Doing the Right Thing

I was talking to a friend today about why some people don't do the right thing. Why do some people do the opportunistic thing even when it hurts others? So many people are in a strong enough position to help or at least modify bad situations for others. So, why don't they do it?

I think it's fear. Or greed. Or maybe they think the thing they want to do is not good enough because it comes from them.

My friend's example to this was Alabama Governor George Wallace. I didn't know that during his time in the Alabama State Legislature and as a Circuit Judge, he was considered a moderate. Wallace was thought to make judgements not based on race but on what was fair. He didn't walk out of the 1948 Democratic National Convention when collegues protested Harry Truman's civil rights legislation. One black attorney in Alabama called him the most liberal judge he had ever practiced law in front of. The attorney said, George Wallace was the first white man ever to call him "Mister" in the courtroom.

Wallace's turning point came after he was defeated as governor in 1958 by John Patterson. Patterson had been supported by the KKK, Wallace had been endorsed by the NAACP. Wallace was so furious about his defeat, he told an aide, that he would never "be outrigged again." At that point, George Wallace embraced racism to further his political career instead of becoming a flesh and blood Atticus Finch.

What pain and misery he created for hundreds if not thousands of people because ambition was more important than the cause of all of God's people. Who's to say he couldn't have achieved governorship or even presidency by keeping to what he felt was right? It might have taken a while longer. It might have been a harder fight, but along the way, the amount of lives he could have helped improved may have been immense.

Instead, to this day, the name George Wallace brings cringes to many Alabamians, and rolled eyes to the rest of the nation. He might have even achieved his dream of becoming president had he just stayed fair and open and remembered the dignity of all human beings instead of pandering to people's fears to garner votes.

This is not intended to politically bash George Wallace, but he is a strong example of the effect of one's choices. When I came home and did some research on him, I found myself amazed at how someone could so easily throw a portion of themselves away just to obtain something they wanted. I was also extremely impressed (not in the good way) at how that choice worked like a ripple effect throughout the whole country. First it changed his local area of Alabama by keeping segregation in place, then the choice solidified hatred throughout the state. The nation eventually did the right thing, passing civil rights legislation but even then, Wallace had made a public stance that he had to stand by. He had to fight FOR the same racism that at one point he may have fought AGAINST. One man's choice affected a whole generation of both whites and blacks in this country. Just an example of how - no matter what we think - we are entwined with our fellow human beings. Our actions do affect others.

Then I started thinking about myself. What choices have I made in my life that have affected people for good or for bad? I can remember many turning points that changed the course of my life, but am unsure of how they might have changed others. I remember the good things I have done (don't we all?). What about the bad things? Have I completely forgotten? What about the feelings I have hurt because of a choice I have made?

Perhaps this is the best argument for living in the "now". When you are aware of your current state - not your future or your past - you are aware of what you are doing, feeling and saying. This makes us aware of how we are interacting with others and how we are affecting them. This helps us to do the right thing.

Embracing who we are

Hey!



My name is Cheryl Lewallen. I'm a forty-something author and former journalist who is studying to become a Marriage and Family Therapist.

The purpose of this blog is about growth; spiritual, emotional, mental, creative and even physical. I want to pump you up! Well, actually, that's your job. Mine will be to get you to think and hopefully feel a little harder about things. Yep, that's right, feel. 'Cause you know what...? feelings can't hurt you. Big suprise, huh? We spend half our lives running like little gerbils on a wheel hoping if we move fast enough, we can outrun our feelings. Outrun ourselves.

Why do we do that? Why do we want to run away from the one person in the whole wide world who can save us from ourselves?! Us humans are funny little creatures!

Anway, the time spent here is not so much about me, even though I'll share things about myself. My attempt is to learn and share new insights. It's about discussing the hardships in our lives that make us better people. It's about challenging ourselves to grow into the people we want to be. It's about giving ourselves the gonads (or should I say ovaries) to dream about what we want and the estrogen (or testosterone) to set out to get it. It's also about giving ourselves the Grace to love ourselves and just be. We are where we are. Embrace and Accept that.

So, at the risk of sounding any more sanctimonious than I already have (I suppose that's the riskiest part of being a blogger), let's get busy getting real and honest with ourselves.

Stop squirming! :-)