Saying thanks (some resolution for cynicism)

I've been dealing with some cynicism, here as of late.

Anyone who has ever had any expectation that the world is going to be any certain or ideal or better way is likely to go through some cynicism in their lives. It's inevitable in a world where people and life often fall short of even our most cherished expectations.

Life is FUBAR. Often. That's why I love that movie, I suppose. Because that's my conclusion, too. If you spend enough time with the roughest edges in life - terrorism and despotism come to mind - you come to realize that life is often incomprehensibly FUBAR and tragic in some places in the world.

And when you deal with gangs and violence and the seedy underside of life as I often do in a job where a good proportion of the kids I work with are either in the criminal justice or family law systems or they are well on their way - a special education school for kids with behavior and mental health issues is often euphemism for "education for kids with the most fucked up problems" - or if you study law enforcement, domestic security, international security or any of the most dangerous matters in the world - you often gain a much greater appreciation for the nicer, more decent parts of the world. You come to appreciate all of those places where people generally behave and treat one another better.

That's the point of Saving Private Ryan, if you're watching carefully.

All kinds of fucked up things in the world. All kinds of things to keep open a clear eye for often harder truthes.

But knowing that there is FUBAR out in the world does not, in the least, mean that we should not appreciate the nice things, the decent things, the good things.

To the contrary.

If you are someone who deals with the rougher edges in life more regularly, as I do, you come to appreciate just how much most of us take those nice things for granted. And how much they really matter in life.

In my life, at least.

And I frankly cannot imagine trying to live a life where they did not.

And, for that, I am grateful to all the decent people in the world who have taught me, raised me, helped me, and kept me safe. Soldiers, cops, teachers, ministers and Sunday School teachers, my parents, friends and family, and everyone who has pitched in to make my life better.

And all of us could stand to appreciate and, perhaps, say thanks to some of those people in our lives, as well.