Respect

Some place in the world there was a procession fifty miles long to celebrate this Hindu god. We looked out one night and saw the traditional design usually drawn in front of door ways now drawn in the street. It was enlarged to fill the whole intersection. A parade began and it was not longer than 32 feet, not fifty miles. Never the less the worship was sincere. Our neighborhood is very Hindu but still I have never seen more that thirty people in any religious parade here.

Hinduism is not really a religion but a way of life. In a sense you could say that it is a political party too. This party lost control in the election in the late spring. It continues to make serious mistakes and is losing respect of the next generation. For awhile news of the US was blocked to our computers, but little things that we picked up made me think that our political system is not in very good shape either.

Before we left for India I heard things like, "If you don't agree with me you are not patriotic." Unfortunately that was my party speaking. I grew up in what is now referred to as the OC. Conservative, but practical and hopefully pragmatic. I have spent my life serving others starting as a child delivering May Day baskets to very senior citizens and ending washing dishes after meals prepared to feed the homeless.

If you believe that you are a child of God then you have to serve. God gave us our intelligence, our physical strength and many times an abundance of goods. God expects us to share our means and our talents.

In this mix we have agency. We get to choose how and when we will help others. This is difficult when others vote for something we did not want. Now we get into politics. I see India about fifty years behind us, but remember nothing stands still. If we as a nation can't improve we must be backsliding. It goes with all the backbiting in politics. Let's turn this around and begin to embrace our differences. It is what made us strong and what will keep us strong.

We do not have to think like our neighbors, but we always want to respect them. It is a small gesture, but RESPECT for our fellow men could one day save our nation.