World Peace

I have a dear friend who is afraid to let her child play with another child who has immigrated from Africa. She's afraid of unknown, unseen diseases that could have come here from Africa -even though she knows full well that anyone immigrating is thoroughly screened for any type of health issues. We can only change the world one person at a time, not through division but through unity; the answer lies through education.

Monday is September 11th, five years to the day when all of our lives changed forever. Some of us have learned about ourselves from that day and have changed our lives for the better, some of us have not yet learned to move on, or to forgive.... even ourselves.... We must all remember that we all are on this planet together, for better or for worse. I choose better.... how about you?

As an undergraduate student I attended a college that stressed diversity in each and every class. At the time I wondered what could possibly be so interesting about so much diversity. I had an opportunity yesterday to see true diversity brought to life, people from all walks of life, ethnic groups and geographic locations come together to unite in a common goal.... our children... our future. As we approach this marker on Monday I'd like us all to remember that diversity comes in many shapes and sizes....

I have another friend that once told me the quickest way to achieve world peace would be for aliens to attack planet earth. He said that the KKK would recruit black people faster than you could say "world peace" and they would fight side by side with them to repel the new enemy. I think he has a valid hypothesis- but I also think that there's a flaw in his thinking. The underlying cause of racism and hate would be turned away from it's original target, not defeated. Which brings me full circle to Monday, September 11th.

We as a people, the human race, will live together on this planet- as we choose- until we get it right. In my mind the answer to world peace is education. I have a dear friend who once taught a lesson to a group of tired, burnt out graduate students. It was near the end of a very long semester when most of us were working and going to school- fulltime. For those of you who have done this, with children, you will understand our motivation level in listening to any sort of presentation by our fellow students was very low. Until my girlfriend taught her lesson on world peace. All the visuals, books and props she brought in that night don't matter now, what you need to know is this... world peace begins right here, right now. In your living room, in your classroom, in your neighborhood. If we all achieve world peace in our own way the ripple effect will be staggering. One child, one adult, one person at a time. It doesn't matter if that person is black, white or middle eastern. We are all people, a collective soul, a collective universe of our own making if you will. Through acceptance, friendship and remembrance...

We will never forget, but we can forgive.... and move on.... one soul at a time.

The essence....