Things are Simple Here - R.I.P. Benazir Bhutto

Bill and I had just pulled into the parking lot of our local Subway shop for lunch when I heard on the radio that Benazir Bhutto had been assassinated after a rally in Pakistan (CNN has good coverage here). I don't claim to understand all the issues and politics in Pakistan, but I am sad that Bhutto was killed. I heard her speak a few years ago and she struck me as a strong, courageous, and persevering leader. The world could use more leaders like her. She certainly took a chance when returning to Pakistan and I would guess that she knew there would be attempts on her life. But she did it anyway and I think she enlivened the dialogue in ways that will endure.

I felt strange as I sat in the Subway Restaurant eating my veggie patty sandwich and diet Coke. I reflected on the differences between what must have been her daily life and mine. Worlds of difference. And I felt some guilt that the news of her assignation had not changed my daily routine. I was thinking about her all through lunch.

I would have liked to seen what Benazir Bhutto could have done for Pakistan and as a role model for leadership in the world.

On a much different but also related note, I have been editing my mother's memoir. She died last year and had nearly finished her book. My family asked me to edit it and finish it for her so that we could publish it for the family. The book is called, "Place Settings in Time," and it chronicles the changes in women's lives as seen through how they set their dinner table. She starts with her mother in the early 1900s and writes about all the changes up through today that have impacted how we set our tables. I found the section during the second World War really interesting. She wrote about rationing, and making aprons and curtains out of sugar bags and flour bags. The sacrifices made by all families during the war were profound and tangible.

How our world and prosperity has changed....

My life, I realize, is so simple and rich compared to those in other worlds and of other times. For those who live like me (most of you, I would guess), our daily worries involve looking for sales on our favorite brands of jeans or cars and the selections that will fill our iPods and Kindles.

99.9% of the emails I send and those I get concern matters so small that perhaps they ought not matter at all. We have filled up our heads, bodies, and days with small meaningless things. Do we have room to lead?

I don't mean to be preachy, I am just reflecting on this today....

Comments

[Muslims Against Sharia]

Muslims Against Sharia condemn the murderers responsible for the assassination of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her supporters.

Our prayers are with the victims of this atrocity. We send our condolences to their loved ones.

May the homicide bomber rote in hell for eternity. May his accomplices join him soon!

http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2007/12/prime-minister-benazir-bhutto-murdered.html

[Herman]

Please remember there are many kinds of leaders...not just political leaders...but leaders in all walks of life be they coaches in sports, bosses at work, or people like yourself Lisa who give information and therefore lead people to better understanding of the world around them. You also impact many lives as you make yourself a leader. Thanks, Herman

[Karl Edwards]

Thanks for the reminder to keep life in perspective. It's when we lose perspective that we neglect our ability to do what we can as best we can to make the world a better place.