Life on Earth with People

The picture at right is a view of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil from my hotel window.

Porto Alegre

View of Porto Alegre from the Sheraton Hotel

While I can’t see it, I know that there are people…

  • Eating
  • Drinking
  • Starving
  • Sleeping
  • Walking
  • Running
  • Thinking
  • Studying
  • Talking
  • Lying
  • Cheating
  • Thinking
  • Forming opinions
  • Arguing
  • Fighting
  • Loving
  • Hating
  • Being selfish
  • Being generous
  • Building
  • Destroying
  • Parenting
  • Playing
  • Praying
  • Selling
  • Buying
  • Collaborating
  • Competing
  • Using the restroom
  • Showering
  • Bathing
  • Getting dirty
  • Washing dishes
  • Serving food
  • Serving drinks
  • Having sex
  • Wishing they were having sex
  • Being sick
  • Being injured
  • Healing
  • Committing crimes
  • Paying for crimes committed
  • Suffering from crimes committed
  • In comfort
  • In misery
  • and on and on …

All of these things and more are happening in any significantly populated area pretty much any minute of any day.  Many of these things we consider to be good.  Many of these things we don’t consider to be good.  On many of these things we might not agree if they’re good or bad.  The complexity is enormous, but this is what “normal” is for people everywhere on the planet.

To me this is awe inspiring and humbling. The hubris and arrogance of thinking that I’m somehow better than anyone else becomes particularly absurd.  I’m luckier in some ways,  less lucky in others, but better?  By what measure? It is a gift to be able to play a role for a while.

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