For those of you from Christmas Past

This is an entry I wrote from the old blog that initiated the entire treatise of kindness. Do with it as you will.

This evening I read some of the responses to a "A Day of Kindness" and became frustrated. It seems that simply being kind is something that is found to be sacchrine and insiduous. No one can just be kind. Oh no. It would ruin intellectualism and take out the passion. It is sweet, but imaginary in a concept. It is so horrible to be kind that one grows weary and sick of it to the point of accusing such a proposal as "brown-nosing".

Perish the thought. Maybe we shouldn't be so kind. We should be beasts to each other every day so that conscience is suspended and guilt is forgotten.

Let's face it. Kindness is just some hippy, moon-beam, pie-in-the sky notion just like love. It is much better and more delectable to discuss hate and animus because it helps people channel the rage and contempt for the goodness and sacredness of treating others with respect.

Sarcasm off. But it makes me sad that kindness is a concept that is either ridiculed or taken to be insiduous and sickening. I wonder what has happened to compassion in today's society. I also wonder why kindness is mistaken for weakness and vunerability when its simple employment could do so much for people.

But who are we kidding? Kindness is something for fools and children. When we're adults, we realize that kindness as a concept is akin to admitting that we don't have a thick skin. Instead, we have to be brutal in order to face the hard, cold world. After all, we can't take anyone suggesting kindness because it invades our sense of autonomy and independence. To discover that we are all connected through our humanity is like releasing that secret that makes us shake in our boots because someone has found our soft spot for others.

I guess having a soft spot for humane treatment hurts. It is easier to say something or do meannness to others rather than wish them a nice day. It is much easier to sneer at homeless people in the street than it is to give them a hot lunch and a smile. And of course, it is far easier to go with stereotypes about people who are different than make an effort to learn about them and treat them with respect.

It may be easier to shut the world off and not be kind, but it is up to the individual to live with one's self. Some people don't have a concept of peace. Others don't have a conscience in order to measure their moral compass. Some are good at saying the words and talking the talk, but are bad in the execution of being kind to others because that requires thought and compassion.

In the end, kindness and compassion is for special people.

I talked with my dad about this concept tonight. He mentioned with respect about Mother Theresa. He told me that not everyone can be like her because it is too easy to slip into a pattern of frustration and meanness. He also related that Mother Theresa might have been frustrated in her life but she had the moral fortitude to channel her negative emotions into charity, love and compassion.

We both agreed that not everybody has the capacity to feel. It would be too taxing and stressful to be kind all the time. However, one cannot dismiss the fact of those who can go about being mean and inconsiderate of others will have to sleep at night with all that meanness under their belt. Oh well. Carpe Diem.

It's funny. Calling for a "A Day of Kindness" never had to do with legislating feelings or telling others what to do. It was merely a suggestion as a way to counteract the hostility one faces sometimes on the board. But, as you can see, kindness is a bitch to some people.

But not to me.