Comity = courtesy and considerate behavior towards others
Over two years ago, we found ourselves semi-laughing about saying hello by knocking elbows. Today, on a more serious note, in the US we have lost over 900,000 to COVID, the young and the old and those in-between. It has created a world of unrest and vigilance in many ways. Things may seem a little shaky once again and more of a challenge due to COVID. Just when we thought we might have a bit more freedom, we find ourselves having to step back to keep safe. But, wearing a mask is easy but it’s the mental strain that takes its toll. Many in today’s world have taken to being greedy and entitled.
This may be an apt time to push in the other direction and practice being a bit kinder and gentler and more grateful human beings. Movies about comets, plagues, and raging weather destroying the earth may not be far from the truth. The earth had a beginning and it will have an end. That is the life and death of a cell of which we all are.
The question remains on how do we want to live our lives while this earth is still spinning? The movies that show the destruction of the earth all seem to have the humans in the end holding hands or having a “last supper” together as one in peace and love. So we ask, does it take the final hours of earth to make men, women, and children and all humankind kindhearted again?
Thinking along these lines, we are suggesting that we try to embrace the concept of comity – that of being courteous and considerate. We figure, as some people say, if we are all going to hell in a handbasket, we may as well be nice to each other along the way. Let us start by putting substance over symbols. For example, if you fly a peace flag, live and create peace. Be a leader and take action, not just a position. As the clock ticks away, practicing courage over comfort can make you a hero in your own right as you risk truly living. Remembering all the while that every step to kindness is an important one. Keep your heart light and let us move forward with hope and determination. Remember what Betty White once said on The Golden Girls, “The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana.” Let’s keep getting “better.”
“Friends and good manners will carry you where money won’t go” – Margaret Walker
This blog is dedicated to Black History Month. From its birth in 1915 by
Carter G. Woodson to the official recognition by President Gerald R. Ford
at the 1976 bicentennial, we respectfully continue to honor this month.
“For me, education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn
to begin with life as they find it and make it better.” Carter G. Woodson
