"When once the forms of civility are violated, there remains little hope of return to kindness or decency."
– Samuel Johnson
When I was a little girl, in the olden days, if someone tripped on the steps going into church:
1. Everyone looked to be sure the person was all right, not hurt.
2. Someone immediately moved to help.
3. Everyone else quickly looked away and went about his business to minimize embarrassment.
4. No one mentioned it again.
There have been so many advances now, in science, technology. The world has come so far. Now if someone does anything potentially embarrassing:
1. Everybody looks and points.
2. People whip out their cell phones to get video.
3. The immediately upload the video to YouTube and then share on FaceBook.
4. It goes viral with millions of views, is said to be trending, and is further shared on the news.
"News" used to mean things like:
1. The name of one who was awarded a Nobel prize for service to humanity.
2. Congress passed a bill to make life better for all Americans. [No joke!]
3. A new business was opening in a town near you.
4. The school system was hiring additional staff to ensure a better education for all students.
5. Here are the sports scores.
6. Sadly, these friends and neighbors in our town have died.
7. New babies have arrived to these happy parents.
8. These events will be happening this week.
9. Here are the classifieds AND today's crossword puzzle.
10. For a good laugh, you and your kids can share our comic page!
There was no mention of Lindsay Lohan, the name of Kanye West's baby, which celebrity is in rehab this week or whom Charlie Sheen got fired for just cause [No, wait a minute, that was just because… ]. We didn't get instant coverage of what Paula Deen said twenty years ago - and decide to hold her accountable now. But it is exciting to know that Twinkies will return to store shelves in July. [Not!]
I wish that civilization's advance had kept pace with that of science and technology. This is not yet a happier, gentler time.
If we are forced, at every hour, to watch or listen to horrible events, this constant stream of ghastly impressions will deprive even the most delicate among us of all respect for humanity.
-Cicero, Roman orator, philosopher and statesman
This last quote by Cicero, who lived from 106 to 43 B.C., is particularly appropriate in this day and age where we are constantly bombarded by horrific news. Wars, terrorism, murder, rape, natural disasters, man-made disasters and more inundate us every day. Cicero's quote proves that what Solomon said is true: "There is nothing new under the sun".
