Life Lesson #124… Create a world that you can be proud to leave behind!

Life Lesson #124 – Create a world that you can be proud to leave behind.

I can’t believe that it has been fifty years since Star Trek began.  I remember watching it as a little girl with my father.  Every week we would sit together in front of the “HeathKit” TV he made. At the scary parts, he’d tell me to close my eyes and then let me know when it was safe to open them again. Fond memories I will always cherish of what is now considered to be a “cult classic” with themes that are still relevant today.

You don’t have to be a “Trekkie” to read on.

Gene Roddenberry, the writer and producer of the Star Trek TV series from 1966-69, took his viewers for three seasons to “a world where no man had dared to have gone before.” From out of his imagination and onto a small screen, he transported onlookers to a Utopian world where planets and their inhabitants coexisted. In every episode the crew were faced with challenges; conflicts of good versus evil was usually the theme week after week.  But by the end of every story a peaceful resolution was reached. All the rebooted series and movies that have since followed are committed to the same vision.  No matter what year they are from, the focus is to engage the audience and bring them back into Roddenberry’s idealistic world.  All the scripts have stayed true to the “original mission” of peace between nations and planets for the betterment of human and alien kind throughout the Universe.

Star Trek has always been innovative; not only for its time but also because of its diverse cast.  The “U.S.S. Enterprise” crew has always been inclusive to all walks and forms of life.  Their race, sex and species were never considered anything but ordinary.  They all cohabitated peacefully on the air ship and lived by the same philosophy; harmony among the galaxy.  Another writer with a similar point of view but on a very different level is Theodore Geisel aka Dr. Seuss.  His characters like the Grinch, Horton the elephant, and the Cat in the Hat, were all uniquely different but somehow found a way to be part of their community.  Although they did not agree all the time, they found ways to resolve their problems with compromise and communication.

There is a long list of writers, philosophers, and others like Roddenberry and Seuss who share in their beliefs.  And the importance of creating a world that is tolerant, respectful and committed to peaceful resolutions.  I would never put myself in their category.  But I do follow their example.  As an author, I continue their legacy by writing stories of hope, compassion, and understanding of one another. I create a place that is nonjudgmental and inclusive to every character.  I do this because I want the reader to be aware and recognize that it doesn’t matter what a family looks like, as long as it is filled with love.

I choose to be hopefully hopeful and believe that there are many others that feel the same way.  As a new blogger I began searching the internet for like-minded people.  I came across a community of animal lovers that blog called Blogpaws.  And instantly became a member because of my passion for animals, their welfare, and others who share that passion. Every time I log onto Facebook and see all the posts, I am reaffirmed in my thinking.  Most posts are about homeless animals (dog, cat, rat, etc…) that have been recently rescued and are being fostered or who have found their forever home.  The members write about their successes and concerns.  Everyone is quick to give advice when asked, and has the same goal of being the best pet owner/parent they can be. What is most remarkable about this phenomenon is that no one asks them to do this.  They open their hearts and doors every single day to relative strangers. They give their love freely and unconditionally. There is no oath any one of them takes which forces them to do this. It is just simple kindness and human decency. It is instinctual.  This community is economically diverse.  There is no golden ticket waiting for them at the end of the day.  There are no food stamps or state funding to help them.  No one does this because they have to.  It is because they want to. Best of all… This is just one example.  There are millions of people all over the world who “give the best way they know how” to all kinds of causes, charities, research, and one another every single day; confirming my belief, that humans are innately good.

This is not a political commentary.  I am writing this blog to celebrate the human spirit.  I wish to bring attention to all the wonderful people in the world.  I am touched by everyone who gives from their heart to help others without a voice or those who have lost it along the way.  Every single person can make a difference in some way.  It is a silent promise that we make to ourselves.  It is this determination that allows us to help create a world similar to the ones dreamt up by Roddenberry and Seuss.

We all are capable of greatness.   No matter how insignificant it may seem.  Give food to someone who needs it.  Donate your old clothes when you are done with them.  Bring old linens, towels and blankets to the nearest shelter or rescue.  Say hello to a stranger.  Recycle.  Don’t litter.  Hold a door open.  Say thank you and please.  Simple acts of kindness that are appreciated and most definitely needed.  Be the kind of person your kids, animals, and those you love think you are.  Help create a world you can be proud to leave behind and educate others who will follow in your footsteps!