Finding Ninee » Sharing our parenting and special needs stories with heart and humor.

I Want My Son’s World To Be Beautiful. Announcing a New Project #‎1000Speak‬

1000 VoicesHumans have been and continue to be horrible to humans. Our history is of genocide, killing in the name of whatever is  seen as “right.” The murdering of children has been acceptable for thousands and thousands of years.

I used to watch the news. Today, I can barely watch the news. I can’t keep up. I don’t want to.

I want my son’s world to be beautiful.

There are days when keeping up with my little boy and his therapies and inclusions and the potential injustices he will face in his life due to developmental delays is already more than enough. While I know that it’s important to keep up with what’s going on in the world, I don’t want to. My husband, who works for the Department of Defense, does enough of that for our whole family. I asked him, retired US Army guy, for a quote. This is what he gave me:

“I’ma (gonna) get medieval on your ass”  —  Crime boss Marsellus Wallace  Pulp Fiction

Man’s willingness to commit to truly unspeakable acts upon his fellow man would seem at all time high as it’s celebrated, justified, condemned, vilified or ignored. A father throws his child off a bridge, a mother sets her baby afire, a husband beats and stabs his wife, a wife shoots her husband,  an African terror group literally wipes a villages from the face of the earth, an Islamic State is declared that seeks a return to the 7th Century already responsible for murder and enslavement of thousands …all within the past few months. All done in name of jealousy, anger, hate, psychosis or tribe, religion, politics, power.

First world response…”the world is different than when I was growing up.” 

Or was it?  From Cain’s murder of  Abel to devastation of cities of  the ancient world where the losers were crucified , raped or enslaved, to the crusades where blood of Jerusalem citizens bathed the hooves of Christendom’s finest knights, to the Holocaust where a modern society led by a megalomaniac nearly exterminated a group of people defined by their religion,  or the killing fields of Cambodia  driven by another demented dictator…to now where beheadings, rape, torture, etc. explode all over the global information grid.

Where is the empathy and compassion for one’s fellow man….

Where, indeed? Here. In so many places…

*****

To the beauty. My step father is an artist, and he’s amazing. Yesterday, I received one of his pieces of art. It’s full of beauty and light and makes me wish that I had even a small amount of the talent that he does (and stay tuned, as he’s about to go public with his art and you’re going to want to get in on this). This photo does not do the actual piece justice.

Mike O

Art, along with my son’s laughter, makes me remember that our broken world is also full of sunlight and hope. I don’t watch much of the news. I just can’t. I know that it’s important to be informed but the fact that a woman lit her baby on fire yesterday, that all of this horrible horrible is here… is just Too Much.

But. There’s something I can do. There’s something you can do too. Recently, my friend Yvonne (the one who inspired my article about Fostering Self Compassion) read an amazing post that Lizzi wrote  and came up with One Kick Ass Idea. Seriously Kick Ass.

Her idea? 1,000 voices on the same day to speak about compassion. About having a village and raising empathy and wonder.  As Lizzi said, it’s like Our Land, on speed. I’m taking part in #100Speak. 1,000 writers will post on February 20 about compassion. It’s going to be amazing. Like Iron Man amazing (for which I’m also thankful as for the first time, Tucker wanted face paint – done by a STRANGER and he wanted to KEEP it on). Big stuff.

Little boy with Iron Man Face Paint who wants to change the world

Here’s my offer to you. If you’re a person who does not have a place to share your thoughts on compassion (or life), send me your posts on Compassion and I’ll share them here. My other offer is to Join Us. We have a Facebook group and are completely committed to making Compassion count in this messy crazy ugly world of ours that is also beautiful, full of hope, and a place where our voices matter.

#1000Speak. Our voices matter.

Compassion. Awareness. #1000Speak.

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  • Lisa @ The Meaning of Me - FRIST!January 19, 2015 – 1:06 amReplyCancel

  • Lisa @ The Meaning of Me - This is beautiful, Kristi. As always.January 19, 2015 – 1:07 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I’m so excited for the 20th of February. There are going to be amazing amazing awesome posts about compassion all OVER the place!!January 19, 2015 – 5:39 pmReplyCancel

  • Zoe - So beautifully written! And the bonus of one of my favorite men of the superhero variety!January 19, 2015 – 3:59 amReplyCancel

  • Mandy Carroll - I would like to participate in the 1000 voices in any way that I can…
    I also do not watch the news….I cannot bear to hear so much pain…January 19, 2015 – 5:54 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Mandy,
      Do you have a blog (the link from your name just brings me to a regular wordpress platform)? If so, you can post about compassion on Feb. 20. If not, you can help to promote it on FB, etc. and are very very welcome to write something about compassion and put it here. Just let me know!January 19, 2015 – 5:52 pmReplyCancel

  • Kenya G. Johnson - How wonderful that your will share others stories here too! Your step father’s art is beatufitul! I can’t hardly watch the news. I’m often jumping up to turn something off before Christopher has any questions about it. I’ve talked to him about so many things EXCEPT the harsh realities we see on the news everyday.January 19, 2015 – 7:11 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - The harsh realities of the news are something I’m dreading talking to Tucker about. There’s just no good way to explain to a kid about the horror of what goes on in the world. People fighting people. It’s just sad…January 19, 2015 – 5:53 pmReplyCancel

  • Allie - Compelling as ever. You’ve inspired me – I’m in!January 19, 2015 – 9:15 amReplyCancel

  • Tamara - I’m excited for February 20th. I think it might be a lot more than 1,000.

