Sunday Musings – February 25, 2018
The roles we are called to play
In the wake of another school mass shooting in the United States as well as mass killings in many parts of the world and the villages of refuges who have neither a house nor a home country, we are all called to play our roles. As the Bard stated, “All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances…” (“As You Like It”, Act II, Scene VII, William Shakespeare) This was a frequent thought of mine as I continue to read through various essays and other articles discussing or commenting on the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and the subsequent action by the Stoneman Douglas students. Michael Shulman in a February 23, 2018 article in The New Yorker magazine entitled “The Stoneman Douglas Theatre Kids” says, “It’s hard to imagine watching “Spring Awakening” in Broward County, a community where the living are indeed walking on for the dead. Like Melchior, Kasky and his classmates have vowed to remake a world that failed them – a role that no teen-ager should have to play, especially in the wake of tragedy and trauma.” I appreciate the sentiment of Michael Schulman, but as I sit here on a Sunday morning, I do think, once again, of the quote from The Bard and would like to suggest that indeed that is exactly the role that they are called to play. We are all called to remake a world, which fails us. As long as one person is shot in anger under the flag of a country, a movement, a religion or the flag of the despair of a system, which has failed him or her, we are called to play a role. As long as there is disharmony with mother earth, an unequal sharing of resources including health care and education and, yes, those cultural resources which tickle our hearts and souls we are called, in humility and not self-righteousness to take up the mantle of leadership. We are called to dig deep to find our best selves and go forth to speak the truth of what is possible. We may disagree about how to get there. We may disagree about what we have to give up to take care of each other as a group. We may have to move beyond learning the facts which will result in a good ACT score so that we can attend the right college, university or join the right apprentice program so that we can buy the right car, the prestigious house, and the emperor’s new clothes.
I have yet to see a person of any age get and stay kidnapped by alcohol or any other drug who has the faith that they matter and that they can make a difference. We all face tragedy. We all have our particular crosses to bear if we but open our eyes. One of the consistent statements of all those who those who have held hostage by a need to escape and ended up hostage to the drug of their choice is that they felt as if they did not belong, did not have a purpose or needed to run from emotional pain.
Of course any of us are vulnerable to addiction to pain medication, which has been used to treat a post accident or diseased caused pain. Yet, if we know our strength and have a sense of our purpose we will find it easier to get help and into a recovery program.
We have many kids and later adults who do not have a role to play other than hopeless victim. Perhaps it is time, to applaud and join the young people being led by the group of actors from Stoneman Douglas High School. Perhaps it is time to tap into our strength and, yes, our common sense and put on the costume of our role. We, too, can make a difference just as banks, corporations, companies and individuals are questing their roles and their allegiances.
As I sit in Wheeling, West Virginia where many are today engaged in helping their neighbors prepare for or deal with flood waters or other urgent situations, I am reminded, once again, that we often, during times of tragedy, reach into our own closets and put on the costume of the role of worker bee because we know we can make a difference.
Perhaps education is teaching our children how they can use their various talents and gifts; how they can capture the energy of the pain we all experience and make a difference.
Written February 25, 2018
The roles we are called to play
In the wake of another school mass shooting in the United States as well as mass killings in many parts of the world and the villages of refuges who have neither a house nor a home country, we are all called to play our roles. As the Bard stated, “All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances…” (“As You Like It”, Act II, Scene VII, William Shakespeare) This was a frequent thought of mine as I continue to read through various essays and other articles discussing or commenting on the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and the subsequent action by the Stoneman Douglas students. Michael Shulman in a February 23, 2018 article in The New Yorker magazine entitled “The Stoneman Douglas Theatre Kids” says, “It’s hard to imagine watching “Spring Awakening” in Broward County, a community where the living are indeed walking on for the dead. Like Melchior, Kasky and his classmates have vowed to remake a world that failed them – a role that no teen-ager should have to play, especially in the wake of tragedy and trauma.” I appreciate the sentiment of Michael Schulman, but as I sit here on a Sunday morning, I do think, once again, of the quote from The Bard and would like to suggest that indeed that is exactly the role that they are called to play. We are all called to remake a world, which fails us. As long as one person is shot in anger under the flag of a country, a movement, a religion or the flag of the despair of a system, which has failed him or her, we are called to play a role. As long as there is disharmony with mother earth, an unequal sharing of resources including health care and education and, yes, those cultural resources which tickle our hearts and souls we are called, in humility and not self-righteousness to take up the mantle of leadership. We are called to dig deep to find our best selves and go forth to speak the truth of what is possible. We may disagree about how to get there. We may disagree about what we have to give up to take care of each other as a group. We may have to move beyond learning the facts which will result in a good ACT score so that we can attend the right college, university or join the right apprentice program so that we can buy the right car, the prestigious house, and the emperor’s new clothes.
I have yet to see a person of any age get and stay kidnapped by alcohol or any other drug who has the faith that they matter and that they can make a difference. We all face tragedy. We all have our particular crosses to bear if we but open our eyes. One of the consistent statements of all those who those who have held hostage by a need to escape and ended up hostage to the drug of their choice is that they felt as if they did not belong, did not have a purpose or needed to run from emotional pain.
Of course any of us are vulnerable to addiction to pain medication, which has been used to treat a post accident or diseased caused pain. Yet, if we know our strength and have a sense of our purpose we will find it easier to get help and into a recovery program.
We have many kids and later adults who do not have a role to play other than hopeless victim. Perhaps it is time, to applaud and join the young people being led by the group of actors from Stoneman Douglas High School. Perhaps it is time to tap into our strength and, yes, our common sense and put on the costume of our role. We, too, can make a difference just as banks, corporations, companies and individuals are questing their roles and their allegiances.
As I sit in Wheeling, West Virginia where many are today engaged in helping their neighbors prepare for or deal with flood waters or other urgent situations, I am reminded, once again, that we often, during times of tragedy, reach into our own closets and put on the costume of the role of worker bee because we know we can make a difference.
Perhaps education is teaching our children how they can use their various talents and gifts; how they can capture the energy of the pain we all experience and make a difference.
Written February 25, 2018
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