Birthday Reflections: The thing about reaching (number too large for publication) years in life, you tend to wax philosophical whenever you add another.
I was thinking about the partisan nature of the times we live in, especially this year. In addition to the obvious ugliness of election season, people willingly participate in a great deal of “us versus them.”
In full swing at both the college and professional levels, football seems to bring with it a fiercer devotion on the part of supporters than, say, the more leisurely-paced game of baseball. I would bet altercations between opposing fans are more common near the gridiron then at the old ballpark.
Ever since the time when tribes actively competed for resources, territory, and women, human history has repeatedly retold the story groups of facing off. The Assyrians pushed around weaker bands to build Mesopotamia, while the Egyptians grew strong and ruled the North African roost for more than two millennia.
The Persians made a habit of conquering neighbors. Long before their subjugation to Rome, the Israelites went toe to toe with Ishmaelites, Hagrites, and Babylonians. Warring factions have slugged it out in both China and India since before the Common Era.
Comparatively modern cultural clashes had combatants aligned with Islam or Christianity, the Ottoman Empire, a host of European powers eager to usurp the riches and manpower of Africa and Asia, Communism, Capitalism, and the list goes on.
It seems humanity is forever spoiling for a fight, even in modern times. Some folks in my town believe the inhabitants of the next city over are arrogant elitists; some from that city consider the locals here vulgar ruffians. Even in public life, we are encouraged to blame anything we lack on some group of “others” who will take our opportunity, jobs, money, way of life, etc.
But maybe humankind could improve the collective quality of mercy by recalling a quote from, of all people, Justin Bieber.
“There was no preparing me for this life. I was thrown into this at 12 years old. … There’s been moments I’m really proud of and a lot of moments I look back and I’m pretty disappointed with myself for. But the things that I’ve done really don’t define who I am. I’m a kind-hearted person who loves people and, through it all, lost some of my best qualities. For that, I’m sorry.”
To me that surprising reflection made Bieber seem like a real person, not just some wealthy popstar jerk. And aren’t his words kind of applicable to everyone we meet?
We’ve all been thrown into this life without preparation. We all have plenty to be proud of and to be disappointed with. We can all be sorry for times when we’ve lost our best selves.
And, I like to think, most all of us are kindhearted and want to love. If that’s going to happen, we need to be more merciful with each other. Starting another trip around the sun, maybe I can borrow from Pope Francis and declare my own year of mercy.
Pat Grimes, a former South Bay resident, writes from Ypsilanti, Mich. He can be reached at grimespat19@gmail.com
