Simply Truth

1/6/2015

The Lay of the Land

By Lyn Messersmith

Simply Truth

            We took a time out over Christmas. Ran away to a mountain cabin with relatives and relatives of relatives for three days, ate well, laughed a lot, expressed appreciation of one another, and refrained from second guessing politics. Well, I had better qualify that last statement. My son and his father in law declared they had solved all the world’s problems in the hot tub while recovering from an afternoon of skiing, but the rest of us weren’t party to the discussion.

            The TV was tuned to Nebraska’s game, and those that watched ended up pleased, but a couple of folks hadn’t even heard of the Mall of America shutdown, and didn’t take much interest in hearing about it when someone mentioned that bit of news. Sometimes you just need to ignore the hullaballoo and relax.

            The thing about a time out is this. You always have to get back in the game and take your chances on the outcome. We’re off and running now, into 2016, and the political issues are heating up. Some of us just want to bury our heads and go back to bed until the mess is over. Others want to argue with anyone who will participate. (Kind of reminds you of the candidates, doesn’t it?) Of course, neither option is productive or helpful. 

            It’s hard not to become cynical or just plain scared, when we hear of riots, protests, shootings and disruptions. The notion that such atrocities can’t happen here has long been disproved, and much as we might wish to help heal our society, it’s hard to imagine what one person can do to resolve the unrest.

            We were discussing these matters on the way home from our reprieve, perhaps in an effort to transition back into reality, when a billboard outside Hot Springs, South Dakota caught our attention.

            “All Lives Matter,” was the headline. Underneath were three words, and three pictures. 

            “Protect,” alongside a baby in the womb.

            “Teach,” with pictures of school aged children.

            “Honor,” beside a group of gray haired elders. 

I’ve no idea who, or what organization, may have sponsored that sign, but I can’t stop thinking about it. And that’s a good thing. I hope it makes some people question their attitudes. That others might draw their children into a conversation about it, and that more of us find creative ways to express values of hope and integrity.

Hope is alive and well, although we may need to hunt a bit harder for it these days. Chatting with a teenager who was working the ski concessions on Christmas Day, Bruce mentioned it was too bad she had to work on a holiday.

“Oh, no,” she said. “Somebody has to do it. And besides, look at all these happy people I get to be around.”

There are questions to be answered here. Do I protect, teach, and honor? Am I one of those happy people? Are you? If not, why not? It’s not rocket science, and for any of us who are confused, there are plenty of examples. Some are even teenagers.