After seven decades chronicling my life history, if the documentary were a tapestry, I would see it filled with many different shapes and colors. The pattern at times may look nice and neat with delightful shades of color and hues inviting my eyes to rest a while and enjoy the moment. As I continue scanning the tapestry, sometimes the pattern might look disjointed with no continuity, even unattractive making me want to look away and move on.

Every person has a history, or tapestry and no two will look the same. We have experiences that are sometimes positive and sometimes negative; those experiences may leave short or long-term effects. How wonderful it would be if we lived in a world that was free from chaos. What would such a world look like? With millions of people living on planet earth, no doubt there would be millions of different versions of the chaos-free world; please allow me to share with you what mine looks like in a perfectly ordered system.

“Sherry’s world:” a life with no pain, either physical, emotional, or mental; lifetime marriages between a father and a mother who love each other and their children, who guide them in the ways of a perfect world; every person would be kind to everyone, selfless, responsible making good judgment decisions, working hard and enjoying their daily work, reaping from the good seeds they sow; an environment free from contaminants providing enough food and clean water readily for all; wise, flawless leaders who use their influence and good natures to serve others perfectly, through caring and compassion; the addiction to “power” would be changed to “empower” as experts in their fields let go and gracefully pass along the baton of leadership to others; there would be harmony and order because perfect people would have no personal agenda other than to make the world a perfect place; then, after a long enriching existence, death would come, while one sleeps, making room for the next generation.

Unfortunately, you and I do not live in the “perfect world,” neither your version nor mine. If we lived according to my version, as much as it looks perfect to me, you probably would make changes, thus, creating conflict. Humans are flawed beings. By our very nature we lean sharply toward self-preservation, whatever it takes; however, before building “freewill” into the human DNA, God planted “safeguards” should we choose to employee them. We are capable of respecting and forgiving others. Generally, unlike other animals we can reason and, therefore, be reasonable. We can problem-solve, together as reasonable people. Someone once said, “God gave human beings one mouth and two ears so we could listen twice as much as we speak!”

Human history, since the beginning of time and recorded information is riddled with imperfection! Far too many times people have revealed the ugliest sides of human nature causing strife and oppression. We cannot change history but if we are willing, we can learn from those who wrote it, be it good or bad. Reason and reasonable people can prevail; it is in our DNA to do so if we choose. As philosopher George Santayana in 1905 so poignantly stated, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”