The endless twists and turns of Internet research can land you in the most precarious of places. Sometimes enlightening. Often thought provoking.
Probably like yours, my news feeds have recently been filled with sorrow and tragic stories of violence, abuse and unimaginable harm bestowed on innocent lives.
The horrific death of Kiesha Abrahams and the most recent sad story of a boy being sexually exploited by his own adopted parents solidifies that this is indeed a cruel, heartless and dangerous world we live in.
Taking the tram from Chinatown on Sunday, there was an elderly couple in front of us who were struggling to climb on board. No family around them, they slowly shuffled with their walking sticks, unable to help each other, just trying to focus on themselves. It was heartbreaking.
Then, as they disembarked at Central station, I noticed that a younger Chinese couple helped them. At first, I thought they may have been relatives but instead simply parted ways.
As brief as it was, in the fleeting frailty of the moment, I saw it.
Love and compassion: Two invaluable elements of life that gives it purpose.
I guess right then, my faith in people restored itself a little.
There was an article I stumbled on about an online fashion magazine, The Vibe that conducted a photo shoot depicting famous female authors who had committed suicide.
A model emulating Virginia Woolf in a river holding a huge rock; another kneeling in front of an oven, representing Sylvia Plath; the images were beyond insensitive to the deeper issues of mental illness.
After an instant backlash from the public, The Vibe took down the photos and made a public apology.
Yet, in the hype of it all, I decided I wanted to watch The Hours. For no other reason than the article left me curious about Virginia Woolf and her tormented life.
Luckily, the DVD is on a weekly rental, because I haven’t been able to stop watching it since Saturday night. Where was I when it won all those Academy Awards?
While there is much heartache, anguish and pain in the movie, I’m in awe of the female characters and their inner strength.
Again, human nature showed its delicate beauty.
Is it a case of trying to see the glass half full?
Is it about trying to stay optimistic?
I don’t know.
I don’t want the tragedies we’ve seen and read about these past weeks to be left unnoticed or without our deep sympathies. But I don’t think our own reactions of anger or hostility are productive either.
In all its deception and deceit in this mixed up world, we still have it in our power to create something that’s not only secure and safe for our families, particularly our children, but also for those who happen to cross our paths.
Humans are too complex to be superseded by hate, don’t you think?
Joining Essentially Jess for IBOT