Letters

June 6

Dear Mean People,

We're all in this together. Why do you have to be mean?

I try not to judge. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I try steer clear of things that aren't any of my business. But some things are my business, because some things are every body's business. Like the results of mean people being mean.

I like to imagine what the world might be like if there weren't people killing people, or hurting children, or beating up their wives, or fighting wars over imaginary lines in the dirt, or kicking dogs, or having road rage, or yelling at checkout people who sometimes get backed up and have to go slow, or laughing at people who look/act/think different, or hating people because their skin is a different color, or telling people who have to pee that they are in the wrong bathroom, or telling lies, or honking their horn at slow drivers,  or shooting animals, or walking by a homeless person without looking, or drinking too much then driving a car, or stealing, or not telling people their water has been poisoned, or making cows and pigs and chickens live in pens too small for them, or breaking promises to veterans so they think suicide is their best solution, or caring more about getting elected than working for the common good, or ignoring global warming, or throwing garbage in the ocean?

What if people said "hello, how are you" more and "fuck you" less? What if people asked, "can I help" more and ignored less? What if people waved hello more and gave the finger less? What if fields of wildflowers covered more space and asphalt parking lots less? What if people danced more and drove less, sang more and shouted less? What if people slept more and stressed less? What if people prayed more and whined less?

What if people put down their phones and asked "how was your day"? What if children didn't go to school hungry or cold?  What if hugs were used for currency instead of dollar bills? What if politicians traded workable solutions for all instead of barbs.  What if we got to know our neighbor before we went to their funeral? What if we all got as excited for our fellow man's successes as two young Indian spelling bee champions? What if we all said a prayer for healing when we see an ambulance go whizzing by? What if policemen didn't need guns? What if handshakes replaced bullets? What if blessings replaced curses?What if we all sang like South African firefighters before tackling a really hard job?

What if I said I love you more? What if I listened better? What if I said I'm sorry more?  What if I said yes more. What if I said I like it when you smile, sing, rinse out the sink, empty the trash instead of being mad when it doesn't happen? What if I said we more than I? What if I remember the good times and forgive the rest? What if I stop pointing a finger at mean people and start being nice myself?

What if?
Merry ME