Saturday, June 8, 2024

Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:

Thank God every mmorning when you get up that you have something to do which must be done, whether you like it or not.

-- Charles Kingsley

Marshall McLuhan warned that this age of electronic marvels could turn out to be less than marvelous for human development. He predicted that one effect would be the spawning of vast numbers of voyeurs -- people who would rather watch than participate, seek vicarious rather than real experiences, and seemingly not know the difference.

We all know (or may be) people who would rather watch television than participate in the living drama of today's world. Being a spectator is safe. The defeats and triumphs and the loves and losses that flicker across the screen don't require that we take a stand or make an effort. As long as we don't participate, we don't have to make decisions or take risks.

But real life is lived in the trenches, and real action is never secondhand. As the years go by and we look back on our lives, will we want to remember that we played the game, or that we played it safe?

Today, I pray for the courage to get involved in my own drama.

Hazelden Foundation

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