Hope and Fear

Thirty-three years ago, after an exhausting delivery I held my first-born in my arms. Overcome with joy and love, I not only thought about that moment, but all hope and promise for his future.  Without the potentiality of a positive future, I suspect that we would not choose to bring children into this world void of hope.  Without hope; we live in fear.

The fearful lurk infecting others with their propaganda.  The undying optimist (at least I try to persist with this perspective), I choose hope.  Is it irresponsible of me to remain as grounded as I can be for the present moment?  My answer is no because the future is influenced by the present.  There are periods of time when I do not watch the news.  As for reading material, I choose what I read; feeding myself essays, philosophy, memoir and poetry.  

Sometimes, glimpses of guilt grip me because I am not an activist, nor do I engage in political discussions because it is divisive.   I am reminded of this quote by Gandhi: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.” 

On the other hand, it is naive of me to think that anyone's individual decisions or how they choose to conduct themselves on this planet could change the world.  However, collectively we have the capability of positively influencing others creating a wave of change.  Is that not what hope is?

Last night our youngest announced he intends to enlist in the Army. He wants to be a sniper. He foresees World War III. Has he lost hope?