Live Longer, Feel Better--and Duck

I recently bought a new parakeet (Mudd) and placed him in the same cage with my old parakeet (Judd). Mudd eats from Judd’s food dish, flies on Judd’s territory and bathes in Judd’s water. But Judd has not killed Mudd. Birds don’t kill each other over air, fish don’t kill each other over water, yet both are essential for their survival.

But one human being will kill another human being over 50 cents, a parking space, a piece of crack, a wrong look.

I am sitting at a traffic light. After a moment, the red light turns green. My lane is at a standstill. The car in front of me hoots his horn at the pickup truck in front of him. The driver in the pickup truck turns around, looks behind him and fires two shots. I duck for cover.

We live in a world where bullets fly, bombs explode, drunk drivers don’t brake and people kill just for the sake of killing. Do the media feed this? There are increasingly more murder mysteries and murder movies. Lawyers, defendants and jurors make million-dollar deals off the publicity from murder cases. Rappers brag about murders, gangsters earn points when they murder. Being arrested and beating the system just earns them status. There is no respect or fear of the criminal justice system. Jail is no deterrent; it’s a place to learn new tricks of the trade.

The popular commands to “be careful” and “lock your door” are now understatements. The tender request to “hurry home before it gets dark” is no longer relevant because day is no safer than night. The pleas of “I’m sorry,” “Excuse me” and “Pardon me” are not always adequate. In some areas, a mistake is called “disrespect.” To accidentally bump into someone can result in getting snuffed out.

A picnic at the park, a walk to the corner store or a stop to change a flat tire can end up deadly. And public phone booths are no longer conveniences but danger zones where stray bullets frequently land. It’s a sad commentary when people throw rocks over freeway bridges.

The pervasiveness of crime robs us of the best parts of life. A friend invited me to her home. Before we entered, I noticed stumps in the front yard. There were no trees, no hedges. She keeps “growing things” cut down so suspects won’t have a place to hide.

Nighttime offers an infinity of stars twinkling and the moon glowing. But many times when I look up, my view is obstructed by a police helicopter with bright lights circling, searching for criminals. The helicopter’s engine produces a thunderous roar. Dogs begin to howl. People out watering their lawns go inside and lock their doors and windows, hoping that they won’t be the next victims.

During the daytime, I like to watch birds soar to heights unknown. Yet many young people can’t reach their fullest potential because they aren’t safe on their way to school, in the classroom or on the school bus. Some children are forced to peek at the sun, learn about cumulus clouds or watch birds fly through bulletproof windows. There are no “good neighborhoods” and “bad neighborhoods.” No one is safe anywhere.

At the same time, life paints a picture for us to enjoy. Flowers are blooming. Plants are sprouting and blossoming. The sun shines, gives us energy and generates light and warmth. Life offers us challenges, opportunities and options. No one is exempt from the pressures of life. There are good days and not-so-good days. Life isn’t always easy but death is final. So it’s a sad commentary when murder is the leading cause of death among any race, sex or age group.

Recently I went to a convenience store to purchase gasoline and a pack of gum. The clerk placed my gum in a cup and my 16 cents change under the cup. I watched my transaction rotate through the bulletproof window. As I left, I noticed a rack with a magazine boldly stating on the cover, “Live longer, feel better!” But it takes more than a diet, exercise and vitamins to live longer these days.

In a world where rain falls to replenish the planet and colors it bright with rainbows, where the seasons change, where children make funny faces, can’t we enjoy living without making one another die?