No Excuses

Our poor old Earth is enduring many hardships right now. There are storms, currency wars, struggling in debt families, critical wide-spread health issues, and murderous wars. Desperation rules, and with it comes depression.

These are the times when culture comes to the rescue. Art lovers can receive more solace from a pastoral painting than from Picasso’s scene of a war torn Spanish town. Music lovers are more apt to appreciate a concert of love songs by Andre Bocceli than a discordant modern symphony. And most people (I disregard the teen appetite in this) would rather escape in an adventure novel spiced with a little romance than a gruesome novel of horror.

Recently for me, this generalization became quite personal. Adversity came to me with a fall and a broken arm. Nursing care was a necessity for not only the physical recovery, but also for psychological support. This came about from my nurse’s interest in my writing efforts. Reading my work to her gave me enjoyment, pain relief, encouragement, and incentive. Frustration and depression were subdued. Laughter was spontaneous. This has been and continues to be an amazing road to recovery, and I’m still studying and writing.

Culture can be powerful.

Meg