Shallower or Deeper?

The surface is where the crowd lingers

swimming in the sun

but what lies below the image of perfection

a sea of calm reflected in the sun going down

to where the garbage of years has been thrown

where the solutions for the future still linger

will I dive into the reality underwater

or will I remain on the beach of pleasant darkness

will I take the strokes toward something deeper

or will I stay on the fantasy island of all the things I wish were true

my heart pounds out rhythms of decision in my chest

I am taking a breath

I am licking my lips

staring at the blackened surface

***

Many of the things we see in media are exaggerated or enhanced to get attention. They are also simplified. If only everyone takes their medication, all our problems will be solved! All those people in that group are the same and they are all enemies! If we could only force everyone to be the same, we wouldn’t have conflict!

Dramatic and exaggerated situations are fine if you are in the entertainment business. However, real life is often more complex. Have you ever seen a group of humans where everyone was exactly the same?

For example the Canadian truckers convoy in the news these days featured indigenous dancers and one of the organizers is a Metis woman. Yet, the event is portrayed as a white supremacist protest.

Are white supremacists there? Probably. Yet, they are not the only ones at the rally. To truly understand the situation, we need to consider not just the most sensational elements of it, but the whole picture. Can we truly understand something just by watching a 60 second video clip?

Easy answers can’t give us more than band aid solutions. If we want real solutions, we have to first get an understanding of the real situation.

Simple minded thinking can’t solve complex problems. Let’s not settle for the easiest answer. Let’s be people who search for deeper truth…even if it hurts.