Sonic Boom

The universe reminded us what real power was last night in the Urals region of Russia. Something not very big traveling really, really fast created a sonic boom and a few creators eighteen feet deep. Hundreds of people injured and the meteor didn't even strike a populated area. Shows just how little power we mortals have when compared to the vastness of the cosmos, there, that was my Carl Sagan moment on to things I am familiar with.

NAH! Let's stick with the subject. What if we have a near extinction moment. Maybe just a country or a continent is effected. I won't pose a scenario just that a large portion of the world's population is in trouble. Could we all put politics, religions, money, prejudices and hates aside to help? During 9/11 I wasn't surprised to see the Palestinians cheering in the streets over the falling of the twin towers. There was barely a tear shed in any of the middle east. Would Saudi Arabia come to the rescue of China or China of the USA or would it just be seen as chance to gain a foothold once the dust settles. I have become more cynical of our species as I have gotten older. I tend to see the evil in us first until I am proven otherwise. When the crap hits the fan very few run to the panic and the destruction to help, most run and scream every man for himself.

Is it our animal natures, is it sin? Whether you place the blame on nature or the supernatural, there is a flaw in our kind, the flaw is self preservation. Flaw? That may be harsh. That survival instinct is so strong that it invades many parts of our lives not just when it's kill or be killed. Christians call it the flesh. That base part of us that seems to take over when we are at our worst. The hero though finds a way to place that aspect of himself on the back burner. In general we let it affects our businesses, our relationships, our hopes and dreams. Some people, and I admit that I am like this, live in a perpetual state of survival. There is a difference between surviving and living. So a catastrophic event as a meteor strike shows us in a sense who of us has evolved or transcended our human frailty.

As a police officer I knew real quick which one I was. My first gun shot, I ran to it. The fear was taken over by the urge to be of help to rescue, maybe stupidly to be the hero. I remember one New Year's a bullet struck right in between myself and my partner from someone shooting there gun in celebration. We heard the ricochet and my partner found that round. I remember him handing it to me and saying Happy New Years. I never once thought man I could have been killed. I went right to if only I could find the bastard that shot this. I consider myself brave, not arrogantly, I have had to be numerous time in my life. I would have preferred never being in those positions but life and the Lord allowed me to be in them and most of the times I responded honorably. I had to place aside my prejudices and at times my personal religious beliefs to help a fellow human. What makes me different? Could you be?