What does a promise mean to you? Have you ever thought about it?
Let's start again, from a different angle:
How many promises, over the course of your life (the part that you remember) have you broken? How many vows have been left uncompleted?
Now imagine a bubble.
Did you ever realize how plastic and superficial our relationships with other people are? Even with the sexual revolution (which wasn't really a revolution at all, if you think about it), and our increased sexuality with our neighbors and friends, we still go about our business in a bubble, cut off from the world. So when we reach out to another, establishing what is supposed to be an unbreakable bond of obligation, that bubble reaches through and cuts off that connection right when we make it. Nullifying completely any sort of obligation, allowing us to go guilt free about our business.
The bubble is in our minds. It surrounds us and permeates our every move, motion, action. It insinuates itself into every thought, idea, belief.
Now imagine a change.
Imagine popping that bubble. Imagine that everyone else has popped their bubble as well. What would life be like? Would everyone be a stranger? Would you ever have to be frustrated because someone is keeping a secret from you? Would you be able to so lightly disregard a promise?
The flip side of this coin is that you have to pop your bubble.
You have to be Totally Open. If someone asks a question, give them the Truth, as you know it. If you don't know an answer, let them know that. You shouldn't loudly proclaim your actions, but if someone wants to know, let them know.
You have to be Honest. Our bubbles are made up of years and years of lies. Your lies and others' lies to you. To pop the bubble you have to honest. No lies includes white lies, big lies, and all lies in between. To make a difference you have to be consistent.
You have to be Just. In a corrupt, bubbled society, police can't make as much a difference as we would hope. If you see something that prolongs, extends, invigorates a person's bubble, stop it if you can. If you can't, find someone whom you know can. A child getting beaten doesn't just create bruises, it creates a titanium globe around that child that can never be broken down. Dress codes create bubbles of conformity. You may look alike, but are you alike? Forcing a uniform on a unique person is cruel and unusual punishment of the identity.
Most of all, you have to Trust. That is what everything hinges on, our remarkable ability to trust others. To accomplish something, you have to trust someone. To accomplish everything, you must trust everyone.
Live as a human should. Live free. Pop the bubble of deceit. Pop the bubble of conformity. Pop every bubble you can. Free everyone you can. Don't worry, there are some who can't be set free. Ignore them. Concentrate on those who can be.
Watch out for those who would put you back into a bubble.
I completely agree with you! I would like to say, that your writing is amazing! Good job! Though, it makes me laugh. The comformity part made me think of that comercial where you have the people going through the line being constructed. The womens breasts are getting made bigger and they all are given blond hair. Then the guy and the girl who are not like them escape their dreded makeover. Have you seen that comercial? I can't remember what the comercial was for, though.
I haven't seen the commercial, but if you can tell me the product, I'd certainly like to watch it. I can guess, from what you've said, that this commercial is a good representation of what this post is about. Except that then the two different people would then destroy the masques of the others, and show them the truth.
Those four things, openness, honesty, trust, and justice, are things that I believe everyone should embrace, as you can probably tell by this post. It's just too difficult for people though. It's very disheartening.