Binary thinking

Well, it's been a good week for bad news close to home.  The kind of stuff that leaves you thinking things like, "what is this world coming to." and "what a bunch of savages in this town."  Now I know this is a common theme nationally recently and as in the past, recent events have made me contemplate finding a cave in the mountains to live in and leave society behind.  It can seem pretty bleak and one can feel that there isn't much a regular Joe or Jane can do to make things better.  However recently a quotation shed some light onto my dark thoughts.  “I used to think I was gonna change the world. Now I just let people onto the freeway.”  I read this line in this blog article, and it settled into my psyche like warm coco in your stomach.  Because it's not the grand gestures or marvelous acts that are going to save us.  It's the little things we can all do.  The small kindnesses. The easy ways we can all be a better neighbors, citizens, people that are going to ripple out and make a difference.  I can be grumpy and downright anti-social at times but I'm making a point to let people merge in traffic.  Because there is a voice in my mind that tells me, 'you're gonna be late' or ' you were here first, they'll need to wait their turn'  and I used to listen to this voice often.  But I've realized that everyone listens to this voice and that is why it seems that, in general, people don't seem to give two shits about each other.  It's rationalized insensitivity. Well I'm tired of thinking along those lines.  I've realized that I'm not going to solve the world's food crisis or save the rainforest, but I am going to stop and see if someone needs help when their car is broken down, or just say hi to people I pass on the street.  And you know what not only will it help that person and make them feel better but it will make me feel better, too.