For Whom The Bell Tolls!

The recent civil wars in the Mideast as well as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have affected not only their immediate geographies but the entire world. These events have caused me to think just how interconnected we are, not just electronically but also financially and emotionally. For instance, the Civil War in Libya has cost many lives as well as purportedly affected the cost of oil here in the United States. The earthquake in Japan caused a tsunami that not only caused the loss of a large number of lives in Japan but also physically and economically affected many countries around the Pacific Rim including the United States.

There are many Americans and people of other nationalities around the world attempting to communicate with the Mideast and Japan to find out the status of their loved ones that were vacationing, visiting on business or otherwise living in those places. There are many Americans of Japanese and Mideastern descent living here in the United States who are concerned about their loved ones back home. Yes, there are many ethnicities and nationalities affected by these events. However, if you take a step back and look at this a little more globally you will see that overall it is the human race that is affected.

These events and thoughts bring to mind the words of John Donne and Meditation 17 from “Devotions upon Emergent Occasions”. They read: "No man is an island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the Sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a Promontory were, as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee...."

It does not take a catastrophic event to have a worldwide effect because like it or not we are involved in mankind. Something as simple as how we treat our friends, family, coworkers and the strangers around us can leave an indelible impression that may lead them to do great things that not only affect their communities but may have a beneficial effect upon the entire world. Conversely, how we are treated by our friends, family, coworkers and strangers around us can leave an indelible mark on us that may change the course of our entire day as well as our lives. It is never too late to be nice to someone.