Most of us are familiar with the famous lists kept by Santa Claus. As children, we strive to be on the nice list.
As the hormones of puberty arise, we respond to our new-found sexuality. We live in hope that those we find attractive are on the naughty list. There is an irresistible draw to stray a bit.
Through parental intervention, shit luck, positive pregnancy tests, emergency room visits, or one too many rides in the back seat of a police car, most return from the dark side.
Or do we?
I think there is a third list.
The Numb List.
We become numb to the spirit that is Christmas.
We become numb to wonder, excitement, and hope.
We become numb to life in exchange for living.
When we are most suited to understand opportunity in our lives, we settle for becoming numb to the world.
We ignore injustices inflicted on others, if it has no effect on us.
We ignore the growing gap of the haves and the have nots, if we see ourselves content with our life.
We take offense at those who would cause us harm, yet stand idly by as others face harm.
We immerse ourselves in our iPhones, iPads, and iWorlds. Substituting email, tweets, and texts for human interaction.
Think about it. When was the last time you had a conversation with a friend? One that didn’t involve emoticons or videos of dogs riding on the backs of elephants?
I think the “I” in idevices stands for idiots. Or worse, impotent.
We’ve become “useful idiots” to our devices. They have made us impotent to making a difference in the world.
We are all on the numb list.
Numb to feeling any real emotion for our fellow humans.
Numb to the spirit of Christmas, or any other myriad traditions, that once were so important to us all.
Numb to being human beings, in a vast universe, open to unimaginable possibilities.
We are on the precipice of an unprecedented change in this country. We need to pay attention, lest we lose everything to ignorance and blustering intolerance.
Now is not the time to be numb. Now is not the time to be nice.
Now is the time for reclaiming hope. Yet, I fear it will go unheeded. The numb list is a comfortable place to be for most.
If that is the case, I prefer to rejoin the naughty list. Make noise in the presence of things that are wrong in the world.
Laugh with the sinners, not cry with the saints. At least they lived a life, not tolerated an existence.
