Don’t Eat Yellow Snow

Happy New Year. In two thousand eleven I am going to bring about world peace, end childhood starvation and molestation and make a huge dent in the ever growing obesity problem. Everyone will safely buckle up and no one will ever operate a car while intoxicated. Cigarettes and tobacco products will be a distant memory and feeling good about one self will be the new ‘drug’. Haiti will see a rapid recovery from the effects of last year’s hurricane. All soldiers will lay down their arms and return to their families. Pollution will fade and the threat of global warming will end. Hatred and bigotry end this year. And kids won’t eat the yellow snow.

It likely started for me at the time that I grew up. Let’s face it in a world of John Wayne it seemed possible. We did not need heroes- we had heroes. To me my Dad looked like, talked like- was the embodiment of the Duke. Later Han and Luke and Leia saved us all against tremendous odds and “Mom and Dad Save the World.”

The real challenge for me and for us all is to remember those things we can influence. I can wish for world peace and I can speak of world peace; I can talk about equality and an end to suffering. I can hope that one person will hear. That one person will buckle up- that one person will put down cigarettes or begin to walk and to lose weight. By myself I can not end world hunger, or bring about world peace. It’s important that I keep things in perspective. I can remind people that seat belts save lives. I can talk about pool safety and join the voices to encourage others not to drink and drive and to cherish kids.

I have to know my limits. Not to be shackled by them but to push them, to make the most of my gifts of my abilities and this is important to teach our kids. It’s living the Serenity Prayer. Perhaps I can’t end all suffering- perhaps my limits are teaching and warning of the dangers of eating yellow snow. So be it- as that too is a worthwhile lesson- as anyone who has eaten it knows.

All my best for 2011. Thanks for reading my words this past year and for sometimes taking the time to comment. It helps remind me and all of us that you are there and our words are not floating on the wind without ever being read or heard. I still wish I could pull off that World Peace thing…