What did I learn

What did I learn.

     So what did I learn from my first attempt at rallying millions of people to a cause I know we all care about. It ain't as easy as it sounds.

     I am certain that if I stopped 100 random people on the street and asked if they wanted peace throughout the world in their lifetime the vast majority would reply positively. Who wouldn't? I suppose I might get unlucky and come across an evil potentate on the street and get a negative response, or perhaps an arms merchant, but where I live that isn't likely. So if everyone wants peace, why didn't this simple idea go viral instantly and smash all records for global participation? I think it boils down to expectations.

     I would like to be a billionaire. Wouldn't you? That same 100 people all want to be billionaires, even the potentate and the arms dealer. But what we want and what we can actually achieve are often separated by a wide gulf. As I said in the first post, I'm a simple guy. I have about a .000000001% chance of becoming a millionaire, much less a billionaire. So while I would like to be one, I have no reasonable expectation of becoming one. And while we all want world peace, we all know the state of the world we live in. It's hard to imagine changing the climate of hatred and mistrust just by ringing a bell. And so, why bother? In fact when you say it out loud it just sounds silly. I know. I still think it sounds silly. But let's take a different point of view, just for a moment. 

     There's an old song that Frank Sinatra did, "High Hopes" I think was the title. In it he talks about an ant trying to move a rubber tree. No ant can move a rubber tree. Not alone, but a colony of ants can move a rubber tree in relatively short order. So it is with "Ring a Bell for Peace".  I do not possess the wherewithal to garner the attention of world leaders. But if a million people march on Washington the world takes notice of that. Imagine the attention that might be given to a billion bells ringing around the world. Yes I said a billion. That's one bell in the hands of one out of every seven people. Oops there goes another rubber tree plant.  In another time that would have been completely unrealistic. But today we have Facebook, we have Twitter, we have blogs, like this one. Mass media in the hands of the masses. A cute video of a Korean man doing a lively little dance got the attention of the whole world and kept it for several weeks. A little boy with a terminal disease wants to set a record for most likes on Facebook and the world responds. We all want peace. Let me say that again. We All Want Peace.

     If we get the attention of the world's powerful people, and we hold it, we can demand action. But first we have to get their attention. Help me do that. Spread the word. Pass this on. Oops there goes another rubber tree plant.