The engine which could
When one of the leaders of the Safety Harbor, Florida Writing Circle suggested that this month the writers in the circle tell the story of a hero, I began to think of the legions of people I admire. Many of those have been very present mentors for me. Some have been mentors who I did not personally know, but who I read or listened to in a lecture hall, on the radio or now in a podcast. Since the writing assignment is limited to 600 words I knew that just listing the names of a portion of those who have shown to me extraordinary faith, courage, emotional strength, or wisdom would fulfill my quota of words. I would essentially have created a wall of names as a memorial. While memorial walls serve a purpose, they may not tell us much about those listed on the wall other than what they share with the rest of those who are duly named on the wall.
Those that I most admire are those who imagine a light or a possibility when there is no light or possibility which is visible. They may be an inventor who imagines a voice traveling through space to an ear which is thousands of miles away. They may be an artist who defies all the rules and ignores the critics who loudly proclaim that this is not art. It may be a first responder; the person who risks his or her life to save the life of others. It may be a war veteran. It may be the person who painfully begins a journey of recovery from active addition. It may be that man, woman, child, or engine who pushes ahead when the challenge seems too much to most observers.
It may be an Etty Hillesum who gathers in the ghetto of Amsterdam during WWII with Hans and Lisa to celebrate the yellow star rather than allowing what it is supposed to symbolize to suck the life and hope out of them. It may be the young child who falls a 100 times before he or she can walk.
It may be a Reinhold Niebuhr who drafts and attempts to live by the Serenity Prayer.
It may be the parent, the teacher, the homeless person, the boss, the friend or the stranger who says “You are the engine who could.”
It may be leaders of the Safety Harbor Writer Circle, Sheila and Jan, who see possibilities in all who have the courage to show up.
It seems to me that each of us comes equipped with a hero within us. Many of us will never claim that hero. It takes great courage to call forth that part of us- to take a step outside our comfort zone.
Sometimes that next step is as simple as “right foot, left foot, right foot, dance and then right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot DANCE, DANCE, DANCE.
502 words
Written June 18, 2017
Jimmy F. Pickett
When one of the leaders of the Safety Harbor, Florida Writing Circle suggested that this month the writers in the circle tell the story of a hero, I began to think of the legions of people I admire. Many of those have been very present mentors for me. Some have been mentors who I did not personally know, but who I read or listened to in a lecture hall, on the radio or now in a podcast. Since the writing assignment is limited to 600 words I knew that just listing the names of a portion of those who have shown to me extraordinary faith, courage, emotional strength, or wisdom would fulfill my quota of words. I would essentially have created a wall of names as a memorial. While memorial walls serve a purpose, they may not tell us much about those listed on the wall other than what they share with the rest of those who are duly named on the wall.
Those that I most admire are those who imagine a light or a possibility when there is no light or possibility which is visible. They may be an inventor who imagines a voice traveling through space to an ear which is thousands of miles away. They may be an artist who defies all the rules and ignores the critics who loudly proclaim that this is not art. It may be a first responder; the person who risks his or her life to save the life of others. It may be a war veteran. It may be the person who painfully begins a journey of recovery from active addition. It may be that man, woman, child, or engine who pushes ahead when the challenge seems too much to most observers.
It may be an Etty Hillesum who gathers in the ghetto of Amsterdam during WWII with Hans and Lisa to celebrate the yellow star rather than allowing what it is supposed to symbolize to suck the life and hope out of them. It may be the young child who falls a 100 times before he or she can walk.
It may be a Reinhold Niebuhr who drafts and attempts to live by the Serenity Prayer.
It may be the parent, the teacher, the homeless person, the boss, the friend or the stranger who says “You are the engine who could.”
It may be leaders of the Safety Harbor Writer Circle, Sheila and Jan, who see possibilities in all who have the courage to show up.
It seems to me that each of us comes equipped with a hero within us. Many of us will never claim that hero. It takes great courage to call forth that part of us- to take a step outside our comfort zone.
Sometimes that next step is as simple as “right foot, left foot, right foot, dance and then right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot DANCE, DANCE, DANCE.
502 words
Written June 18, 2017
Jimmy F. Pickett
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