The world goes round and round

Round and round, Frankenhöhe Nature Park, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, October 2010,
Panasonic DMC-ZS7, Focal length 4.1mm, Exposure 1/30 sec @ f3.3, ISO 125, with flash
© Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Do you ever feel as though you are going round and round in circles? Covering the same ground, the same issues, and having a hard time seeing forward progress? I've come to observe this largely as a matter of perspective. Sometimes one needs to step back from the situation and have a look at the bigger picture.

One could say that after thousands of years of civilization, and millions of years of evolution, we still find ourselves repeatedly stymied by wars and poverty and inequality. Yes, that's true. But at the same time, here's what I also see ...

I see a world growing more interconnected than ever before, with the internet, cellular phone service, on-demand video, and safe travel options, providing the opportunity for disparate cultures to meet and learn from one another. We even have some rudimentary tools, right here on Google, to help us translate between many foreign languages.

I see our own culture shifting, imperceptibly at first, but then before you know it, reaching a tipping point, and moving us leaps and bounds away from pervasive smoking, drinking and driving, homophobia, and the like. This is really remarkable when you recall the massive political, corporate, and religious hurdles that needed to be overcome. I thik it bodes well for many of our other sticky problems.

Oh sure, you might feel we might be turning backward from this month's mid-term elections (or finally turning around to where we belong ;-) But really, these are only the turnings of a small cog in the machine called Life.

Step back. Take a deep breath. And focus on all that is beautiful and wonderous and joyful in your life and all around you.