So there has been a lot of death lately.  Last night, a member of our staff passed away.  There's the death of the relative of an acquaintance I wrote about earlier.  And quite a few others I haven't noted.  In seemingly unrelated news, one of my groups in Photo II is doing a zine on generational differences.  One student is tackling respect and the apparent lack of it/disappearance of it.

So on the long drive home I got to thinking.  If everyone treated the people they value like they truly value them, would things be different?  When people die, so many people are so full of sorrow, but were you appreciative and respectful of that person when he/she was alive?  Did that person know you felt that way about him/her?  When a person dies, do they die knowing they were loved or die knowing they were taken for granted or unloved?  How does our treatment of each other play a role in that?

I look at the way people treat each other these days and see so much selfishness, such self-centered viewpoints, and inconsideration.  People are unaware  and ignorant of how much they hurt each other, or they just do not care.  They are also on the defensive when called out on that behaviour.  Yet, when in need, they use each other.   And if something horrible happens, they are so full of sorrow.

I think a lot about what I experienced when with family in Italy a few years ago.  There was so much respect, love, kindness, and genuine care.  Sure, there were arguments, kids getting scolded for bad behaviour, and other issues.  But at the root of it all, there was a vibe that I rarely see here.  And I rarely feel it.

So I wonder, have most people lost the ability to honestly love, care, and respect each other?  Sadly, I think so.  They'll just fake it at the wake.