A Paradox

So, I was watching "American Idol" tonight and was extremely touched by what I saw. I'm sure most of you are pretty jaded by that show. I mean they do exploit those poor people who clearly have no talent and the judges arguing constantly does start to grate on you. But despite all of that, I love the show. At the end of the day, there is definitely talented people out there....but beyond that, it's the stories that Idol highlights; stories that portray the human spirit in the best way possible. Yes, on American Idol.

Tonight, they showcased a young man whose dream has always been to sing. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was part of a band until he had to give it all up. His mom was recently diagnosed with a seizure disorder, and as you can imagine, it's changed her life forever. It requires that she receive constant care, which the son has committed to giving to her. Is that unbelievable? It may seem obvious.....wouldn't we all do the same? But think about it for a second. What the son has chosen to do is to give up his life, his dreams...to care for the person who brought him into this world. They interviewed the mom, who of course, was in tears when they asked about her son. She was so excited that he was trying out for Idol; to know that he was finally going to be able to chase his dream, which he so lovingly put off because he loved his mom more. It was touching; his sacrifice. So, fast forward to the audition. He is REALLY talented and he's moving on to the next part of the competition. You can't help but cheer him onto stardom, and here's the best part. When asked why he wanted to win he said, "I just want to be able to help my mom lead a comfortable life and give her everything she needs." WOW!!

Now, here's the paradox:
After watching that show, I flipped the channel and the news happened to be on. Unfortunately, they were talking about a teacher who was murdered in her own home. It caught my eye because according to the map, this happened no more than 5 miles from my house. She taught at a Catholic school nearby. When they showed her picture, you couldn't help but think about what kind of person would do something like that to such an innocent woman. You know who it was? Her own son!! He even admitted to the police that he had planned on burying her body in the backyard. I switched the channel; I was so disgusted!

So, tell me this.....what's the logic in seeing one son who was so selfless, and one son who was so selfish. What made the difference? Nature? Nurture? I don't get it. It was interesting, too, that in a matter of minutes, I went from having my heart touched to having my heart broken.

Have you ever stopped to think about that? You know, the paradox of life. From the complex to the simple; it's everywhere around us. People who want to have kids, but can't; people who shouldn't have kids, but do. People who are born wealthy, but are not grateful; people who have little, but are so thankful. People who are born healthy, but choose to destory their life; people who are born with a rare illness, but choose to live their life.

Now, here's another paradox. How is it possible that in my lifetime, I am actually witnessing my U of A Wildcats, rated as underdogs, playing in our own house, against a ranked ASU team?? Now, where is the logic in that!?!?!?!?!?!?