I usually only write about art on this blog but I have been watching entirely too much TV news lately
and felt the need to post this piece I wrote years ago. Besides, as an artist, I am allowed to occasionally be whimsical.
Think Creatively!
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“Now
this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it
is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Our
world seems to be on the brink of a major transformation. A kind of
energy is brewing just beneath the surface that may signify change on
a massive level. Can you feel it? I am not referring to changes in
global environment, nor the recent powerful upheavals of Mother Nature. I am talking about us, human beings and our thoughts and
actions as a collective society.
We
have moved into the information age at an incredible speed. Knowledge
is literally at our fingertips, yet as a people we have not grown
spiritually as rapidly as we have technologically. I am not talking
about theology here. When I say spiritual, I mean working on our
minds and hearts to evolve into better human beings and using this
knowledge to advance society to a greater level of humanity. Though
more physically connected through numerous electronic devices we seem
much less emotionally connected. It is almost as though we had to
make a choice between external stimulation and internal personal
growth and the iPod won.
War,
genocide and amazingly unbelievable greed – traits that have
destroyed previous societies still live with us today. Possessing
moral character seems secondary to living a self-fulfilled life, as
if we must give up one to have the other.
A
colleague and I were having a conversation one day and she said “The
Holocaust could never happen again. We’re too evolved now...”
A
deep, deep sigh from the bottom of my soul escaped me and I said, “Do
me a favor. Google D-A-R-F-U-R and then let’s pick this
conversation up later.”
A
dyed-in-the-wool realist, I know that “paradise” is only another
word in the “P” section of the dictionary. I am not predicting
some fantastic utopia where we are all barefoot, wearing robes,
growing our own food and greeting each with daisies. Nor am I
arrogant enough to make yet another “startling” end-of-the-world
prediction just because I fear the current state of affairs. But I
believe, absolutely, that we must build our future using a solid
foundation of what not to repeat from the past.
Do
I believe that this is the end of us as a society? Of course not! I
believe this is just the beginning. I believe in the power of wisdom,
compassion and strength of character, and I do not feel that I’m
alone. I sense the energy of those who, like me, burn to leave this
world a better place than they found it. I feel a turning point has
been reached in the evolution of our world and I hope this will
continue. Maybe we can come up with a color to signify that we are
going to treat our fellow man more considerately, compassionately and
fairly. Maybe we can call it “going blue” and wear ribbons that
signify our unity of purpose. Yes, this may sound silly, but I think
you get my point.
Leaving
a legacy of honor and a sense of purpose can last so much longer than
a trust fund.
With
so much yet to learn, we are still, as a race, in our infancy. To put
this in perspective, if the world is really billions of years old, it
could take a hundred, maybe even a thousand lifetimes before we
finally “get it right”. Our possibilities are limited only by our
thinking. Each generation has a chance to do better than the last.
And even though we can not count on future generations to mend
everything that we have broken, we should expect them to make the
effort and should prepare them to succeed.
As
human beings on a seemingly endless road towards emotional and
spiritual self-discovery, we must remember and cherish the good of
what was, enjoy that which is and optimistically look forward to what
can be. This is how I feel that we will evolve as a people and as a
society.
