[Reflections] The common dream that is world peace

When each of the contestants for the beauty pageant on the movie Miss Congeniality starring Sandra Bullock mentioned world peace in their answers during the question and answer portion, the audience, as if on remote, applauded their delight over those two words. Even Bullock’s hesitancy when she said them did not bother much the audience. I don’t blame the viewers for feeling the way they did. After all, no matter how violent some of us may behave, it is inherent within each one of us to dream of peace. We’ve been programmed that way since we were infants--cuddling offers peace, sharing meals with classmates promotes peace, stopping bullies to bring forth peace. Somehow, along the way, while growing up, something went wrong. Greed, power, and money seemed to force its way into the picture and provide us the distorted view of people going to war, big or small, to achieve peace. 

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Peace is a broad concept. Its specifics come in different forms--at peace with self, at peace with the family, at peace with the neighbors, and at peace within the community. But do you notice the pattern in the previous sentence? Peace starts with the self. Following the logic of one’s ability to give to others what one has, it is much easier to share with and pay forward to others if one has peace within himself or herself. By sharing peace, one creates a rippling effect and cultivate a positive culture.

This one reminds me of an old priest’s story about how a man meets God who grants him three wishes. The man’s first wish is world peace but God shakes his head, says it is impossible, and forfeits his first wish. The man’s second wish is peace in his country but God shakes his head, says it is impossible, and forfeits his second wish. The man, now frustrated, finally wishes peace within himself, and God approves, saying, “How can I grant you peace on Earth and peace in your country if you are not at peace with your own self? Because if you cannot understand and appreciate world peace and national peace if you don’t have personal peace.” The man somehow regrets the order of this wishes.

As people of the world, we dream of world peace. And we know where to start. (We’ve always known where to start.) The question now is, when will YOU start? The world’s time is ticking.

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This is my blog post on peace as participant of the Peace Blitz Tour, featuring my friend Catalina, popularly known as M. C. V. Egan, author of The Bridge of Deaths. And I posted this today, August 15, because it is the 73rd anniversary of the crash of the G-AESY, the second world war plane featured in The Bridge of Deaths. I’m currently hooked to this book and found it amazingly interesting so far.

Be sure to check out Catalina’s own perspective on peace here. She’s also a special guest at Scarlett Rains. She will be engaged in an author interview here. She also talked of degrees in astrology charts over at Tenacity Radio. On August 18 at 12 p.m., she will be featured in The Candy O’Donnell Show Blog Talk Radio. It sure has been a hectic schedule for Catalina, so cheers and more power to this wonderful person! 

Hop on to other bloggers talking about their thoughts and ideas on peace.

A Piece of Peace
Amelia Curzon
Anne Chaconas, Writer
Author Bette A. Stevens
Book mews and tattle tails
Book Purses
B o o k s 4 T o m o r r o w
b00kr3vi3ws
christine bonnerClose Encounters with the Night Kind
Combermere Abbey
Devoted Mommy of 3
Diary of a Writer in Progress
Get Lenin by Robert CravenGraciela Zozaya
Halley EliseHeaven's Garden Productions
Hope With Change
Joseph D. Smith
keeperofthesword
Lift You Up
Mallory Heart Reviews
margaret west
Nomi's Paranormal Palace
Opus 'N' Pen
Paulette Mahurin
Pavarti K Tyler at Fighting Monkey Press
Rise of the Vampire
Russell Bittner
Simple Clockwork by Nancy Cudis
Tela's Notes
Tela Wallen Fiction
The Author Zackary Richards
The Bridge of Deaths
The Journey
The Persecutio of Mildred Dunlap
The story of a girl...
Think in ink
Wendy's Bookcase
Yvonne Mikell

- Nancy -
(This post is specially dedicated also for Wilhelmina Sarawi, a blogger friend who lives far from us working literally to bring peace to her homeland in Zamboanga City)