LIFE CAN BE ROUGH

Life can be brutal.  One only has to remember the recent events at Sandy Hook or the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  Of course, there was 9/11 and a host of similar events.  Brutal, unfair, random, and even horrific are all words which can describe life at times.

Awhile back, I heard a character on some television program say something to the effect that he was to the point where “life is taking back more than it’s giving”.  Most of us who have reached a certain age can relate.

All my grandparents are gone; so are my parents, all my aunts, and uncles.  Memories of them are fading. I now have more loved ones who aren’t here than those who are.

There are times we can see the end coming for someone we love, and have time to do what we can to “prepare”.  Other times, the end comes with such suddenness that it can take our breath away.  

For some of us; when we were young, our introduction to loss came through the passing of a pet; dog, cat, goldfish, the loss hurt for a while but we moved on.  Normally the really tough stuff comes later.

As life picks-up speed, loved ones get negative diagnoses, and pass away.  We or others we know lose jobs, and sometimes homes. Random, senseless acts of violence invade our sense of wellbeing.  It all takes a silent toll. We can, on a certain level, become accustomed to it all.

Move to the “third” world where the majority of earth’s population lives, and life gets a lot tougher. Thousands of children die every day from unsafe drinking water, and preventable diseases. Places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, and Cambodia have seen the horrors of war visited upon the civilian population, young and old alike. 

Recently, a friend of mine read Ten Days and I asked her what she thought about it.  Her countenance fell a bit and she said; “It’s sad”.  She then continued and said; “It’s about loss.”

Among other topics, Ten Days, is about loss.  Why would I write about such a depressing topic? It costs me a certain amount of readership.  Loss is a part of life. We each choose to approach the topic or ignore it in our own way.

As an author/writer, I’ve chosen to give “voice” to the topic.  My intent with all that I write is not to discourage or depress, but rather encourage my readers (and myself) to think.  We seem to live in a time where critical thinking skills are diminished by pat answers, entertainment driven life styles, and sound bites. I long for something more, and think there are “X” number of readers looking for the sam