Category: consequences

Ethical dilemmas

by worrylessjourney, posted in accountable, balance, belief, choices, consequences, discretion, ethical, morals, perspective, Uncategorized

Genetic-engineering-human-gene-modification-homo-sapiens-2-Jamie-Metzl-Hacking-Darwin-1111989

Recently I wrote about the things that will be coming in the future and there are still some things that I can see ahead. I wonder what will happen with genetics. Will we be able to solve and end children being born with serious defects? Will we be wise enough to use the research in an ethical manner? As our knowledge of our most basic programming grows will we be able to use it for good? It seems that there is always someone who can corrupt the good.

Will we use extending life for everyone or just the uber-rich? Will extending life be for the good or will it create issues we can’t even imagine?

There are so many ethical issues facing us as our knowledge of smaller and smaller particles put us at risk. The same is true of our understanding of the universe and all it entails. With ethical behavior seeming to decline how will we cope with information that could change everything?

'Yep, that does sound like an ethical dilemma, Phil. But relax... it's only a problem if you have a conscience.' 'That's just it! I think I do!!' 'Don't worry, I won't tell a soul.'

I probably will not be here to see how this all comes about but I pray that our ethical and moral decline will turn around and we will have the wisdom to do the right thing.

Intelligence and character

by worrylessjourney, posted in accountable, children, choices, consequences, intelligence, Uncategorized, viewpoint

I am still thinking about the young people I am encountering in Community Conferencing. Since Monday celebrates Martin Luther King this quote fits right into my thinking

intelligence

What I am seeing in the schools here makes me wonder if we can find either one. Intelligence is nothing without character. The environment in school can be distressing to those who want to learn.  It is amazing that the teachers keep on. It has to be depressing to try and reach those who want to learn when around them is hatred and violence. It has to be nearly impossible to keep order in a classroom when there are so many things that you can’t do.

When I went to school the teacher was always right. My parents would come down hard on me if I wasn’t good in school. Unfortunately, in today’s world, the parents seem intent on blaming the teachers. Children are not held accountable for their actions.

There are some who are now realizing that teaching about character and accountability is crucial. Those traits are so important and often overlooked. For those raising children please have your children be accountable now or later in life they may end up being held accountable for something catastrophic.

Violence breeds violence

by worrylessjourney, posted in answers, change, community, consequences, habits, mistakes, parenting, responsible, violence is taught

children sacrifice

I was scheduled for a Community Conference this morning. The child involved did not show up. We were told that the mother is usually the problem with this particular child. For me that is really sad. The child’s case will go back to juvenile court to be dealt with. It is awful that this mother cares so little for her child that she would let the child enter the Juvenile Court System rather than find other solutions and have the case closed. If they had appeared we would have worked to find options for reparations that did not include going to court.

It just makes me want to find this mother and tell her to get her priorities in order. Of course that would do no good. So many children are with parents who are uncaring or so self absorbed that the children don’t matter. Some of the parents solve problems by themselves getting in fights or some other unacceptable way of handling things.

Hate-begets-hate violence-begets-violence-toughness-begets-a-greater-toughness.-We-must-meet-the-forces-of-hate...-Martin-Luther-KIng

We have to begin teaching conflict resolution in elementary school to try and stop this. Children learn what they see and do what their parents do. It would be good to offer a class for the parents as well and hopefully change what the children are exposed to.

Violence breeds violence.

They must be taught

by worrylessjourney, posted in belief, children, consequences, peacemakers, problems, violence, violence is taught

This week I have been assigned two Community Conference cases. After reading the information on both of them I am amazed at what teachers are dealing with. I don’t know how anyone can teach in an environment with so many problems. From my recent experience I see so much violence erupting in the schools. Students get in arguments and their way of solving them is to get in a fight. This is not high school….this is middle school.

angry child
violence is learned

The environment of violence that we live in today is being played out by children! This is how they have learned to react. They have no experience with other ways to handle disputes and disagreements. We have to find ways to break the cycle. The Mediation Center does have a program that goes into the schools and teaches groups how to mediate a dispute and there are peer groups that are trying to help.

This culture of violence will continue until we teach alternatives to young children and help them to be played out in Elementary School. We have to stop it early.

Keep helping

by worrylessjourney, posted in aging, commitment, community, connections, consequences, Uncategorized

Laziness has invaded my space. This week has had changes but has really been quieter than usual. I have to get back to all the things I was doing. I haven’t called to get back on the schedule for Community Conferencing or Mediation. Next week will be the get going time.

doing nothing

It can be easy to sit back and do nothing. Just be the person who meets people for lunch and is a dilettante. Really not my thing. If I don’t get back doing what I can to help I will end up being insipid.

