Death and Living Life

On a little bit of a side note: First of all, I do believe that everyone has a right to their opinion. Think what you want to think and if someone asks you a question or you get into a conversation, feel free to share. But what really annoys me is when people use things such as facebook to vent their feelings on a matter and use their status to plead an argument. This really bothered me during the elections as well! What is the point in forcing your opinions on others? If they care, they'll ask you and I doubt your "status" is going to change anyone else's mind. When something major happens in the world, it is going to be all over the news. If you are sick of hearing about it, then turn it off. If you are so offended at Michael Jackson's elaborate funeral, then why are you watching it? It seems that people just want an excuse to gripe about something. Do we really just want to be heard? Do we just want to feel like our opinion matters to someone...anyone?

I was thinking about the idea of "celebrity" and why it's so fascinating. When I was watching the interview with Michael Jackson, he was basically saying how much he disliked it. To speak of, he had no childhood. He would often cry when he had to go to rehearsal because he just wanted to play. He had no friends. As an adult he really tried to protect himself from the public eye, as well as his children - and it was definitely to an extreme. The bad thing is that we, the public, do this to "celebrities". We place them on a pedastool, when really, they are normal people. They may have a public profession, but they are just like us (except much wealthier!). I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like. I cannot comprehend having people follow me around with cameras, watching my every move, basically waiting for me to screw something up so everyone can talk about it in tomorrow's paper. They cannot do normal things, such as go out to a restaurant or to the grocery store. Why do we think it's our right to know and really, why do we even care? I think what it boils down to is that these are people that have fame and fortune. To us, it seems intriguing and maybe we sometimes even fantasize what it would be like. And maybe, when they screw up, it makes us feel like they really are just like us...and then we don't feel so insignificant. And honestly, I don't think it's just with celebrities. I think its with people in general. No one wants to feel alone. Nobody wants to feel like no one understands what they are going through. I think we just want someone that we can relate to. I think death can be intriguing because it shows us that life truly is precious and is a gift. No matter what happens - no matter how joyous and no matter how hard life can get, we have no control over what tomorrow holds.

I was in the nail salon today, and in walked this older woman who intrigued me from the get go. She walked through the door (actually, almost danced through the door) full of confidence. She was obviously a regular there and walked right in giving out hugs. What I also noticed about her is she had a cloth over her throat and appeared to be whispering. But, she was not whispering - she had no voice. I realized then that she had her voice box removed and soon enough she pulled out that vibrating tool that helps her to speak. As she was getting her nails done, she got into a conversation with the technician doing her nails. They were just small talking about their life and kids. I overheard her say she had a son. The technician asked her why she never had any other children. She paused for a brief moment and said that she had a two year old daughter that was killed in a car accident over 40 years ago. I could tell that immediately the nail technician felt bad she asked, but the older woman was gracious and continued on with her story. I was kind of surprised the technician then began asking specific questions as to what happened. The lady said that her ex-husband was driving the car and it flipped. Apparently he was intoxicated and the girl wasn't in the carseat properly and I think she died on the spot. The whole time I was watching this woman tell her story and you could tell it still pained her to talk about. She went on to talk about other parts of her life and I could go on and on..but basically she has led a hard life. What impacted me about her is though she had every reason to feel insecure and sorry for herself as I'm sure she gets lots of stares - she didn't notice (or rather, didn't care). People in the salon were staring at her the whole time she was there. She had every reason to let life get the best of her - but she didn't. That woman had a spring in her step and laughter in her heart. She was so kind, gracious, and warm. As I sat there getting my nails done, I wanted to cry listening to her story. I was incredibly moved at how she has gone on with her life. So all that to say, she was the perfect example of someone that lived her life for today.

So my two examples... there is Michael Jackson, a man who according to the world's standards had it all. He had fame and fortune. I don't know what it was like to be him, but from the way he lived his adult life and hearing some of his interviews, he appeared to be a man living with a lot of pain in his heart. And there is the woman from the nail salon. A woman that no one knows, and one that I will probably never see again. She also dealt with a lot of pain. In the end, the two are no different. They are just two people that have lived...just like me, just like you. We are all different in that we have different experiences, but we are all the same in that we are all just people. I think what makes the difference is how we live and what we choose to do with the circumstances that come about.

So as I write this, it makes me wonder how I want to live my life and what I want to do with the things I have been given. It makes me thankful for the many blessings God has given me, and challenges me to be better. It makes me want to cherish the moments more and live life to it's fullest potential. It makes me want to hug my boys and tell everyone I love them. It makes me want to laugh. It makes me want to focus on the things that really matter, instead of getting caught up in the insignificant things that can consume my time. It makes me want to love deeper. It makes me want to praise God. It makes me thankful... humbled... and hopeful.