Shalt Not Kill

Today I saw an on-line article with a photograph showing an execution chair with sandbags, a leather helmet and restraints. It was one that holds a prisoner condemned to capital punishment by firing squad. The picture did more than disturb me and I began writing a blog to express my horror as a progressively minded human being. I wrote a rather embittered piece decrying the warped legal minds that could possibly consider this kind of thing in this kind of age of so-called enlightenment. The writing was acidic and horrified and made me feel worse just writing about it. And then I thought, whoa here! What is this photo and the accompanying article trying to do to me, the reader? It was doing exactly what the writer hoped it would. It got my attention and my blood up on something about which I could do absolutely nothing and about which I was left horrified and depressed by an image that would stay with me for some time. I deleted what I wrote and when I did, somehow I felt much more positive and even lighter, certainly more at peace. I don't know about you, but at the end of my day, I want to try and find some kind of goodness in our society, in these times of great scientific progress and profound humanity despite the media's constant onslaught presenting the worst events they can find. I want to believe that the vast majority of us love our families and find personal harmony in our daily lives. We want to be reminded of these things and there isn't enough of it in the news reports. I decided not to write about the horror I felt in that image, but about what is worth holding on to: truth, beauty and goodness. And there is plenty of it out there. Instead of going to the sites on television and in other forms of media and opting into the negativity, I wanted to search for the good things that people do: their creative works, their acts of mercy and kindness, their compassion for those who are ignored or spurned. There are such tales to be found even though most news reports are about wars and crime and hatred. You can find the rare ones that restore hope in our world. It's not easy and certainly many forms of the "social media" definitely cannot be considered uplifting. But we can do our own "reality shows" and look at those around us and take heart. And even if we are alone, we can get out the old family photos to enjoy. Others may turn off all the electronics and sit with family to play a game or just chat about what we did that day. We can ask our mate to take a walk with us or read something together such as poetry and discuss it. We can make every attempt to find positive topics and  tales to read and tell. Remembering the good times is pleasurable. There are so many of them and they don't cost a cent. What's a "cent", Mommy?