As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Max Ehrmann, Desiderata
The above is the second line in American businessman Max Ehrmann's famous 1920s prose poem Desiderata, nothing less than a guide to living. Line number one, which I've discussed three years ago on this blog, leads directly into it: "Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence." In today's stressful and divided era of pandemic, economic crisis, social injustice and fractured electoral politics these opening lines are more relevant than ever. I'm not here to preach them to others but instead bring them up primarily to remind myself where my priorities need to be. It's easy for me to watch the news, gather the information and mentally process it all to come up with what I think are the correct solutions and reactions. However, other people behave and speak in ways that I find indicative of denial and false narrative...how could they be so selfish and foolish?! Yet I stand in community with many of them and should, as Ehrmann stressed, work to maintain...without sacrificing my beliefs and personal responses...their good will in the face of stark differences between us. I'm finding this increasingly difficult to do...it seems as if a creeping madness is settling over our society and that too many of us have decided to let a select few do our own reasoning for us...
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