I just finished a poem I wrote for my kids called “The Crayon Wars.” In the poem Red and Blue begin arguing about which color is more important. What a silly thing to argue about don’t you agree?

I’ve seen a lot of silly arguments in my time, no doubt you have too. The people involved seem to think their points of view are perfectly rational, but from the outside it isn’t always so. Let’s face it, most people see themselves as rational people most of the time.

Yet when you really think about the arguments that face the world today, most of them really aren’t rational. While one person may believe they can dictate how another person lives their life, they really can’t.

So many people are so concerned with what is going on in their neighbors life, they don’t stop to take a look at their own life. They are so busy telling others how to live that they forget to live themselves. What a waste of time, what a waste of life.

We can’t dictate the personal choices of another, what they can do with their homes, their bodies, their freedom. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, how much more so when we try to change another person by force.

Change is best accomplished by first changing ourselves, when we can show love and compassion for a person we disagree with we can open a door, but we can close it again just as quickly with judgment and demands.

The world cannot exist with only one point of view allowed, just like a box of crayons many points of view are needed to create a whole picture of humanity. When we are all capable of both thinking for ourselves, and allowing others the freedom to think for themselves peace will come.

I don’t know if that will ever really be possible, people get so set on their own important ideas they don’t always stop to look at other peoples ideas which may be contrary, but are just as valid.

Yet there is hope, there is a possibility that we can turn this world around. As long as children are being born, and there are parents willing to teach those children love, respect, and value for other human beings there is hope...

There is plenty of room for all of us in this crayon box, and always will be.

It will all begin with our children, and pass on to their children, and hopefully someday our visions of peace can be realized. be. All we have to do is learn to live and work together.

If you are interested you can read “The Crayon Wars” here...