Things That Mattered Today

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction. ~E.F. Schumacker

Another class, another discussion. It’s so fascinating to be considered knowledgeable and, well, worthy of all these topics. Globalization, terrorism, sustainability, God, good versus evil, economics, beauty, perception, logistics, ethical behavior, responsibility, nuclear power struggles, the role of family, anti-Americanism, consumption, the American dream. And more, much more! There’s so much involved and implicit and understated and understood and then so much misunderstood and overstated and foggy and illogical. Each topic dredges up so many readings…old conversations and classroom discussions…snippets of TV headlines from six, seven, eight years ago and snippets of culture by now much changed…debate, of course. Of course debate! It’s exciting, invigorating. (Even if my 8am International Relations class makes me think wistfully of my bed and my Ethics class makes my eyelids droop sometimes.) This is stuff that matters.

You know what else matters? Stepping out of class at 9:40 to find a cool, sunny world has risen. The light rendering the ivy leaves translucent and making the dew-saturated cobweb glitter. The contrast in this particular scenario, with the red brick arch framing the green leaves and the sparkling web. That matters. The chilly air and the scent of fall in the air and the thick, soft warmth of my sweatshirt on my shoulders. The comforting solidity of the oaks against the sky, and the sun bright in my eyes. The laughter I hear down the path. This matters. And the way the person in front of me holds the door matters. And it matters that out of the four people at whom I smile and say “Good morning!” three respond in kind. And the sudden desire to write something—that matters, too. These things are simple, but these things are beautiful. That’s why they matter.

I think it's because today’s world is awfully complicated and kinda scary and generally unpleasant. “I don’t think today’s news could get any more depressing,” my friend David said after class this morning. And he’s right—it’s not much fun to watch the economy deflate, the Middle East plot ways to blow itself up, and politicians accuse each other of pointless “atrocities.” Learning how undemocratic our country’s elections are…yeah. Not fun. It’s a wonderful world, but it’s not a kind one…the news makes me feel panicky and frightens me. The thing about leaves and flowers and rain boots and smiley faces and warm feet is that even when the rest of the world is tangling itself up in knots, they stay simple. It gives me hope that as long as some things stay happy and good even in the midst of all the chaos, at least something will always be ok. And hope is a really critical thing to have today, I think. Hope and faith and curiosity.

So here’s to the sun shining and the wind snapping out the flag. Maybe life’s not all good, but, you know, it’s more than good enough to be worth it.