“Never complain about what you permit to be.” — Orrin Woodward

 

Autumn is the time of harvest, when grains are shorn and stockpiled for winter’s months of frozen barrenness. It is also a time of shorter days casting dimmer shadows from branches disrobed of their gold and scarlet leaves.

Plump prosperity frolics next to naked scarcity; a visual measuring stick of reaping what you sow, of life cycles innately turning from vibrancy to emptiness. It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “… so much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty, and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating and destructive effect upon society than the others.”

Each of us are born with a role to play, a part of the production we call life. Why is it that we spend more time watching a small screen, forgetting our own lines, worse yet, exiting stage left without uttering a word or participating in the action? Is it because we have become indifferent to actually engaging in life, actually using our voice?

Perhaps we have been lobotomized into believing we are just stand-ins, who may or may not get caught on camera or seen among the extras on the sidelines of community. God help us, perhaps the majority just no longer care.

Apathy, it is the insidious poison of lack … lack of interest, lack of enthusiasm, lack of response, lack of concern. This prescription of lethargy has taken over the spirit of humanity leaving us with a beautiful stage but no parts or ideas enacted, lines left mute by closed lips, the vacant eyes fixated on fake people and plastic replicas. Really, as long as there is one stop shopping so I don’t have to go out of my way to buy things from my neighbors farm stall, I’m good.

Hey, man, if I can save ten bucks by ordering it off the Internet rather than support the little shop across the street, that’s my win! Why should I care if all the buildings are empty or bulldozed, it’s just a stage, it isn’t as if I’m living here. My life is my four walls, with the pantry, the closet, the constant flicker of blue screens connecting me to my world of ennui. I just show up. I don’t have to open my mouth. I don’t have to do anything cause deep down. I just don’t give a care and I don’t want it to change. Now, pass me the remote I have four hours before bedtime.

Honestly, I, myself, want to believe that somewhere in our world, our community, our village there are still lead actors, supporting actors, bit players and all the doers who are real. I long to gaze at the fire in their eyes, sense the passion in their bellies and they have desire for living in abundance. Unfortunately, I can rarely find them, they are certainly not on my cable. There are moments I want to walk up to all the apathetic stand-ins on the stage and shout, “this isn’t good enough! This isn’t living! Put your bottle of languor back in the medicine cabinet. Get your lazy bum some exercise and walk your hometown streets. Here’s an idea, actually go into the little stores and restaurants and meet the owners, purchase from them and keep them on the stage. Don’t make me throw ice water in your face to get a response.”

However, the one thing stopping me is the knowledge that in life we all have our part. I can write the script, I can build the stage but I can’t force an apathetic stand-in to be anything other than what they choose to be.

Each of us must decide if we are happy with our part, if we are happy with the stage and by God, if we aren’t, then we can change … ourselves or our location. After all, the world truly is a stage and we each have our part.

 

Wanted

Interested, passionate people who enjoy great food, fun conversation, meeting and conversing with real people and being part of a story, a story of community and humanity.

Two opportunities are coming up: Tim Wallace Chili Benefit Dinner, Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Cass County Fairgrounds Gregarek Building. There will be an auction of many fabulous donated items as well as a chili dinner (including vegetarian) with cornbread, crackers, and beverage provided for a donation. Theer is also takeout available.

Reminder of the monthly 3/3 Community Potluck, Sunday, Nov. 16 at Turtle Lodge Event Venue downtown Cassopolis. Opens at 3 p.m. with dinner at 4 p.m. The public welcome, just bring a favorite Thanksgiving dish and a canned good for our local food pantry.

 

CeeCee Wilson, is Organizer for Cass Can, Inc. and owner of Last Tagine in Paris, LLC