The Bible calls for us to love one another, however, that sentiment seems old fashioned by today’s standards. It wasn’t until this week in my Journalism class that I realized society as a whole has become numb to the pain and suffering of others. A series of images flashed across the screen, many of which were photographs of Syrian refugees. I was well aware of the conflict in Syria, but to be honest, I never really gave it much thought due to the fact that it didn't affect me in any way, shape, or form. Our professor then concluded with a simple question: "how do you feel?" It was so quiet, if I had closed my eyes, I would've believed I was the only person present that day. One brave soul in the front row raised her hand after a prolonged period of time and exclaimed she felt nothing. I shook my head in disbelief from the back and wondered how someone could possibly be so heartless. A few moments later, I was terrified at how comfortable I was with viewing such atrocities. I was used to seeing the aftermath of war and terrorism on my television at home. The American mass media serves as a sort of Novocain, if you will, numbing the minds of viewers.
However, it doesn't stop there; anyone can scroll through his Twitter feed and see the inner thoughts of a close friend. People confessing their fear of commitment left and right. No one wants to be the first to say those three little words or get attached to that one person he/ she knows he's meant to be with. Why are we so hesitant to show the slightest bit of emotion? For lack of a better term, we are emotionally constipated. Time after time, we're told to keep it all in because feelings are somehow associated with being weak and vulnerable. I'm the type of person who lives for cheesy inspirational quotes. I have one sign in particular that reads this...
Think deeply
Speak gently
Love much
I don't really pay much attention to it unless I'm sitting at my desk thinking of ways to get out of studying, but something so simple should mean the absolute world to a hopeless romantic like myself. We can't let the fear of striking out in a relationship keep us from playing the game. It's okay to have feelings and it's more than okay to show that special someone how much they mean to you.
