|
 |
Mon. 07-06-09
|
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
- Mohandas K. Gandhi
“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life,
that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life
and not something you do in your spare time.”
- Marian Wright Edelman
|
I can always trust my Mom's advice!... On a summer afternoon in July of 2005 I came home to Maryland to visit my parents. I was quite depressed, just coming in from playing a festival and having a heavy feeling that I believe many of you have experienced. It was the opressive thought that all of these beautiful people were gathering together in love and harmony, with many wonderful ideas on how we can make the world a better place, yet so many of our family are falling off to drugs, apathy, and alienation. I understand that the post-911 wolrd contains a new darkness with terrorism and reactionary fear that it inevitably provokes, but I refuse to see hopelessness. I asked my mom what our community needed. With one simple word she answered... "Service"
To quote waking life... "There are are two tyes of sufferers in this wolrd... those who suffer from a lack of life, and those who suffer from an over abundance of life." In America, our suffering is from over abundance. It's much more difficult to understand this kind of suffering because people would assume that "the have's" have it so much better than "the have not's" But if you have everything, what is there left to fulfill you? And in many other parts of the world they suffer from lacking. Could we try to cure both of our depressions by helping eachother?... They could recieve the help they need to meet the basic standard of living while we gain the benefit of service and sacrifice.
My parents have always been wonderful role models. I grew up in Costa Rica and El Salvador in the 1980's because my parents worked for international relief agencies. They never lost sight of their vision, to help out where they could... in their local communities or abroad. You wouldn't even believe some of the stories I could tell you about their courage and sacrifice... always spreading hope. I saw at an early age how much even small efforts can have monumental effects in the world!
I would also like to thank JoJo, Aimee, and Megan for always reminding me of this same lesson through their shining positivity and dedication to these beliefs. They show me that we really can "be the change we want to see in the world!" These ideas have created a ground swell through out the Wookie, Harvest, and Harmony tribes! This vibration is rising higher than I ever thought possible, and I am so greatful for the participation and support of all our community! From the bottom of my heart... thank you, to all of you!
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
