I took this from my cousin Ryan and wife Kari's blog:
A Thought
O Magazine has a feature of "A Million Ways to Save the World." This comment was in this month's issue:"Our culture has vastly overvalued the lives of the rich and famous. Our children no longer hunger to be good citizens, but merely well-known ones. In our misguided quest for heros, we've made fame the most coveted virtue. But when our heroes cease to do heroic things, and we still venerate them, where does that leave our culture? It is time to restore balance. Let's boycott celebrity and celebrate instead all the unnamed warriors trying to make a positive impact on our daily lives."--Lynn Nottage
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Gretchen--
America's obsession with the celebrity culture (and I'm as as guilty as anyone--I can't pass up a People magazine or the gossip column in the daily paper.) has sold our collective souls down the river. A few months ago Marie got me as a gift "The Broken American Male" by Rabbi Shmuley, the counselor who hosted a show on TLC called "Shaolom in the Home". A wonderful book and a wonderful show, though I don't think it's still on. In the book The Rabbi talks at length about how grotesquely out of balance our culture is, when figures like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton can be famous and celebrated merely for being train wrecks, and real heroism, like the man who provides for his family and sacrifices for them, or the woman who nutures children and builds a home, are overlooked and negated. The resulting brokenness people feel, working so hard and feeling unappreciated and discouraged and "worthless" for not achieving more of what the culture seems to value, fuels the depression that undermines families and saps their energy.
I think you and Doug are two of the greatest people I've ever known, and I'd rather spend an evening with Doug than any famous person. He's kind, funny, generous and genuine. After a bottle of wine and a good meal in his company I feel rich, optimistic and blessed. Friendship like that is a priceless gift.
Best wishes and thanks for sharing your story with us,
Dale
Your finding of my comment made me reread it. It still resounds with me.
Post a Comment