May I have a word?

“We live or die by the words we speak,

from the world in which we live…”

- Anonymous

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said, Let there be light: and there was light…And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yield seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” (Gen 1-3; 12 kjv).

Herein lie the richly poetic words at the beginning of the Judeo-Christian Bible.

In whatever ways these words are taken (and there are many), they are a metaphor for creation…physically and spiritually (mentally). They express a blueprint for all aspects of life.

Things to stay engaged…

Recently I saw the film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, the story of the famous American television personality, Fred Rogers. A gentle soul, his daily program was dedicated to helping youngsters confront things they did not understand, using language they did. It was déjà vu for me because I had watched the real Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood earlier in my life.

Using puppet characters, and simply worded stories, Rogers spoke to children about death, anger, failure, and loss - things he knew they would confront in their lives. His calm and tender spirit helped prepare young minds to understand life. He knew speaking words to their minds could protect and enlighten them.

Rogers invited all with whom he came in contact, to be his neighbor in the community of mankind.

Old, powerful ideas…

It’s not that youngsters understood all he shared, but Rogers knew he was a farmer of sorts, planting seeds for the future. He appreciated that to reap, one must sow. He shared, and practiced what so many of the ancient’s expressed:

-   “…everything that exists is a seed of that which shall be…” (Marcus Aurelius)

-   “Just poke a hole in the ground and drop in a seed. It is an act of faith.”  (Plutarch)

-     “…the herb yield seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” (Genesis - above)

-    Seeds (words) planted in fertile soil (minds) “…brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold…” (Christ – Matt, Mark, Luke) 

The way we got here…

This blueprint, of course, is the reason every living thing exists. For a moment, consider the sperm and egg of fish…birds…reptiles…mammals…US! So tiny as to be invisible to the naked eye, and yet from that seed planted in the fertile soil of the womb…here they (we) are! An astonishingly predictive model.

Visible reflects invisible…

This is also the spiritual (mental) blueprint every parent, teacher, minister, or any other communicator of ideas knows. Words, thoughts, or images planted in the empty and fertile soil of our minds are the way we know anything - the movement from 'darkness to light.'

Rogers made it his mission to share the things he knew with the children who watched his program. In doing so, he enlightened not only youngsters but adults who sat alongside them, learning better ways to communicate with their own kids.

Somehow this man found what all of us seek…his place in the universe. As the ant or the bee or other creatures act their part in nature, he sensed his purpose in the broader tapestry of life.  With a practiced and sharpened gift, his daily heart-to-heart expressions crafted from experience, planted thoughts in fertile young minds.

Rogers gave children armor with which to fight fear and anger and judgment and prejudice. He understood you had to be loved first in order to understand love. He wanted them to know he loved them, so they could learn to love themselves. His practiced gift found its mark.

David Brooks, writer for the New York Times says, "One of the greatest legacies a person can leave is a moral ecology – a system of belief and behavior that lives on after they die.” Fred Rogers did so in spades.

Taking stock…

Most of the things that distract our daily lives pass like morning mists. But edifying words and ideas have staying power. They keep us from slipping back into the darkness from whence we came.

The key is to distribute (plant) things with one another that are encouraging and life-promoting. In these times of the pandemic, we have the opportunity to look inside, find those things and share them. 

Paying forward in small ways…

In these times of isolation and fear, we could all be a little more like Mr. Rogers. We could let people know we are thinking of them. There is strength in connecting with others, if for no other reason than an expression of our interconnectedness.

Around my office, there are small notes on my bookcase, pictures, and computer to remind me to try to be more Christ-like…Marcus Aurelius-like…Plutarch-like…and yes, Mr. Rogers like. I need these reminders to keep from slipping into the easy darkness of mental isolation. They remind me I am fragile and require interaction with others.

We are in crisis. Things are happening, we don't understand...we fear an enemy we cannot see, or touch, or feel. There is no race, nor culture, nor gender, nor education, nor home, nor income that will prevent the possibility of being affected by this virus. 

So, we are all in this together on spaceship earth, and since we were made for communication, I’ve gotta ask…

Will you be my neighbor?

- ted

So quick, it almost wasn't....

“Let us always meet each other with a smile,

for the smile is the beginning of love.”

- Mother Teresa

“What a cutie,” I said as I approached a portly woman walking her dog, on my bike.

Hmmm – could a woman actually be walking her dog on my bike? I think not! Better said, as I was riding my bike, I saw a portly woman walking her dog. I digress!

I was just passing when she said with a chuckle, "Were you talking to the dog or me?"

"The dog," I yelled over my shoulder, "but I'm willing to negotiate." Her hearty laugh slipped into the ether as we distanced from one another.

My late mother talks to people when I’m on the bike trails here in Tucson. Usually, it’s just a nod and smile to oncoming traffic. But when passing others on foot, she usually comments on the beauty of the day and compliments the good-looking dogs (of which there are many).

What I mean to say, is that I ‘channel’ my mother when passing people on the trails. Indeed, I channel that woman almost any time or anywhere someone comes into or through my life. She taught me the art of ‘…never meeting a stranger.’ She could make small talk with practically anyone - a byproduct of her innate curiosity. I have cultivated this gift from her for my entire life. 

The current situation…

Ever mindful of friends and family during this time of social distancing and sequestration, I am grateful to have health. With a population of three hundred twenty-seven million, the U.S. has passed the ten percent mark of fellow citizens with documented cases of COVID-19.  It is a stunning figure that has seen a startling exponential rise from ninety thousand people in just a little over a month ago. 

The worldwide documented case figures of approximately one and a half million, show the virus’ unprecedented spread. Johns Hopkins University and Medical Center issue data daily. If you click the link, the map will be current the day you are reading this. (https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html).

Even in the desert environs, with more open spaces than most places in the country, our surrounding area (at this writing) has seen five hundred and twelve cases with sixteen deaths.

While research scientists work around the clock to unwind COVID-19 and create a vaccine, it could easily be well into next year before we have one. Ebola vaccine, for example, took five years!

Our responsibility...

In the end, to starve the beast, it is we, the citizens, who provide the greatest barrier to the disease.  One person practicing social distancing and sequestration couldn't stop the rolling tide of infection transmission, but when we all do it, it is more difficult for the virus to spread.

So, we wear masks in public, adding gloves when shopping. We wipe down doorknobs and countertops and wash our hands as though we suffered from compulsive germaphobia – in these times, not an impulse without merit.

Most of us find a shared community in this time of crisis. We look for ways to help one another, to encourage others that tomorrow will be a better day. As we 'social distance,' stepping off the trail when we approach others during a walk, or taking a wide berth on our bicycles, it is important to remember that we are all part of the fabric of humanity. It is this sense of comradeship, during a time of common peril, that gives us strength.

It is not the big things that touch us the most in moments of crisis, but the little things like a sign in our neighborhood, reminding us that we are, in effect, one.

We are social creatures, frail, and in need of one another. It helps to hear from others that they care for and/or love us. It doesn't take much, maybe nothing more telling someone we are thinking of them. 

We have all felt the warmth and tonic of an unsolicited note or call. It doesn't matter much what is said. It's the contact, the reaching out that lets us know we have meaning...a reminder that we are not alone.

It might be a good time to send an email or note to someone for whom you care. Why? You know, just because.

Then there was that dog…

The little things?

Last week with that portly woman "...walking her dog on my bike", the briefest of human connection was made. Right now, while writing this piece, I still feel the joyful moment we shared - the ripples from the pebble dropped still expanding. A pretty good residual for the investment made, I'd say.

Yeah, that dog was a cutie…the lingering feelings?

NOT negotiable.

-ted