Wherever you go, whatever you do, you take yourself with you. Everything else is dressing.
"If not us, then who? If not now, then when?" John Lewis.
Two days ago I honored a scheduled meeting wiith one of the newer boys of the SuperStar Kids division of my academy. He was as ready and eager as any such boy six years old.
I observed how assuredly he comported himself, happily and respectfully running ahead of his father to approach me. I greeted him. His father - the two firmly and proudly bearing each other's name - arrived shortly behind, and we got prepared for the session.
At the ready, a thought came to my mind, which even I, unexpectedly, immediately acted upon. I said to this six-year-old standing attentively, socially distanced, before me, "I challenge you to a match."
And he immediately responded, "I accept your challenge, sir."
I smiled. First, I must reveal that from our very first meeting (as I also acknowledged to his proud dad) the tone, the comportment, and the level of communication of this boy impress me. Without editing my thought or moderating my tone to account for age, I said, "You do know there is no possible way you can win this match against me. I've been at this for a very long time, much longer than you might imagine, and I am good at it. Are you sure you want to accept a match-up against me when there is no possible way of you winning? None whatsoever!"
And this is what he said to me: "I accept the challenge, sir. I will win. If I don't I will learn something."
Goosebumps rolled over my entire body. My smile could not possibly grow wider. Darn the virus, for I am a hugger! With a new level of respect I said to this boy, "Sir, that is a very intelligent thing you just told me. I know I did not teach you it - not yet - and you already know it. Where did you learn that?"
And he said, "My dad!"
I looked over to his dad. Pride. I winked at his dad. Proud. Then I said to the boy, "You are smart, and your dad told you a very wise thing. I want you to run over to your dad. Give him the biggest high-five you've ever given him. Thank him. Then ask him to prepare you for a match with me. And be sure of this, so make sure you tell your dad also: that I said I intend to win."
It was awesome watching him and his dad in conference: the boy's undistracted attention to his father; this father's resolute preparation of his son for this unexpected challenge, both knowing I was not kidding.
Yes, six years old!
I dared to imagine that even the trees surrounding us took their seats to behold how a star is born. And a star was born.
Along the road of significance Beyond The Hero, this was another remarkably beautiful week impecably cut, like the parting of a sea, cut through wild and pityful storms and through intentional narcicisstic chaos and through the crunching chews of monsters feasting on stirred misery. And we saw folks walking on water. Yes, in this day! While some folks still wrestle with such from records long ago, we saw many here and now walking on water, emboldened by a new vision! They teach us.
Perhaps you heard of Bridger Walker - six-year-old! Did you? The boy who saved his four-year-old sister from a dog attack! And that, because it was just natural for him to do so! Six years old! Just natural! It cost him 90 stitches to his face. Perhaps, you recall it too. It went viral! That's how it reached me. Virally. It invited me to a reflection - perhaps it invited you too - a reflection from many different angles: panoramically, personally, from the possible perspectives of each participating personality pictured in the pothole of our prevailing pandemic. It is still revealing lots of stuff to me. You? We will come upon Bridger's influence again in this very episode.
There is something remarkably beautiful, it comes to mind, about intention coupled with action pointed in a valued direction. Something remarkably beautiful! Isn't it? Along there, humans walk on water. Have you noticed? And some carve paths through turbulent seas. It's awesome.
And a child will lead them! |
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Welcome to episode sixteen of BEYOND THE HERO - touched - curated by Neville DeAngelou, discovering how, even in this time of respectful social distancing, so many in many a varied and substantial way are able to reach out and touch. And so we learn.
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"It was not enough to come and listen to a great sermon or message every Sunday morning and be confined to those four walls and those four corners. You had to get out and do something."
- John Lewis |
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Enjoy actionable discoveries continuously shared - smartly - particularly those that uplift, inspire, promote harmony, expand opportunities, exemplify beauty, and reveal wonder, in other words, those proven to strengthen our emboldened exercise of genuine love through all of love's fertile dimensions, supplying those of us who are blessed and inspired to take action with necessary skillsets to be awesome in our real world. Namaste. Share.
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ILICET - A Time To Begin Again (True Story) 
