Making A Difference

Just following up on jwern's post a few weeks back...

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses, but smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgement; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We have learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to our life, but not life to our years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We have higher incomes, but lower morals; we’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are the days of double incomes, but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes.

It is a time when there is much in the show window, but nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose to either make a difference… or just close your browser.

Penned by a Columbine High School student just after the mass shootings there. Life is a paradox, an oxymoron...