Their History Are Doomed…You Know The Rest. Simon Wiesenthal Has The Following Quote Attributed To Him…“There Is No Denying That Hitler And Stalin Are Alive Today… They Are Waiting For Us To Forget, Because This Is What Makes Possible The Resurrection Of These Two Monsters.” I Try Not To Be Irritated By Simple And Stupid People Who Bandy Hitler And Horror About Trying To Boost The Weight Of Their Irritation, But It Does Still Seem To Cheapen The Actual History, Which Makes It Appear More Likely We Will See Their Return Sooner Than We Would Like. But I Ain’t Gonna Do Nuthin’ ‘Bout That.
What I Have Always Liked About This Particular Designated Day Is The Purposeful Move Past Just The Ugly And Into What We Can Be As Human Beings. I’m Always Stunned How Often The Worst The World Has To Offer Triggers Some If Not Many To Rise Not Just Above Their Environs But Above Themselves. I May Well Be The Only Lazy, Self-Centered Person In The World…If So, Ignore The Rest Of This. But If Your Inner World In Some Ways Resembles Mine You May Agree It Seems Like Heroes Are Driven By Darkness In The World Around Them. Maybe The Comics (Sorry…Graphic Novels) Have It Right To Some Degree. I Have Not Completed Any Heroic Quests In My Life But The Times Here And There Where I Have Been Able To Get Past My Own Nose And Step Out Of My Comfort Zone I Have Been Propelled Mostly By Something Ugly Or Distasteful.
While For Me, The Global Pandemic And Sheltering In Place Aren’t In The Same State, Let Alone Ballpark From What I Understand Of The Horrors Of War And The Dehumanizing Devastation Of The Holocaust. But Like Most Of Us, I Wasn’t There For WWII Or Involved In Any Of The More Recent Wars And Conflicts. All I Know Is Where I Am Now. How The World Is Now. Good And Bad. Ugly And Beautiful. I Am Also Acutely Aware Of My Choice As To Who And What I Want To Be In The Midst Of This World. The Awareness Doesn’t Always Make Me Happy. I Wish I Was More Consistent At Choosing The Higher Road. But I’m Often Trying To Be More Like How I Would Like To See Myself. I Hope That’s The Reason I Don’t Despair Much About The Many Terrible Things In The World, I’ve Seen Them Create The Most Amazing Things In So Many People And Have In Smaller Ways Been Driven By It Myself. Bring It On. I’ll Mostly Try To Do My Best.
How ‘Bout You?
