Life is full of mystery.

And it seems that human kind is driven to find answers. It’s the “Whats” that help us look for definitions. The “Wheres” point us to physical locations and the site of our objective. “Whens” give us a context in time. We try to attach specific people to particular beliefs or activities with the “Whos.” And it is the “Whys” that push us to gain understanding.

I’ve spent most of my life trying to make sense out of what I have seen and heard. Often, I made pronouncements as though I had answers. But my personal truth is that there are only a few things that I am “sure” about. Most everything else is still running around in my mind. During my waking hours, I ponder and roll ideas and questions around in an effort to find some weak spot, some crack that I can break into so that the center – the Truth – is revealed. In my dreams, my mind seeks to put things together; seeks to weave a tapestry from the disparate events of the day so that a complete, sensible picture can emerge.

A lot of my search has been triggered by unusual people or events, but more often than not, I have been nudged by some slight observation made during what could be thought of as a mundane day:

Why is that particular tree gnarled in just the right way to conjure up a face?

What is that squirrel thinking when he stands on his back feet and stares off into the distance with that new-found peanut sticking out of his mouth? I can count to ten or more while he stands, zen-like on the big tree route without even twitching.

Where do those white fluffy clouds go when they spread out and get thinner and thinner until they seem to disappear?

But then, sometimes, I watch the TV news. So much violence and hatred. Why are some people so hostile? Some would ask: “Is it nature or nurture?” What was responsible? Am I at fault in some way in contributing to their misery so that they become hateful? Or am I an innocent bystander just witnessing their turmoil?

And why isn’t there more in the news about the good stuff going on? Is there something about the negative energy being displayed in our society that draws crowds of watchers, listeners? Oh, I know it has a lot to do with selling things (that’s a topic for another day), but why, oh why can’t we sell things with positive stories instead?

Okay, so this is turning into something rambling. I’m sure I’m not the only person to be dismayed by today’s society and its attendant focus on the negative. It often seems like the “good” has been dropped and we’re left with the “bad” and the “ugly.” No wonder so many of my friends have stopped watching the news… or any TV. They tell me they can’t take it anymore and have just tuned out that part of life.

And I understand. I, too, want to escape all the ugliness. But then I find myself peeking. Maybe I’ll be able to see something that will explain what’s going on. Just maybe…