Everyday Canvas

Ideologies and Dreams

Prompt: "Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together." Eugene Ianesco. Playwright How do you feel about this?

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I totally agree. Around the election time, throw a political idea into the conversation of a group of good friends and you’ll see how many of them will get annoyed and begin to squabble. The thinking is, I know better, and if you are not with me, you are against me. The same goes for religions. I don’t have to show any examples for religious disputes. They are out there and have been so for centuries. More violence has been committed, and more wars have been fought over religion than any other cause.

Unfortunately for us, as societies evolved, people created a limitless list of ideologies. Not only we are left to deal with what we have inherited, but also, we need to handle our present-day misgivings. As a result, we add on more ideologies into the mix.

On top of it all, usually within an ideology, specific doctrines take form. Take a political party like the Republicans, for example, and count the divisions inside it. Even within the same ideology, differing points of view are frequently expressed with a lot of venom. If so, then just imagine what happens among different ideologies.

Even when separated by our ideologies, there are times when we can put them aside and come together, such as when we have a hurricane (where I live). At a time like that, everyone become tightknit with each other regardless of race, wealth, political party, religion, or anything else. Everyone is out to help each other with the goal of rescue, retrieve, rebuild and heal. The same goes during a wedding; at least most of the time and in my experience. Both the bride’s and the groom’s sides are agreeable and happy with each other, no matter the differences in most major aspects of their lives.

I really don’t need anguish to bring me closer to anyone, but I’ll take pleasant dreams anytime. As to ideologies separating us, this happens only if we allow them. To live in peace, we must make the choice to have the ability to see beyond our differences, to celebrate and respect those differences, and to find a common ground in which to come together. My dream is for all of us on earth to live our lives fully and lovingly and to allow others to do the same.