“No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn´t know it”.
-The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

The last week has been one of real reflection for me. I have, unfortunately, had cause to ponder a lot on death and suicides. Let me assure you, the number of young people driven to suicide yearly is a lot higher than you’d think. It breaks my heart not just because its sad, but when I think of anyone feeling so very alone and so deeply discouraged, to think of anyone feeling that their presence matters so little to the grand scheme of things that they are convinced that taking their life will NOT cause even a ripple in the world’s stream, just makes me heavy.

Going to Paolo Coelo’s site for my every-other-day fix, I found a post titled ‘Uselessness’, which resonated with me because I suspect that the feeling of worthlessness or ‘uselessness’ might be one of the leading causes of suicide. The quotes below are taken from the Paolo Coelho book, ‘Manuscript in Accra’ as detailed on his blog. The poem that follows the excerpt from the book was found in the comment section of the blog. I have to admit that it is perhaps the most apt comment in response to a blog post that I have ever read. The two bits of writing mentioned below really resonated with my feelings in the past week.

“The younger people realise that the world is full of huge problems, which they dream of solving, but no one is interested in their views.
‘You don’t know what the world is really like,’ they are told. ‘Listen to your elders and then you’ll have a better idea of what to do.’

The older people have gained in experience and maturity, they have learned about life’s difficulties the hard way, but when the moment comes for them to teach these things, no one is interested.
‘The world has changed,’ they are told. ‘You have to keep up to date and listen to the young.’

That feeling of uselessness is no respecter of age and never asks permission, but corrodes people’s souls, repeating over and over:
‘No one is interested in you, you’re nothing, the world doesn’t need your presence.’

…Sometimes taking part in a great battle will be the thing that will help to change the course of history.
 But sometimes you can do that simply by smiling, for no reason, at someone you happen to pass in the street.
Without intending to, you might have saved the life of a complete stranger, who also thought he was useless and might have been ready to kill himself, until a smile gave him new hope and confidence.”

The truth is, we all have something to give. We are all here for a purpose. I know I’m blessed and many people have it hard but I will always stick to the line that Life Is Worth It! You don’t even know but simply by existing, you actually add to someone else’s life much more than you know….well except you’re a serial paedophile…then you add absolutely nothing, but take away everything beautiful from this good world. Excuse yourself.

Yes, you may quote me on that.

The Touch of the Master’s Hand by Myra Brooks Welch

“ ’Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile:
‘What am I bidden, good folks,’ he cried,
‘Who’ll start the bidding for me?’
‘A dollar, a dollar’; then, ‘Two!’ ‘Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three—’ But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As sweet as a caroling angel sings.
“The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, ‘What am I bid for the old violin?’
And he held it up with the bow.
‘A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!’ said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
‘We do not quite understand
What changed its worth.’ Swift came the reply:
‘The touch of a master’s hand.’

“And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A ‘mess of pottage,’ a glass of wine;
A game—and he travels on.
He’s ‘going’ once, and ‘going’ twice,
He’s ‘going’ and almost ‘gone.’
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.”

I for Invaluable.