This I Believe...

One of my favorite things to do has always been to browse in bookstores and to read random materials that I happen upon. Oftentimes, it's not just by chance that I happen upon these various novels, books, or magazines as they have been certainly and carefully placed by booksellers to stand out to willing and vulnerable readers, like myself. Today, I happened upon a book called "This I Believe" with an npr logo at the bottom of the front cover. I've often heard this radio show on npr during my morning commute, but was not so affected until reading some of the stories today. So, the question I have to ask myself is, in fact, what do I believe? What drives my worldview and my everyday interactions with the world and all of its inhabitants? If I were a better person or a stronger one, this question may not have me at a halt, but it got me thinking and wondering and searching. I don't want to jump into an answer for an answer's sake, but when it comes down to it, I think that kindness in everyday situations, good, bad, and ugly, is lacking. Understanding that every human being comes fully attached with a story, a history, a long list of joys and disappointments and experiences that have brought them where they are today is lacking. By no means do our histories excuse our present actions, but our stories certainly mediate who we were and who we are. And here I am being preachy instead of reflective of my own life. I suppose this is going to be a process in which I have to acknowledge that the lack of kindness often comes from me in my self-centeredness hidden behind an appearance of selflessness. Perhaps then, my core belief is that human beings are always in constant flux and the process of achieving things like kindness, and the hope that comes along with it, is what humanity is all about.