I agree with you Grace that a person cannot be measured simply by what they do, but I feel it is equally as wrong to deny that what we do with our lives and our talents has nothing to do with who we are as people. It is simply an extention of the person we are deep inside.
I really hate generalizations which depict an area or group of people having the exact same opinions. I was raised in England during the early part of my life and bear it's love and it's influence. While it is true that many people put too much stock into what you do for a living as defining who you are, I do not think this is confined to a locality. Many societies wrongfully hold it as a measure of worth. I humbly submit that this is just not a western perception, and my comment in no way tried to relegate Joni as simply an singer/songwriter. Her music has touched me deeply, and my wish to reach her was simply to help her understand what she has done as a human being by exposing her vulnerabilities through her art and through her music. Hope that clears things up. Sherelle In a message dated 06/08/2002 4:16:12 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I agree with > > Kakki that there seems to be a self-esteem problem. How I wish we could > all > > sit down with her and help her see what a lasting effect she's had on all > of > > our lives. I wish she could find peace and contentment knowing that she > has > > put out some pretty fantastic work and find happiness in it. > > unfortunately, that won't work. If it did, she'd be feeling pretty good > about herself. she has had many awards and recognition. > Besides, a persons worth does not come from what they do, it comes from > just being. we hare human beings not human doings. > If Joni relies on what she does, and the praise it brings, to feel good > about herslef, then she is making a big mistake. (of course we have no idea > what she thinks or really what her self esteem is like). > People in general make this mistake of using what we do to feel good about > ourselves. hence whent he time comes that we can no longer 'do', we feel > miserable and lost. The person who retires, the person whose offspring have > elft home home, if they valued themselves purely as a parent or as a > worker, are in deep shit. > > It is a serious mistake made in the west. we are valued not for who we are > but for what we do. If we valued people for who they are, human beings, war > would not be such a problem, and children wouldn't be starving to daeth, > being beaten to death or ............. > > we aren't what we do. we are what we think. no one is worthless. no one ois > worth more than the next person, nor less. > > yes joni has given us some wonderful music. but that is not her worth. and > how sad for us if that is how we measure her and it is catastrophic for her > if she measures herself by what she does. > > simply, the fact we value a nurse more than a road cleaner, is the root of > much suuffering.....
