Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Check back next week for a post on the importance of each decision you make and how it affects others.

Character is King!

As a follow up to the section on the isolated individual, I wanted to delve into the individual in a society. It was my intention to investigate what the universal basics are. This post was going to address that all people have a sense of self. Every person bears an identity, has feelings, desires, tastes, preferences and aversions. We would have discussed that some are short, some are tall--some male, some female. Or that we all have different histories and heritage, convictions and opinions, but...


Nothing needs to be said on this subject other than this:

At the core, we are all the same. The only difference is character, and if we can inspire stronger character, the other opinions and beliefs just add variety, not ammunition.

King envisioned a place and time when all
 would be judged by the content of their character.

We cannot necessarily control what gifts, talents and abilities we have, but we can each determine the content of our individual characters. You and I cannot strengthen anyone else's character and no one else can strengthen ours. All any of us can do is work hard on our own and inspire or persuade others to do likewise.


How will you start your journey?

You are Adam or Eve

 DISCLAIMER: Although Biblical names are used in this piece, they do not represent the actual Adam and Eve, but the theoretical first woman and first man in an abstract parallel.


As the last couple posts are a basic, overly simplified parallel to the life of each individual who reads it, please overlay these points onto your current life situation and see if you are on track or if your course needs correcting.

IN GENERAL: Both Adam and Eve had to discover who they each were, as individuals, before they could be strong partners in a social compact. They developed skills and talents. They became well-rounded people. From there, they didn't lose any of themselves or give up character traits by being married... rather, they added to themselves by adding the other. Things that limited them as singles were less likely to inhibit them as a couple.

SPECIFICALLY EVE: Eve had many abilities surface as she wandered about the land. She was a nurturer. She helped beautify her surroundings and nursed sick and wounded animals. She was a skilled gatherer. But to her, none of those things held nearly as much importance as did her role as mother.

It brought her great joy knowing that she could impart, not just her genetics, but also her wisdom and experiences to a new generation. The education she would provide would make her beloved children better suited to get a head start on their lives. Creating life, incubating it, nursing it and giving it a solid foundation was so fulfilling to Eve that she believed mothering was her life's greatest objective. She felt it challenged her more than anything else she had faced and was far more rewarding.

SPECIFICALLY ADAM: Adam, in order to be desirable to Eve, had to be strong, resourceful, productive and pleasant to be around. Because he was a critical thinker and a dedicated laborer, Eve felt safe with him. Through his sense of humor and tenderness (when appropriate), she felt connected to him.

Adam, when doing things the right way, was responsible for providing food, clothing, shelter, a listening ear (required always) and wise counsel (required less often, but still required). He needed to show his wife that he would do anything to protect her and their children. Additionally, he had to teach his children the virtue of hard work and frugality, or being resourceful.

A FEW THINGS TO GLEAN: 

1 The first thing worth highlighting is that both Adam and Eve were strong and capable of many things. Today, with such a strong focus on self-esteem, society often makes the mistake of glorifying mediocrity. It is almost like awarding a gold medal before the race is run. Each individual has so much potential. You have so much potential. Don't fall into the trap of being satisfied with just going along. We need to act each day as if there were no one else upon whom we might rely. Too many of us are content to sit back and let someone else take the lead. To allow someone else to actualize that brilliant idea that has been at the back of our minds. We cannot let opportunities pass us by.

2 Another notable observation is that neither Adam nor Eve approached the other with any hostility. Each was confident in what they brought to the table and each respected the other as an individual. In today's world, there is an unnecessary battle being waged between the genders. It is psychological. It is a cause in which many take an interest, but at what cost? Imagine how productive Adam and Eve would (not) have been if they spent their entire existence belittling the other because of something as basic as gender. There would have been no happiness for either of them and there would have been no further generations.

3 Which takes us to the third and final point I wish to touch upon: Every new generation is unique. With every new life comes new possibilities and potential. Each newborn can be a potential curer of cancer or a great philanthropist who blesses the lives of the needy. Every child is a potentially gifted statesman or athlete, scientist or doctor.

Every great leader in every field is and has been endowed with special skills, but how more likely is their success when they are the beneficiaries of strong foundations given to them by loving parents? A mother and father are both important, but a mother is a special treasure. One good mother can save a nation. In the end, regardless of how beautifully Eve could weave a blanket, her most lasting legacy was embedded in her role as mother. Her decision to have and support children impacted thousands and thousands of subsequent lives.

Every Woman an Eve

 DISCLAIMER: Although Biblical names are used in this piece, they do not represent the actual Adam and Eve, but the theoretical first woman and first man in an abstract parallel.
This is part two of a series. The previous post "Every Man an Adam" along with this post will be concluded and assessed very shortly.

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In a world void of humans, a young lady finds herself surrounded by treacherous terrain covered in noxious brush, trees and undergrowth. Howls, growls and roars can be heard all around her.

This young lady feels a chill in the air, and knowing nothing of her surroundings, a shiver of fear rattles her frame. Her primary inclination is to move and learn as much as she can about herself and the environment into which she has been placed. She wants to live and thrive. She finds berries, roots and plants to give her body strength and nutrition.

This young woman manages to locate a cave as her shelter. She gets comfortable in her cave and, inspired by the beauty she appreciates in nature, personalizes it by creatively organizing colors from fruits and flowers on the walls. She weaves plant fibers into coverings to keep her warm and add cushioning to the otherwise cold, rough rock floor.


She is strong and capable of so much. As she begins interacting more intimately with the world around her, our lonely young lady discovers that she feels compassion for some of the helpless small animals she encounters. She even feeds and nurses several small critters back to their full health and strength. She is a nurturer and a healer.

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FAST FORWARD: Our young lady, lets call her Eve, meets another human. She is surprised to see that there is another person. The other person is clearly the same species as she is, but with subtle differences. The other one is hairy, taller, has a larger frame and seems (to her) a bit less refined, with a much deeper voice.

Eve feels drawn to this person, even before they start interacting and getting to know each other. Lets just call him Adam. Watching him come and go each day, Eve is impressed by his strength. Adam often does things differently than Eve would, but it works. They learn from each other and work hard together. They laugh. They have hard times. But regardless of what happens in their lives, they are strengthened by each other. Through their mutual growth and development as a couple, they realize the value and importance of being true to themselves, while putting focus on serving each other.

Eve knows absolutely that Adam adores her. She never questions his devotion to her or his commitment to protect her and provide for her. Adam knows she loves him and needs him. But not from a standpoint of dependence, rather they mutually agree that together, they are one. One in respect, one in purpose, but uniquely individual in how they operate. Adam compliments Eve and Eve compliments Adam.

FAST FORWARD AGAIN: Eve is now pregnant. At first, she and Adam are frightened by the new experience they are having. Eventually, Eve feels another entity inside her. Upon making this discovery, she is overcome by emotion, anticipation and exhilaration. The time comes for her to deliver her child. The pain and agony that sneak up on her are all worth it to her when she hears the joyous sound of her child and sees the heart-melting sight of her rough and tough husband Adam lovingly rocking their infant in his arms.

If you, the reader, are a woman, please think about how this abstract can be representative of you. If you are a man, please do likewise. Part 2 will be here shortly to sum it all up.