by David Schneider

Created on: February 13, 2009

"Reflections"

I find that this skill of pondering is quite difficult.

What determines the right from wrong in my life? Maybe I find that it may start with the values that we are raised with. My own upbringing consisted of a conservative strong work ethic, maybe too strong, as today I consistently probe for activities to assist me with relaxation. I consider myself one of the lucky ones in the American workforce, as a member of a paid Fire department, I only work 9 days a month. Which one would think this would allow for more free time to ponder and wonder, however the same theory which governs money, the more you have the more you spend, I find the same governs my free time.

I make reference to my upbringing; this is also true, when I evaluate my political, religious, and ethical views of our laws and society as a whole. I find that when I reflect upon these issues, my opinions are very definitive with what is right or wrong. My strong medical background leads me to help and offer leadership to my fellow man, which is one of the rights about my life, however being exposed to man during some of his weakest moments enlightens me to the horrors of man and life. I have had the distinct pleasure of bringing a life into this world during one moment, then in the very next moment saving the life of a bank robber who just defied our laws and shot 2 bank security guards. These are the events that shape my views of the wrong and rights of my life.

I examine our bleak economic outlook as a country or my own financial status and try to envision what my retirement will be like based on what is happening in the global community, would it be a wrong to serve my community and its citizens for 20-25 years, and then retire with nothing because my elected officials chose to squander my hard earnings in order to try and recover from their own mistakes, mistakes which were originally made prior to my own birth.

I once heard a saying "everyday above ground is a good day". I have found this saying to be controversial based on who you may ask. If you ask the retiree who has lived a long and prosperous life then this saying may be true but say this to the parent of an 8 year old child suffering in a children's hospital from the pain of cancer or some other horrid disease and what will be the response. This brings me to the point of the question that all of man has pondered since the beginning of time, the existence of g-d. I personally believe in g-d or a superior being but often wonder, what type of g-d would allow his own children to suffer in pain, starve in hunger and die by the hands of evil doers. Someone once said "we must be living in hell, anywhere else g-d may lead us, would have to better than here". With all that's happening in our world today, I'm starting to believe that this may be true.

In closing I continually search for the good in my own life and try to lead others in this general direction. I have found that a strong, loving family, with good values, strong ethics may be the equation that we should strive for in our search for happiness.

Learn more about this author, David Schneider.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.