A Time of Innocence

One thing that stands out in my mind about the time in which I grew up is how innocent we all were- I mean not just us kids, but everything seemed a little more innocent- our teachers, strangers, just about everyone. As a child growing up I have little to no memory of hearing any real "bad" news. Events that by today's standards we would call "mundane", were pretty big back when I was a kid. People seemed to respect each other and their property- a much different picture that what we see today.

Over the years I've thought on this and tried to pinpoint the event in time that changed everything. When did we go from an innocent, caring society of people to a world filled with hate and violence, and this notion that no one can be trusted? Is it really that all people have gone to the dogs, or maybe the "powers-that-be" that disseminate what we see and hear only want us to see and hear the negative? If I had to guess I would choose the latter. Somewhere deep in my soul I still believe that most people are decent, caring, generous, God-fearing good people who care about the environment, they care about their community and they care about each other.

I may counted as odd, but I would rather find the good in people than be wary of everyone that I meet. I try and bring a smile to the faces of the sad and lonely wherever I go. I try and help those who can't find the strength to help themselves. A friend of mine wrote a song many years back called "Is Anybody Happier?" The first stanza of the song has a powerful message in it and it reads:

"Is anybody happier because you passed their way?

Does anyone remember that you spoke to them today?

The day is almost over child- it's toiling time is through.

Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?"

I can honestly say that I try and live my life by the suggestions in this song to make every possible moment count while we're here on Earth. I have found that it's so much easier to be nice and smile than to be mean and negative. It takes up way too much energy living with all that baggage- why do that to ourselves? I hope that each one of us can try in our own little way to bring a little bit of Heaven back to Earth each and every day we live, and maybe we can bring a little bit of the innocence back that has been taken from us so many years ago.