The DARK (K) NIGHT

I found out about the shooting in Colorado when I logged onto Facebook. My reactions may have been very different than those of the masses. I was not shocked. I was not angry. I was not questioning, how could this happen again.

What I was thinking and wondering were the following:

When will we humans start to look within ourselves vs. outside of ourselves?

When will we learn to notice we are projecting our own fears, judgements and expectations onto others? And by others I mean, our friends, family, our culture and the cultures of others?

When will stop being so outwardly focused and more inwardly focused as individuals and as a culture? And by inwardly I mean, not in just a 'me first' manner. But in a way that is more balanced. Inward means paying attention to one's feelings, motivations, true needs, Creator and to the projections will put onto others.

When will start to practice this so that it becomes a part of our lives as does eating, brushing our teeth and remember to tell a loved one happy birthday?

When will we find the courage to take the step to reaching out to others and helping them when they seem ddistressed, angry, hurting? (how many stories have we heard that the person who harmed others was bullied but noone did anything to intervene? or was mentally ill but no one reached out a helping hand? or was so distraught over years of cultural/racial oppression and was just labeled a terrorist, a socialist?)

When will we embrace our own shadows and the shadow of our culture instead of just desperately, reaching for the light? Even if it's grasp is short lived and we spend most of our days and nights frantically seeking it again?

When will we learn that to embrace our shadow is part of the truth will set us all free?

When will we stop looking to others, to things, to places in vain attempts to fill the emptiness that we feel?

When will we learn to sit, be still and one with the emptiness that we feel? No matter how uncomfortable that can be?

And when will we sit compassionately with those unable to sit with their emptiness (due to mental illness or developmental delays) and provide them a safe, loving, non-judgemental space?

When will we start to love ourselves truly, unconditionally, so that we have BE in the world with that energy and thus, spread that to those around us?

When will we stop looking at people like myself and questions like this as naive, foolish and/or unattainable?