On This World I Live In

I was cleaning out my JUNK mail box in my email, and the following subject line caught my eye:

Life is short. Have an affair.

Ummm....no thanks!? 

The thought occurred to me, who would actually be intrigued by such a subject line? 

Immediately upon thinking that, about four or five folks that I have had the distinct pleasure ... err, displeasure to have known popped into my head. 

Is it sad that throughout my lifetime, I've managed to run into not one, not two, not even three, but MORE philandering fools than I care to count that would indeed take up the call LIFE IS SHORT. HAVE AN AFFAIR?

I will answer that question for you, because, honestly, it's a rhetorical one.  But YES, a thousand times, yes!  That is a sad, sad commentary on life. 

I sound like my parents or even my grandparents, but seriously, what sort of world are we handing over to the children with messages like, "Hey!  You don't live forever, so go ahead!  Hop in the sack with someone who is married.  It's no big deal.  You're not affecting any other lives in the process!  No biggie!"

Is it too much to ask that we not approach a commitment to another person, in some cases to children, in a REUSE, REDUCE, RECYCLE sort of mindset?

The first part of that statement is true.  Life is short.  Sometimes way too short.  Sometimes not short enough.  Nevertheless, that doesn't gives us a "Get out of Jail Free Card" for doing things that are just plain horrible.  And, despite what you may think, an affair?  That is just about as horrible as you can imagine.

Besides the most obvious affront, that of  the breakdown of an intimacy that only two people who've promised a solid commitment share, you are stripping yourself of the need to feel accountable to anybody or anything other than yourself.  It's selfishness at its very base level.

You chip away at the trust of everyone in your circle ... your spouse, your children, your family members, and even your friends.

You become a living example of what dishonesty and, quite honestly, "skanky liar" looks like in flesh form.

I don't know; to me it takes more courage to make a promise and stick with it.  It's a pretty wimpy choice to turn away from all of that for something that is self-serving.  Period.  No one else benefits from that decision.

I am going to suggest a modified version of that subject line:

Life is short. Be the kind of person others will look up to and want to be!

Comments

Popular Posts