The word is 'empathy'
Published 2:29 pm Saturday, September 27, 2014
Dear Gary,
World affairs: The mess our world is getting unprecedented attention. I am embarrassed to say I am part of the human race…sometimes. I want to whisper this….Have you noticed the chaos is beginning to resemble a pattern? Always someone is meddling on the dark side.
The pattern sounds familiar and THAT is even more frightening. The dark acts look righteous on the surface, only. But in the end it feels like betrayal. We have lost faith in our environment
The same people who protect us are the same ones who scare us. There ain’t no balance. And we are becoming afraid someone is going to jump off the other end of the teeter totter. Bang. Ouch.
When do threats look like punishment? As soon as it takes I guess. There is one thing we can do. It is a word we all know. But it is not as simple as we thought. It is even more simple than we could ever dream up. The word is… “empathy”
The dictionary says: Understanding so deeply, that the feeling, thoughts, and motives of one are emotionally comprehended by another as their own self. Greek, compassion.
This is not the first time ‘love thy neighbor’ has been suggested. Now It is going to take a conscious intention to pull it off. If we become of one mind with empathy as top priority, we can’t fail. As a village we become strong.
With Empathy we have rhythm, melody, a concert of sorts, just because we are on the same note.
Empathy comes over you, like a wave of emotions. Like a cool wind. Because it is cool to be empathetic.
You don’t need to be angry at anybody anymore. No more than you need to be angry with yourself.
Give up on that. It is no one’s fault. Don’t hurt people or steal or cause danger to yourself and others.
Stop yelling at the kids and your spouse and kicking the dog . Hold your place on the teeter totter, well balanced and trust the other person on the other end. Empathy comes to you. And you find peace. And heal.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it. It smells good. I like it.
Vivianna Irene
Oroville
About Gary DeVon
Gary DeVon is the managing editor of the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune and celebrated his 25th year at the newspaper in August 2012. He graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Communications - Print Journalism, with an emphasis in photojournalism. He is a proud alumnus of Oroville High School. His family first settled in Okanogan County in the late 1800s. His parents are Judy DeVon and the late Larry DeVon and he has two younger brothers - Dante and Michael. Many family members still call Oroville home. He has a grown daughter, Segornae Douglas and a young granddaughter, Erin.
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