Positive outcomes of Negative days
October 7, 2008 – 7:47 am
- Dutch Windmill in Riverland Terrace
Scanning the headlines yesterday I discovered something very interesting. Amid all the sad and negative news of economic disaster, doom and gloom, the never-ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, remembering the 9 Charleston firefighters who lost their lives, there was a small article about a gate that was recently erected in rural Dorchester County. It was an entry gate to a future Tibetan Buddhist retreat. The article stated that one of the few positive outcomes of Chinese occupation of Tibet was that it forced many devote Buddhists to leave their country and spread their paths of enlightenment to the rest of the world.
In the history of floral design, there is an entire chapter devoted to “Oriental” designs that were adopted post World War II. If you study ancient history you will discover that many things were spread through war; foods, spices, fabrics, manufacturing techniques, medicines, even philosophies. And think about how many bridges and parks were built in America by the CCC post-Depression? I wonder what positive changes these modern conflicts will bring?
Of course, none are these are justifiable reasons to have wars or economic disasters but they do make me think that years from now we will look back on these days and marvel at how much change began right now.
As my boss loves to say: Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.
