Someday we'll all wake up and realize

[rDigital]

that we are safe primarily because of the good will of others. Nothing more, nothing less. When that good will is absent, bad things happen.

We should start thinking of each other as family. We've all grown so far apart. When is the last time that you went out with your friends and they spent most of the time on their smartphone? How much time do you spend on the net unplugged from the real world. This distance is creating isolation. This isolation is creating animosity and disjointed realities.

If you think someone you know needs help, get them help by any means even if it means calling the authorities.

If you need help call a friend or a crisis hotline. Let someone know.

Hug your kids.
Hug your friends.
Hug your neighbor.
Hug a stranger.

We're all in this together. We need to love one another and love ourselves as well.

Pay it forward and love someone new today.

[Laelth]

1. k&r for the great Todd Rundgren.

As performed by England Dan and John Ford Coley:

-Laelth

[Phlem]

2. A no brainer.

We could have heaven earth, but we choose not to.

My brothers and sisters would rather fight.

It's get's truly too heavy to carry some days.

But we should never give in, and always hang on to the hope that some day we will all transcend and become enlightened.

Else we all perish together.

Your's is a wonderful post my friend, let's hope a lot more people see it.

-p

[rDigital]

7. I hear you.

I just saw another OP that stated that we could cure world hunger with 30 Billion $, the same amount of money that we spend on our military (and it's over 200 golf courses) in 8 days.

Never give in to the darkness. That's how we win, one at a time.

[HiPointDem]

3. kr

[RegieRocker]

4. !!!

[Saboburns]

5. Yes. Exactly.

Thank you for this.

I would like to add that sometimes its easy to love out family, our friends, our co-workers, all those we interact with. I would submit its those people we find repulsive that we need to learn to love the most. We do bad things to each other because of anger, ignorance, and hate, t'was always so. I'm not very good at this myself, but I'm trying to do better.

On that note I wish we could show some compassion towards the one victim of this tragedy who, on this site anyway, is being treated with none, the mother. I'm as guilty as anybody. I don't even know her name...

[rDigital]

8. Agreed. There's a lot of blaming the victim going on

without even knowing the whole story. I just hope that town can heal.

[cascadiance]

6. +1 - Yes you are so right about isolation...

And the difficulties of these times challenge many of us. I myself have had a lot of problems lately with a problematic landlord that might force me to move. I've been sick as a dog for two weeks and the last few years have had a lot of challenges with the job experiences lately too.

Earlier my 18+ year old cat died this year and left my house empty for the first time in twenty years. I'll welcome seeing family this coming weekend, as the last few weeks in Oregon have been tough without even a kitty to give a hug to when I live alone. These difficulties have me appreciate what many are going through right now.

Seeing the story of the mall shooter here in a mall I think that I'd just been Christmas shopping at a year or two ago here in Oregon earlier this week and now this has me wondering how many others out there have situations tons worse than many of us do, and how easy it must be to set them off in times like this if they are already unhinged inside and break up with their girlfriend and get evicted from their places like the killer here was. They might appear "normal" otherwise to many who only see them peripherally as that is the way so many people interact in today's society now.

And I empathize with so many of you that have a hard time wanting to risk trying to get any where close to people you don't know or who you are concerned about, with what has been going on lately. We need a solution to help bring people together as you said. It's going to take some creativity so that everyone can feel safe and also feel a part of something too that works for the collective whole of our communities.

[rDigital]

9. +1 Right on.

Here's sending positive energy and borrowed cat hugs in your direction.

Here's one from my best buddy Leo, the Orange Ruffy.

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