Boots on the Ground/Voices in the Air
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
I dance with the spirit of myself. The internal me totally lives in the world of the ethereal; soft and watery, lots of grey area to swim in. It seems the older I get I feel that even more intensely. However, the counterbalance to that seems to be my penchant for putting all of that spirit into action. What good are my thoughts and intentions if I don’t?
Wrapping her arms around an aging, massive tree, my mother joined a small bunch of folks protesting the removal of this arborist wonder, for some reason I cannot recall. My father, a town figure and proud businessman, was appalled that she would act in such a way. Mom was not budging. She made the town paper hugging that tree and hedging off the bulldozer. The tree remained. Her actions made the difference. She won.
My maternal grandmother was a suffragette in Philadelphia in the 1920s. A kindergarten school teacher by day, she stood for what she believed in after hours. Arm in arm with her best friend, pregnant with my mother, she stood up for what she thought was right - for women to have the right to vote. Her actions made a difference. She won - and we gained by her doing so.
September 18th we lost a Supreme Court Justice. Humble yet tenacious. Small yet mighty. Working consistently, and often at all hours for what she believed to be right, just, and true. Not just any Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a rock star, and changed our world for the better. Step by step, word by word, her actions made the difference. She won - and we gained by her doing so.
These role models of my life - and so many more - embolden me to make the best use of my time while walking this planet. Prior to the 2016 election I began truly reflecting on this aspect of my lineage, voting rights, love of my country and frustration for many challenges within. Singing and preaching from the stage, this eventually led to my BATTLE CRY Cd.
While I may not be performing during the pandemic, I continue to speak out and put actions to what I believe, what moves my spirit. I continue to read, study, and listen. I’ve been working with some small groups to further conversation around racial healing and human rights. A few organizations have asked me to be part of their think tanks and to assist putting good thoughts into action. I may not always get it right, but I want to be in the conversation, doing the best I know how at any given moment. Boots on the Ground, Voices in the Air. Join me?
“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”