What is Real?

I'm often asking myself this question.

For example, is real life war, crime, and suffering?

Or is real life love, a connection with God, and reaching out to others?

Photo by: Matt McGee, courtesy of Flickr

You might think I look at the world through rose colored classes, but I prefer the latter answer. It just doesn't make any sense to me to be afraid all of the time, to think less of people and what they are doing to each other and to the world.

Though I know this sort of stuff happens on a daily basis, I try not to focus on the bad but rather the good in life.

Photo by: Moyan_Brenn, courtesy of Flickr

We get plenty of bad without even looking for it.

So why do we have to try so hard to see the good?

Reflect on that for a moment.

Consider the movies that are made. Think about the sorts of things that you watch. Reflect on why you like what you like.

I used to watch soap operas until my dreams got in the way of reality. Yes, people have the sort of problems acted out in soap operas, and folks can get involved in crime and go to jail, and we like that sort of thing, but is it real?

When it comes to writing, whether it's fiction, nonfiction or a children's book, are we considering what is real? Is goodness a part of our story? Is it what wins over the adversary? Do we focus on the goodness of the main character; is this why he/she makes the change in his/her life?

Life may include war, crime and suffering but the the reality is much deeper, and it takes some work to find it.