Cruel to Be Kind?

August is approaching fast, and I can't help but wonder what happened to summer. Although this is easily the shortest summer I have ever experienced, it has been one of the most personally educational. I'd like to think of myself as somewhat of an optimist - reminding myself of the Law of Attraction and smiling no matter how I'm feeling. Unfortunately, this has been an incredibly difficult task over the past month due to the fact that I have discovered what truly horrible creatures human beings can be. Truly horrible.

Cruelty just seems to be in human nature, it's nothing new. The opening scene of the 1970's horror flick "Carrie" makes this terribly apparent. A young Carrie White, played by Sissy Spacek, begins her period in the girls' locker room while showering. Raised in an extremely religious household, Carrie was never educated on sex or the body and thinks there is something horribly wrong with her when she sees the menstruation. She screams and runs to her classmates for help, but instead of setting Carrie straight on what is happening to her body, they berate her, tease her, and throw a plethora of feminine products at her while backing her into a corner. It's possibly one of the cruelest scenes I've ever seen.

The clip from "Carrie" is just one example of most human beings lack of understanding. So often, we fail to see the other side of the story - we fail to try and understand or even care. In our selfish existence, how often do we stop to take a step back and look at the entire situation? Why is it always so important that every situation is taken personally and blown out of proportion? There are more important things in life.

Throughout the film, few characters attempt to help Carrie and her situation. Unfortunately, their efforts go practically unnoticed - overshadowed by the merciless acts put on by her atrocious classmates. Carrie eventually, and famously, takes revenge on every person in her life using telekinesis. Sure, the revenge she puts forth is awful, but does Carrie really know any better? In my opinion, this vengeance is an example of "what not to do." Retaliation fuels the fire, and most often makes things worse rather than better.

The solution is simple - hakuna matata. In a loose translation of swahili, it actually does mean "no worries." People need to learn to let things go and live life. Carpe Diem. Now, I am going to let it all go, live my life and enjoy the rest of my summer. :-)