Whole

"As the spokes of a wheel are attached to the hub, so all things are attached to life." Sanskrit proverb

There is a famous science fiction short story about a time in the future where men can go back into time and see the dinosaurs. The important thing is that they must stay on the path and not do anything that would change the future. One man fails to follow instructions and steps on a butterfly. This one small event changes the entire history of man. Doctor Who used this premise the other week when Rose stepped in to save her father from being killed and history as she knew it ceased to exist.

Sometimes we fail to see the larger picture and realize that the smallest things can have consequences. We all drive our cars and have for years but we don't stop to think about the pollution that the combustion engine emits into our atmosphere. There are factories that in the past have dumped their waste products into a near by river or landfill and now years later cases of people being ill are directly traced to that pollution.

In our private lives we all have experienced or heard things that have a deep impact on our lives. Sometimes it is a careless word overheard that damages a person's self respect throughout their lives.

Live is a circle. What we do or say as an individual or a nation can affect the lives of people on the other side of the world from us or it can disrupt the family unit and cause pain to someone that will last a lifetime.

It is hard sometimes to keep quiet especially when we are angry. I'm sure everyone has heard "count to ten" before you say something. Sometimes ten isn't enough and a hundred would be more like it. The important thing though is to stop and think what will it accomplish if I say what I really think? If it could damage someone or something then maybe it is best unsaid.

The picture is called "No Escape" and is again based on the Prisoner television show. One of the things I really loved about the show was that it made you think. It showed how an individual can affect the whole for either good or evil depending on one's own actions.