Life Runs On Code
I heard the expression recently, “Life runs on code.” As I thought about this idea, even though I know this thought process is supposed to focus on computers and technology, I couldn’t help but wonder, if we, in a bizarre kind of way, don’t run our lives, “on code.”
Each geographic area in the country has its own “code.” In and around Washington D.C. the code is politics! There, it seems, everyone lives and breathes the whole political agenda which often includes deceit, manipulation, and back-stabbing to get to the top. That’s not to say all political people are such offenders, but on the whole, most people would place a politician in or near this category.
New York has the stigma of being the “go-to city!” It’s big and boisterous, never sleeping, vibrant with activity twenty-four hours a day. It’s all about culture, theatre, big business and money-making! Indianapolis is all about the “Indianapolis racetrack.” Here the Indy races are held with much fan fare, as well as, the NASCAR races. People even kiss the track bricks when they win!
The Dakota’s are known for buffalo, Indians, cold and snow! Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Mountain draw people from all over the world. The Black Hills, where the movie “Dances With Wolves” was filmed, offers breathtaking views in an area where people still remember their neighbor during a storm and offer assistance and kindness just because they can!
California boasts Hollywood, the ultimate place of becoming someone else in the movie world; along with Los Angles and San Francisco, more cities of great enormity and alternative view points. Texas is big, with deserts and thriving cities; while Florida, called the Sunshine State, is crowded with retirees searching for the “good life.”
Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains offer seclusion in a laidback life style in an area of unique beauty. Dolly Parton said it best in one of her songs about God’s special paintbrush, filling in the colors of His very own coloring book! The hills filled with smoke like fog, vibrant color, streams and water falls, wild life and the sweet aroma of honeysuckle, lilac, and sweet pinesap, invites even the most cautious trail blazer to drink in the beauty.
Our lives could easily be described as being experienced “in code” due to our workplace, where we live, and our daily activities and even how we celebrate holidays, be it Valentine’s Day or Christmas! We all want very much to fit in and be a part of where we call home. Yet, it’s easy to get caught up in cynicism and wrong doing, in our “dog eat dog” world. When we immerse ourselves in believing good supersedes evil, love trumps doing bad things, and understanding overrides negativity, this is how we’ll lead our lives.
Our daily walk through our personal beliefs ultimately, becomes the code by which we choose to live. It doesn’t matter what our geographical area. We still might get caught up in what surrounds us, but we have resources where we can find the answers to all our questions. We can search our hearts and know the “code” we are following, is or is not, ultimately right for us.
But what about the code ‘of the disability people group’? It seems there is a code for this, as well, and it has nothing to do with geography. Sadly, these folks are often forgotten, and misjudged, bullied and considered less than ‘the optimal human being!’ I suggest (strongly) otherwise! Each person has an element about themselves which they often hide from the general public. Those with a disability don’t always have the ability to hide what others can see, regardless of how they wish different.
Our code of perception often needs to be ‘reset’ so we can see these precious people for the warm, kind, productive people they can be, when we allow it!
So, I challenge you to look at your life. What code do you follow to make choices and decisions? Do you just attempt to fit in? Or, do you take a stand to make a difference?
Photo Credit: https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/code-running.html