A series of essays....
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| LYCHEE FRUIT, AN UNEXPECTED GIFT FROM A GOOD FRIEND AND MY FIRST TASTE OF THIS UNUSUAL AND VERY BEAUTIFUL FRUIT GROWN IN HER VIETNAMESE, BACKYARD GARDEN |
.....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
The current world population is 7.6 billion as of July 2018 according to the most recent United Nations estimates elaborated by Worldometers:
Current World Population
7,633,330,615
TODAY
Births today
132,205
Deaths today
54,758
Population Growth today
77,447
THIS YEAR
Births this year
70,725,785
Deaths this year
29,295,142
The world population is expected to reach 8.6 billion by 2030.
I captured this rolling meter at a specific moment in time: 8:18:27, Tuesday morning, July 3, 2018. Later, I will post the active meter once again and give you the current stats, captured in real time, as a point of comparison.
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| KINDNESS AMONG OUR YOUTH; SHARING LOVE AND RESPONSIBILITY! |
HUMANITY
Humans considered as a group are referred to as the human race: Living, breathing, walking figures of intelligence and members of the primate genus Homo, species Homo sapiens, distinguished from other apes by a large brain and the capacity for speech. Humans have developed far beyond the use of sign language and due to our exceptional communication skills have advanced in the fields of writing, progressive thought, philosophy, Renaissance (revival of intellectual or artistic achievement and enthusiasm), invention and mass production during the Industrial Revolution, Space Frontier (from its beginnings in the 1940’s to manned flights in 1961 and beyond), and lastly....Technology, the branch of knowledge dealing with engineering and applied sciences.
We humans certainly did not allow the grass to grow too tall beneath our feet while discovering our own valuable capabilities throughout the years! As more and more and more of us continue to populate Earth, we tend to forget that our planet, our number one life support system, never changes in size or quantity of natural elements that serve to maintain our well-being and future on the Big Blue Planet. Many of us take it for granted that the forests, water supply, soil to grow crops, sunlight and rain, the basics of existence, will always be there and ours no matter what we do or how many of us we have sharing these basic necessities together.
Recalling Humanities 101 in college, freshman year, our young, hormonally driven selves studied the classics, the languages and literature of Ancient Greece and Rome. We familiarized ourselves with those branches of knowledge such as philosophy, literature, and art that are concerned with human thought and culture. Being a required course, Humanities 101, you might say, gave us a chance to reevaluate our own lives in such a way that we were better able to choose which path our journey might take us in this world. Also, we socialized and, hopefully, put into practice the quality of being humane and benevolent that had been taught to us by our parents and closest mentors within the first eighteen years of life.
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| MY SISTER-IN-LAW, SUSIE, VOLUNTEERING CLEAN-UP DUTIES! |
CIVILITY
If you still believe that having your date open the car door or politely pull-out a chair for you to be conveniently seated at the table are very good things...than courtesy and politeness are NOT dead after all! There is a distinction between civility and chivalry. The quality of being humane (civil) extends to demonstrating compassion or benevolence within all forms of our daily life and includes all living beings, as well. As humans, we should be characterized by the tenderness, compassion, and sympathy we have for other beings. This includes regulations ensuring the humane treatment of animals, whether they be our food source, faithful companions, or those animals that help to balance the delicate ecosystem we humans thrive in.
The French express their civility by the simple act of saying 'bonjour' to everyone they meet along their day’s journey. This small, courteous action or expression displays their affirmation of politeness towards their fellow man and allows everyone they meet to feel special and important within that moment in time. To be civil on a small scale, it may be the direct interaction between two individuals. On a grander and more comprehensive level, what makes a society civil can be our attitudes towards all other members of society, “Especially those with whom we have no direct interactions or much in the way of common interests, as well as interactions between individuals and groups, organizations, institutions, and all levels of government and business, as well,” as written in the paper, What is a Civil Society, by Jack Krupansky.
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| GRANDCHILDREN BEING KIND AND HELPING ONE ANOTHER LEARN |
We must ask if we consider ourselves civil human beings within the true perimeters of the meaning of civility itself. Do we show and feel compassion for others on a daily basis? If we can truthfully answer yes, than holding a door open for someone else, encouraging thoughtfulness, successfully connecting with others, and incorporating mutual respect, good manners, and being polite to all of our fellow life travelers are the gifts we should generously bestow upon the billions of people we share this planet called Earth with each day. I can’t help but worry about the country we live in today and how it is swiftly losing the adaptation of civility in our daily life. I never would have imagined as a young child growing-up in one of the most liberal and democratic societies that the simple act of kindness could and would evaporate like raindrops on a hot summer’s day because the greatest example of the lack of civility and deep, profound respect for others lives in the White House in Washington D.C.!
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| BEAUTY...SOFTNESS...KINDNESS |
QUOTES TO LEARN FROM
“We have a choice about how we behave, and that means we have the choice to opt for civility and grace.”
– Dwight Currie
"A generous friend
gives life for a friend
let's rise above this
animalistic behavior
and be kind to one another"
– Mevlana Rumi
“Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind, and the third is to be kind.”
– Henry James
As promised above, I captured this rolling meter at a specific moment in time: 8:18:00, Wednesday morning, July 4, 2018. I am posting the active meter once again to give you the current stats, captured in real time, as a point of comparison. What a huge difference twenty-four hours can make!
Current World Population
7,633,571,610
TODAY
Births today
157,751
Deaths today
65,339
Population Growth today
92,412
THIS YEAR
Births this year
71,137,176
Deaths this year
29,464,471
Population Growth this year
41,672
As the earth's population continues to grow, remember to Love one another as humane beings, as well as to, always, incorporate civility into your daily life. With this power we can make our world, our planet, kind and healthy for everyone!
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| THANK YOU |
Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved
