I tried to write this last week, and somehow I forgot to do so before I got all drugged up to have my wisdom teeth out. Oh well, I'm back at it. I thought maybe this thought would pass, but I just have to get it out there.
My last post was about the flower that pushed through the bushes and made the landscaping so much more enjoyable, even if it was out of place. Well let me tell you! I posted that on Thursday. Friday morning the flower was gone. Gone. No more petals. The center of the flower remained. The rest... The other flowers of the same kind were still growing in the neighborhood. White ones. Purple ones. They greeted me happily through fences in other backyards. But my fierce friend? Gone too soon. I couldn't help but think of all the journalists that are silenced by similar happenings. It was almost time for the flower to go away. Almost. If it had the company of more blossoms. If it was part of a group, maybe it would have survived like the others. But it was just alone. Destroyed by its beauty and singularity. And doesn't that happen to the voices that speak up against the powers that surround them? I know a bit of a horticulture stretch. But I love analogies. How often do are people silenced, or even silence themselves, because if they speak of the singularity and beauty, it will be taken away? I do not have an exact answer for this. I look to history. Think about how many times we heard of governments that wouldn't allow for freedom of speech. Even in modern times, we see this happening. We see parties controlling what is being said to the public. We know it happens. I simply wonder, what is the cost? In America, the cost is more of inconveniences and struggling to get others to see truth. In other countries, it is literally people's lives. If a man speaks out, will they kill him? Maybe. It would be more likely that they slowly make is life unbearable. Kids kicked out of school. Losing a much needed job. Family persecuted. Life taken bit by bit. I know it is incomparable, but when I saw the flower gone, I thought, "Did I do that? Did I kill that flower by bringing it to the attention of the world?" I didn't. I know the owner didn't read my blog and go pick the petals off. No, that wasn't the case. But what if it did? What if my writings held such power that pieces of life could be taken away. That is never my intention. My hope, as always, is to encourage, challenge, and help us all grow in this crazy life we have. I hope that no one would use my words in a way to destroy, but we know there are powers in this world that are always against us. When the time comes, are we ready to speak? Even if it means something else might suffer? Are we willing to discuss topics that maybe aren't part of the crowd? We are given one shot at life. We are given one chance to make an impact. We are given thought and voice. What are we using them for?
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AuthorI have a lot to say about a lot of things. Archives
May 2023
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