Yesterday was the Spring Concert at school. 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3rd grade all performed, and they did great. I was very proud of them. One of the boys that sang a solo has had some significant challenges in life and in school, and he did so well yesterday that it truly was inspiring to see how far he has come. 2nd grade sang a song about the Olympics, and since my sister carried the Olympic torch in 2002, she let me have the torch for the past week. All the kids got to hold it, and my sister came to talk to all the 2nd graders. She is fantastic. Today was Teacher Appreciation - we had a wonderful lunch, and there was an improv group that performed, and we took funny staff pictures. It has been a great week, and I am blessed. Blessed to have a job that I love, blessed to have a family that I love and that love me, blessed to be able to influence so many kids, and teach them about all things musical.
Just as a forewarning, one of my parents at school showed her appreciation for the concert with a bottle of wine, and I am enjoying a glass.
This might get a little wordy...
As I was driving home today (WAY before having any wine), I got to thinking about how people often look at the short-term, and fail to see anything past the moment. Actually, I was thinking about the person that cut me off, but this is the philosophical side of that rant...
But really. I think that people often fail to see that there are often some pretty large consequences for decisions that we make, and that the possibility of them affecting us for a long time to come is huge.
Like, take that guy that cut me off. He was probably in a hurry, and had to get somewhere RIGHT NOW.
Or maybe he was just impatient. I don't know. But what will happen when he zips through a light at the last minute, and gets T-Boned by another car? What happens when he tries to zip around someone going too slow and side-swipes a van with a family in it?
Or let's take the possibility of making a rash decision with only the immediate present in mind, without consideration of what could happen to the future. Like, perhaps, leaving things in the car without taking precautions - leaving your purse on the front seat to...who knows. Leaving a closed laptop bag in the car, whether there is a laptop in it or not. Not properly protecting your valuables, or being mindful of where your purse/key/phone is.
Is this the difference between being young and old? Between being ignorant and wizened? Between being cautious and carefree? What makes people think about just this very moment, and what makes people consider the possibility that things could happen that have a ripple-effect far into the future?
Why do some people not care about the future at all, and just completely live for this moment? Does this explain the recidivism rate for prisoners? Obviously jail is not THAT much of a deterrent, otherwise there would never be anybody going back that had ever been in jail in the first place.
Why would someone drive like there was no tomorrow, considering all the things that could go wrong, and all the damage that could be done?
Is there a way to instill an eye toward the future into people, or will they always only be mindful of the moment?
Just wonderin'...
K
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