    And yeah.. my grandparents talk about the good old days, and all I can hear in my head is “Spanish Inquisition”, “Orphan Train,” “Holocaust,” etc.

    It’s a big bad world sometimes but I do think we outnumber them. Doesn’t make it easier to swallow, though.January 19, 2015 – 5:19 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I think it might be way more than 1000 too Tamara! Here’s to outnumbering them. To compassion. To #1000Speaks.January 19, 2015 – 6:00 pmReplyCancel

  • Emily - Love this idea – A LOT! I may send you a post, but in the meantime, I’d love to join the group!January 19, 2015 – 6:33 pmReplyCancel

  • Chris Carter - Oh Kristi- that was SO powerful. You described so much horrific humanity and the plight of so many people in your post… worded absolutely brilliantly too. From the beginning of time, oh so true. And I cringe, and nod, and sigh…

    And then I smile and nod and sigh…

    THIS.January 20, 2015 – 9:17 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I hate the horrific humanity… and yet, here we are right? I mean it’s HERE. Closing my eyes to it helps but still… what if we can make a difference??January 20, 2015 – 10:11 pmReplyCancel

  • Kerri - I’ve already joined but this is a great way to get the word out! And can I say how much Tucker looks like you in this picture? He has your shit-eating-grin my friend. The very best parts of you….in all ways.January 20, 2015 – 10:55 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Aw, I love that you think he looks like me in this one. I see him sometimes and wonder where he’s from, he seems so himself and yet, there are things about Robert that are so there… I guess it’s harder to see ourselves in them huh? Although his eyes – they are totally mine 😉
      Thanks friend and this whole #1000Speak thing is gonna ROCK.January 20, 2015 – 10:13 pmReplyCancel

  • Kristi - It is definitely easy to get overwhelmed by all the atrocities in the world. I’m so excited to join together with so many other bloggers to advocate for compassion and goodness.January 20, 2015 – 12:20 pmReplyCancel

  • Elizabeth - Count me in! This is inspired and brilliant! I, too, refused to read and watch the news. Bad news sells and there is simply too much of it to get an accurate read on the world. This project will counterbalance that nicely!January 20, 2015 – 4:14 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - YAY so glad you’re in, Elizabeth! I truly think it’s important. Obviously the horrible people won’t read anything BUT what if somebody feeling alone and like they want to join something does? Baby steps right? MLK stuff right?January 20, 2015 – 10:16 pmReplyCancel

  • Angel the Alien - Sometimes what I think is that the world is sort of a battle between good and bad, and imagine the default is 50-50, with 50% good and 50% evil. Like a Tug-0f-war. So our job is to try to fight the bad stuff by doing good… so maybe for every one person who hurts or kills a child, there will be at least 2 people who are actively trying to help and heal traumatized children; for every one starving person, there may be at least 2 people volunteering at Feed My Starving Children to get food to them. That way the good, in the long run, can win over the bad. If you just do nothing, you are neutral, neither good nor bad. So everyone should TRY to choose something good they can do to help the world. Maybe that is my brain over-simplifying it, but it makes sense to me!January 20, 2015 – 4:35 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I love the idea that the good keeps getting more powerful, Angel. Like love love. I don’t think it’s your brain doing anything more than being your brain which is really great at figuring these odds out and I so so want to believe that you’re right because it DOES make sense!!January 20, 2015 – 10:17 pmReplyCancel

  • Dana - I thought of Our Land when this group first formed – it’s kinda like spreading Our Land out for everyone to see. I love it. I’m all in, and I really like the idea of inviting non-bloggers to share on your page. I may have to do that!January 20, 2015 – 9:08 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - You did? I love that you thought of Our Land! I need to start publishing them again – got so many lame sponsor requests that I got frustrated by it but there’s still some amazing stories out there… need to get back. But yeah, I’m so happy that we’re doing this! I don’t know if any non-bloggers will post but I wanted my friends (some who have done OL posts before) to know that I’d publish them here.January 20, 2015 – 10:20 pmReplyCancel

  • Dyanne @ I Want Backsies - That face paint thing is a BIG DEAL! Baby steps, baby steps, step backwards, then BOOM. Good for Tucker. And good for you and your advocacy for him.January 20, 2015 – 9:34 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Dyanne! The face paint? HUGE DEAL. I mean just a few months back, he started crying when he realized that a temporary tattoo doesn’t wipe off with a “nakin.” So yeah, HUGE!! I’d have let him keep it for days if it wouldn’t have ruined my couch and his bed 😉January 20, 2015 – 10:21 pmReplyCancel

  • Yvonne Spence - Kristi, your point that the world wasn’t different when we were growing up, that violence has been around since Biblical times and beyond, is such an important one. Oddly, it gives me hope rather than the opposite. I see so many great initiatives, like Non-Violent Communication (NVC), mindfulness and self-inquiry, and I do honestly think people’s thirst for compassion is growing and that we will be part of that, making a difference.

    I want your son’s world to be beautiful too. Thank you for joining in with 1000 Voices -let’s make that beautiful world happen!January 21, 2015 – 10:58 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - You know, it gives me hope as well. I think you’re right that we are evolving (when I think about kids and special needs, I think about how they were once killed, and then hidden, and now mainstreamed as much as possible) and yeah. We ARE making progress!!!January 23, 2015 – 11:51 pmReplyCancel

  • Roshni - So many amazing bloggers like you on this..it’s going to be epic!!January 26, 2015 – 4:48 pmReplyCancel

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