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Thursday, May 5, 2022

A thousand thousand

1,000,000. 

One thousand THOUSAND. Ten thousand HUNDRED. 

One MILLION. How can I not write? How can the nation, the world, simply shrug at the loss of so many.

Each ONE an individual. Loved, cherished, now missed by those left to wonder. Why? 

God forbid, now that we’ve passed the one million mark, we’re on our way to two thousand thousands. None of us knows what the future holds. The Serenity Prayer, for those so inclined, suggests accepting the things we cannot change, having the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. If Serenity is the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled it would seem we have failed on all counts. One of my dear friends from work always aspired to finding ‘True North’ and would take senior management to task when they failed to steer the organization in the right direction. Back then there  seemed to be a commonly shared understanding of what was right and what was wrong but in today’s world where do we turn to seek that common wisdom? 

The definition of Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement. It would seem today’s world has but two of the three. Experience we have in spades, knowledge too (or at least data) we have in ample supply. Good Judgement? Not so much. And yet we are so quick to pass judgement on those around us. I for one am guilty as charged, for in the lack of good judgement, what else do we do? 

The first mention in my blog of that dreaded five letter word, COVID, occurred March 8th just two short, but oh so long, years ago. Back then no one knew, no one would have believed, that we would lose so many. Yet here we are. Here. We. Are. I’m reminded of the words of a man from long, long ago who once implored his fellow man to “highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain”. Words that’s still resonate through the ages, at least for those who will listen. And remember.