The Butterfly and the Thistle: A Lesson for Us All
Hmmm, does it alwayshave to be an I win, You Loseconfrontation?
I feel I should beconsidering how I, in my own small way, can contribute to the resolution of themany troubling stories unfolding in the world today:
The immoral Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian’s Promises are made to be broken attitude and the hands-tied approach to the matter among the other major world powers.
The critical shortage of frontline staff that is shutting down hospital emergency rooms, the It’s their fault, Not mine political rhetoric around it and the wheel-spinning that characterizes the efforts to address it.
The declared sixth, or is it seventh, wave of the pandemic. I cannot remember what the number is and I am not sure it matters anyway. And oh no, here comes Monkey Pox.
The shocking Hockey Canada scandal and the Circle the wagons mentality which that body is taking instead of addressing the rotting core of the old boy network at its heart.
Professional athletesearning annual salaries of $5 million, $10 million and more while growingnumbers of people cannot keep a roof over their heads.
China firing missilestoward Taiwan in an Oh not you don’tresponse to the visit from U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the age old End justifies the means argument.
Another summer ofextreme weather and environmental events – wildfires, floods, drought,tornadoes, earthquakes – that make it increasingly clear that we waited toolong to get serious about the impact of climate change.
The apparentnormalization of mass shootings wherein the number of deaths now has to reach acertain figure before it is considered to be newsworthy.
Pointing out the Deflect rather than take responsibility natureof the responses from those in positons of power, and the need to hold themaccountable for their failure to act, seems like the most I can do which hardlyseems like enough.
But I can take the initiativeto inject some beauty into the world and, in the process, provide a visualmetaphor for the forces that are at war.
The photograph at the head of this post accomplishes that rather effectively. The striking beauty of a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly perched on a thistle with its thorny stem. There has to be a way for us to coexist without defaulting to the I win, You Lose mentality. The butterfly and the thistle can do it, so surely we can too.
~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet
~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .
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