We Can All Be One

In 2005, I led a high school indoor percussion group to a national championship in the Scholastic A division.  I could and have written about the unlikeliness of our program reaching this level of recognition, but instead, tonight I can't stop thinking about the theme of our show, which was titled ONE. 

On the floor, we painted a student inspired 1* and at the time, none of knew why, but just as an * usually means to look further down the page for further information, now I am wondering if our * was about more than we realized at the time.

At a rehearsal that year, I saw a member of our drumline struggling with a passage.  She kept trying to make her hands do what she could hear in her head, but was getting frustrated.  I felt for her as we could all see that she was giving it her best effort and knew she was practicing like mad outside of rehearsals.  In an effort to calm her down I said, "Don't get down on yourself.  It may not happen in one day, but one day it will happen." 

The next day, another member had written on our white board: "It may not happen in ONE day, but ONE day it will happen - S. Woodard".  I thought at first, "did I say that?" and then I remembered the rehearsal from the previous day.  We discussed that this could be a cool phrase for our season since our show was titled ONE.  I found a good spot to insert this into our show and not long after that added what would become the closer of our show: "We can all be one."  It was a pretty organic process and just sounded good at the time.

We had a great ride that year.  It was a talented group, playing well-written music (brag moment: composed by my son) and we worked very hard to bring the music and message to life in each performance.  When we got to the national championships, everything became surreal as our little group from Arizona was squarely in position to win it all and ONE won.

Why am I writing about this 7 years later?  Because tonight I couldn't stop thinking about how our message resonated with our audiences and the judges too.  It was a joyful, uplifting show, that ended with the group chanting, "I am one, you are one . . . we can all be one!"  No one in the group or outside the group ever challenged the meaning of the chant.  I find this interesting to contemplate now, as I know plenty of people who do not believe this message can happen and others who don't even want it to happen.

Is it possible on some other level beyond consciousness, cultural norms, upbringing, environments and such, that we do understand that we are all one?  Science now knows that there are 3 million bases in our DNA and that 99% of those are identical in all humans!  Isn't that amazing?  99% of 3 million - that's a lot of shared DNA.

Wouldn't it be amazing if we behaved like we understood this?  What if we realized how alike we are despite our obvious (1%) differences?  Could we continue condemning and harming human beings  that are 99% the same as ourselves?  Many in the consciousness movement don't believe that December 21, 2012 is the end of the world, but rather our rebirth into this very understanding. 

Perhaps our 2005 show was our small taste of what could be.  Perhaps we should have shouted, "I am ONE, You are ONE . . .

*We - ARE - ONE!" 

 Shout out to the staff and members of the 2005 Page High School Indoor Percussion program.  It was a forever memory.

Shining Light

Today is my first day without my father, I'll say on earth, because I believe his spirit is still with me.  It's an experience we all go through and now is my turn.  Rather than writing my own thoughts today, I'll share these to honor my father, a man of God, compassionate and giving who let his light shine so others might benefit:

From the chapter "Heaven" from Return to Love by Marianne Williamson:

"There is no light more bright than the light that shines within us.  Hope is born of participation in hopeful solutions." (This phrase epitomizes his life of service)

A favorite passage of my father:

Matthew 5: 14-16
"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

And lastly, from his faith, the chapter "Science and Being" pg 295:16-24 from Science and Health:

"The manifestation of God through mortals is as light passing through the window pane.  The light and the glass never mingle, but as matter, the glass is less oblique than the walls. The mortal mind through which truth appears most vividly is that one which has lost much materiality - in order to become a better transparency for Truth.  Then, like a cloud melting into thin vapor, it no longer hides the sun."

My father's light shines in many.

Choosing Childish or Child-Like?

There's a difference between acting childish and being child-like. 

When we're being child-like, we are in-tune with our joy, some might say naive, but nonetheless, we're happy to be there and in the moment.  Feeling the wonder of something new and amazing, seeing a work of art, the beauty of nature, "there's Grandma!" or enjoying the sun on your face as you ride your bike.  Perhaps we don't squeal with glee like when we were young, but the feeling is clearly linked to those childhood moments.  The anticipation of something exciting is another childhood feeling - that can't quite go to sleep I'm so pumped up rush is a child-like feeling that can kicks lot of endorphins into our grown up bodies.  It's possible to feel that way again if we allow ourselves the wonder and joy that was so freely expressed as a child. 

Somewhere along the way, we replace many of those anticipatory moments with worry and angst.  Growing up doesn't mean replacing joy with anxiety, but it does require less (and less) childish behavior.

Acting childish: first notice that you'll have to act because you are not a child anymore.
Try this one:
I want my own way!  Screw up your face 'til you look fierce and see if that tantrum look still gets the job done (at home or at work) . . . probably not.
How about:
I want this now!  Give in to yourself and buy what you don't need or can't afford.  The instant gratification will soon give way to the weight of the bill or the shame you feel when that shiny new item sits in the closet.
I don't want green food, I want ice cream. You're in charge now - do it everyday if you want.  See if this creates child-like wonder or the need for a new wardrobe.

When choosing between acting childish or being child-like,  choose be.
 

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