Nominations, rejections and such

This morning, as I was driving to work, I flipped from KMUW to B98FM....on the morning show, Brett Harris and Tracy Cassidy were bantering about the Wichita man who was "booted off" the Bachelorette last night. A young man, who graduated from Andover high school was one of the Bachelors up for winning the affection of the current "Bachelorette".

Now you need to know that I automatically am offended by these shows. Who in their right mind sells themselves on national television. I could say, prostitute themselves, but am trying to be nice! Any way, this particular man was listening online for L.A. and heard whatever it was that Tracy said and will be on the radio station tomorrow.

Having heard all I wanted in about two minutes, I switched back to NPR on KMUW and President Obama was getting ready to nominate his choice for the Supreme Court. I had already heard earlier the name of Sonia Sotomayor. President Obama nominated the first Hispanic to the court. According to President Obama's speech, she comes with an impressive resume.

I sat in the parking lot at West Heights and pondered what I had heard in just a few minutes. Which would I rather have my name associated with? A reality show, that in my opinion, is nothing more than a national meat market, where men and women (depending on the show) are humiliated or rewarded on national television, or would I rather be considered for a higher calling.

Regardless of what the Senate does with the nomination of Judge Sotomayor, she has dedicated her life to a higher calling of law and justice. Regardless of where one may stand on any one of her opinions, out of a humble life in the Bronx, she pursued education and a way of making the world a better place. I am not sure that contestants on the Bachelorette, or the Bachelor, or Survivor or any number of reality shows can say the same.

Call me old, call me old fashioned, a stick in the mud, or just a preacher, but I want to live in way that means more than fifteen minutes of fame. Somehow, when I come to the end of my life, I want know in the words of Emerson, "that one life has breathed easier", that for a moment or a day, I made a real difference in the world. I want to live deeply and faithfully. The older I get, the less I care about whether I am remembered ten years after I am gone, if somehow in someway I find a way to change a life here, speak a word of grace there and know that some how in some way, my life has mattered.

I would rather be nominated for something truly great, and in the end not succeed than be rejected for some superficial reason. Life is too short and I think we sell ourselves too cheaply for things that do not matter.

I am content to be,

Graced to Serve,

Cindy