We all make choices, probably too many of them to count every day.
Some choices we make have little or no consequences, while others can be life-shattering. In fact, they can be life ending.
The news on the weekend was horrific.
Coverage mainly involved the tragedy in Norway and the death of Amy Winehouse.
Though Winehouse’s death is very sad (any death is sad, particularly in a person of that age), I was a bit frustrated by the sort of press attention she was getting, considering everything else that was going on in the world at the time.
The people I felt deep sympathy and compassion for were the people in Norway.
When it all comes down to it, Amy made her own lifestyle choices.
Now we are hearing about all the people that were to blame for her drug and alcohol situation. Her ex-husband introduced her to this and that, her management did something else and her family should have done more.
People seem to be looking for someone to blame.
Blaming everyone else for our problems just doesn’t cut it. Believe me, I wish it did, I could blame a few people for some of mine. It would be easier to pass the buck and not have to take any responsibility.
It would be great not to have to man up (or woman up as the case may be) to my own mistakes and bad decisions.
The one thing everyone seems to be forgetting is that Amy, in fact, made her own choices.
When the drugs and booze were offered she choose yes when she should have said no.
She was a grown woman responsible for herself.
Amy was given options. She was given chances to turn things around. Sadly that didn’t seem to work out for her.
The truth of the matter is I felt a lot sorrier over the weekend for the victims of the Norwegian tragedy.
They were simply going about their day. They had no choice in what happened to them.
No point in time where they could say I don’t want this, I want something different.
No point where they could say, I want to continue with my life. Those poor people were given no options. No choices.
While some choices we can change easily without any repercussions, other choices have far-reaching consequences.
Are you making the right choices for your life?
I rarely write opinion based posts on what is happening in the media, so this is a departure from the norm for me.
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I agree completely with you, although these media made ‘celebrities’ have greater pressures & perhaps temptations to contend with they also have greater resources. It balances out. They still have choice and self responsibility the same as the rest of us.. Our lives may not make the front page but the consequences of the choices we make, or fail to make, are still the same..
Thanks for posting and speaking up, when I heard she died I thought ‘it was always just a matter of time’.
Poor people in Japan, Christchurch, and Norway innocent bystanders in disasters they had little or no choice about..
I was saddened to hear of the death of Amy Winehouse – she was a great talent and a troubled soul. And I was devastated and overwhelmed by the news from Norway. In some ways, perhaps, people have commented so much on Amy’s death because she was one person and they felt that on some level they ‘knew’ her due to the media coverage.
I think that the TV Show ‘Back to Where They Came From’ proved that people find it easier to understand and care when they are dealing with individuals – names and faces – whereas numbers are just so horrifying that it’s difficult to get your head around. Perhaps this accounts for some of what you are talking about.
You are right, however, about the notion of choices. We all make them. And sometimes they’re taken out of our hands. With horrifying consequences.
Thought-provoking post. Sorry about the essay!
Excellent article, glad you’re speaking out. When I look at people around me I feel like those creating greatest, and most sustainable value (in all ways), are those taking responsibility for their choices. We all make bad choices at times but not accepting responsibility means we’re much more likely to repeat the bad ones.
This article is much more than commentary on current affairs, it’s an excellent reflection on optimal behavior.
Nicely said Thea. From personal experience, this week I am fortunate to see the benefits of some choices I made 17 years ago. Sometimes the sacrifices aren’t as evident in the short-term but given time, become clear. I am truly lucky to have reached this point. My heart goes out to the people of Norway x
Hi Kate
Great to see you here, thank you for the comment. You are definitely right about the choices and sacrifices sometimes not being evident in the short term. Often things take some time to show their true value. Glad to hear that you are seeing the benefits of your decision made years ago.
Cheers
Thea
Thanks for the share, Thea. It’s a sad thing to think of but as it is – it’s how our society has been molded. You’d wonder how people can mourn the passing of a celebrity like Amy and not even notice bigger things that are happening around them. It’s then you’d want to ask yourself – “Are we being too insensitive?” Or is this a manifestation of man’s effort to deny the presence of chaos in an effort to relieve themselves of the painful truth that lurks around them?