“It’s not your brain, it’s your cage.” Whether you know it or not, you have built your own cage. Your world is what you make it, you put all the things, people and choices around yourself. Everything you do is a choice.

Feeling caged to me means you stick with the familiar, all the time. All your friends agree with you on politics and everything else, it is a choir of people who all think the same. All the groups you associate with, work, church, volunteer, at your kids school, are filled with people who you are sure think like you do.

When was the last time you had a discussion with someone who has a point of view you don’t agree with? Do you think anyone who thinks things you don’t agree with are a threat, do you demonize them? Talk about them like they are monsters?

You may have friends who don’t agree with you, but haven’t shared their thoughts because they are afraid to discuss their questions for fear of losing your friendship or having their idea attacked. Starting to see those bars yet?

Our world is full of screaming voices, trying to convince you our country is the worst cage, we are all selfish, racist and cruel, when in reality our cage is beautiful! Does our country have problems? Of course. Are there people suffering? Yes, should we help them? Hell ,yes. But we can’t do that if we are fighting each other, the only moral high ground it taking care of each other, not tearing each other apart.

So I am going to remind you of what the news media won’t. They know if they don’t make you scared and angry you might come to your own conclusions and then they will be out of a job. I’m here to remind you our country is full of truly amazing, talented, giving, kind, hard-working people. It’s hard to remember this when the sound system being piped into your cage is one telling you the “others” are to blame. When anyone you don’t understand, agree with, or dislike has become ” evil” you are in a cage of your own making. Isn’t it time to open the cage door and explore? Open the door, the rest of the world is waiting to meet you…