I just finished watching a simple little film, “Into The White.” Directed by Norwegian director Petter Naess. In it, two flight crews, one from a German bomber and the other from a British plane, find themselves surviving together in the frigid conditions of Norway’s mountain, where both planes crashed in a remote area. It’s one of those enemies become allies plots that mainstream Hollywood often uses for theatrical cache. But what make this story remarkable is the factual incident that backs its storyline and outcome. Not trying to make myself out as a film critic… the farthest thing from my mind as I write this entry. What is relevant…? The ethical question the film poses.

Mainly this, How willing are we to look beyond our sociological histories and political programming?

A thought, that willing to or not, forces us to ask… why is it that at many times, we so easily dismiss the basic fact that we are all equally human? Evolved from similar wombs of mirror like origin we were all once the same innocent baby. Infants with no agenda’s propelled by hearts meek and mild. Added to that many of us are parents, husbands, wives, brothers and sisters. Statistics that are undeniably real and with the resonance of a musical track can lovingly ring in our memories. An aspiration that can pause us to look upon the kind, and yes, even more difficultly, the impolite with at least a note of compassion– regardless of attitudes, politics, religion, race, creed or own bias in acknowledging one absolute… Our blood bleeds the same red?

For the characters of Into The White it took a literal fight for survival to break the walls that separated them. Most likely we’ll never find ourselves in the depths of having to make a life or death decision in regards to whom we are associating or fighting with. But on a macro perspective, comparable wall-dropping opportunities appear to each on a daily basis. Hour by hour, we have to reason with our internal motivators in navigating how we choose to relate with, and react to, our fellow beings. It matters not if in a social or business situation. It matters not if we are outspoken or reserved. It matters not if we are frightened or confident. What matters is the wake we  leave in our paths.

The grand reflection– Do we desire to build or do we desire to conquer? We all possess the seeds to empower incremental change to the world around us. Be it negative or positive, the choice is independently ours.

Much like the conflict illustrated by a Hitler manipulated crew of Into the White as they overcame their biases learning to literally love they’re, at first, very arrogant British pilot and gunman, we too are suspect to the influential voice of propaganda (and know that I’m not supporting Hitler’s agenda by any means). Sure, we are not two drastically opposing Air Force crews forced into arctic survival. We are much more diverse than that. But in a strange way we are not that different in being suspect to loosing ourselves to whatever programming we are living. Similar to the resolve and loving friendship that is illustrated by the German and British flight crews of Into the White, we too have what it takes to revisit the reasoning behind our intent.

That is why Operation-365 exists, to rally us to look away from the “they are this! Or they are that!” Assumptions that tend to hit the innocent populous with tyrannical frequency in reeking heavy casualty. For what reason it happens, I’ll never fully understand.

I’ll leave answering that question to the scholars and analysts. For now, my concern lies elsewhere… in the hearts of each of us.

We… “The Silent Majority…” Us… “The Real Every Day People,” have cause to stand together ignoring any diverted course that some so diligently work to place before us. That we, the majority of the every day, will fight with tenacity to focus on one very definitive and empathetic finish line– that being passing the baton of what’s right. What’s to come? I cannot predict, but here is one thought that might be persuasive, At the end of the game, may we all be able to rest our heads knowing that our footprint mattered… and that we trained our future warriors well.

All for now, my good friends,

Richard