If all of those who are retired stopped doing volunteer work it would definitely be missed. Ninety percent of the people at the mediation center are retired and I’m sure that can be said of many places where help is needed. We have to keep on helping.

 

When the truth can hurt

by worrylessjourney, posted in advice, compassion, consequences, discretion, empathy, love, truth

Truth may be vital but without love it is unbearable. from “The Two Popes.”

We can get ourselves into a moral dilemma sometimes. We may find out something that we feel we need to tell someone but it may destroy their world. What to do?

tell the truth

Information is important but so is caring about others. It is just hard to know when to share that information and when not to. What if you know that someone is having an affair and you are friends with the other spouse? To tell or not tell…..that is the question.

There are lots of other moral scenarios where we may be called to judge if telling is worth the harm it can cause. Truth is good but love has to be considered.

Here we go again

by worrylessjourney, posted in aggravations, comparisons, consequences, decisions, divided world, politics, Uncategorized
politial poster
Old poster

We are now in an election year. Lovely. Many months of listening to TV ads and people claiming that they will do things that they have no intention of doing. I am so glad that I have alternate TV (netflix, amazon, hulu etc.). I don’t know when was the last time that I actually watched the real programs. I have gotten to where I can’t stand to watch the commercials.

I hope that you have somewhere to escape while all the talking heads are expounding. I am sure that most of us will want to vote. Let’s just hope that there is someone to vote for.

 

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Not my usual self

by worrylessjourney, posted in acceptance, aggravations, aging, change, consequences, contemplation, expectations, holidays

Christmas is almost here and I have to admit I will be glad when it is over. The older I get the less I enjoy the getting ready. I do enjoy Christmas day but is is so much work. I have to remind myself that I had surgery three weeks ago and am still tired so that may be coloring my thinking.

In some ways I am looking forward to the new year. When I was younger I wondered if I would live into the new century. I never thought about getting to 2020. Life is such a blessing. Just being able to get up each morning, have coffee and plan the day is a gift.

change

When I read the blogs that show up in my reader each day it reminds me that not everyone has that choice. Many of us struggle with each day and and the outlook is not so good. Being able to share with each other is such a blessing. It is one of the things that makes my life better.

Tonight I am in a strange mood and find myself realizing that having my thyroid removed is not the walk in the park I expected. There we go with expectations again. They can really get us into trouble.

Hope that tomorrow’s post is more logical.

High expectations

by worrylessjourney, posted in acceptance, aggravations, consequences, coping, expectations, Uncategorized

Today I started wrapping Christmas presents and realized that I am missing one important one! Oh woe! I order things early and stash them in several empty drawers in my bedroom. When I took them all out one for my son is missing.

lost gift 2

Since I don’t buy lots of gifts I don’t understand how this one could have walked away but things have been so crazy here that I may have misplaced it. Please St. Christopher (although dethroned) help me find my gift.

This is just one of the stresses that happen to us during the Christmas Season. Most of us push ourselves too hard and our expectations outreach our reality. I know that there are things I just can’t do but I keep wanting to do them.

The only baking I have done is dog treats!?? Now you know who comes first around here. I would like to bake some cookies if I can finish the wrapping and searching for the one who is lost.crash and tillie

 

Christmas will be what it is in spite of all the energy and stress I put into it. It is so hard to turn loose of what was and accept what is. Somehow I will manage to do that and all will be well.

expect

Not at home yet

by worrylessjourney, posted in acceptance, balance, blessings, centering, choices, church, consequences, courtesy, understanding

find the roadThere are some times when I wear my feelings on my shoulders. Since coming back to my husband’s church I have not really felt at home there. It is not anything about the church but about me. After 20 years of working in a church there is so much I could share but I can’t. I offer to help and usually end up stepping on someones toes. Other people need space to do things…my turn is past. I don’t want to be in charge if anything…just offer experience. Even after several years I feel as if part of me is missing. The only change has to be made by me. (the hardest person to change)

The frustration I experience when I am at the church is painful. The best thing may be to go somewhere else for a while where I don’t feel that pull. If everything is unfamiliar I may not have such a strong reaction. At least it is worth trying to see if it helps.

As we get older we have so much to share and don’t often get the opportunity to do so. This blog has been a wonderful way to at least offer my experiences in the hope that they may help others. It has kept me centered and moving forward. This is a blessing.