A few days ago, I invited others to post a video of themselves playing an instrument, dance, singing, reciting poetry, sharing your opinion, or whatever, using #VoteCivility2020. I guess you can call it a “challenge”, but the purpose is to encourage other humans over these next few days leading into Election Day 2020 to stay positive, committed, and to Vote.
For the kick-off challenge, I chose to sing a song written by Norman Hutchins (A Move of God is on the Way; available on iTunes and Amazon). I do not own the music or the barely audible background music (yikes), but you’ll see that it’s all for good – it's a happy song - check out as I sing this song of encouragement.
Here’s how it works: I’ll follow #VoteCivility2020 on social media and post your video on my website - which I describe as a Sandbox Full of Creativity – a lifestyle blog & vlog that creates and curates content that I both develop and borrow from People's Lives around the World and my Own. Heartbeat-Driven, Soul-Inspired, and Unapologetically Mixed & Complexed themes, textures, and colors of how we view the world.
Here’s what led to #VoteCivility2020
One year ago, and yes, pre-COVID-19, but still a deeply troubled nation wrought by racial injustice and political abusiveness toward the people whom leaders are appointed to serve, I decided to dig deep, and instead of spending more time reading the newspaper, or watching the news for updates about what was happening around me, I chose to pay close attention to the average person's behaviors while I was out and about - just doing life!
One day, while waiting outdoors at a restaurant to be seated, I noticed a young man (who was also in the cue), casually get out of line as he’d noticed that an elderly woman (whose car had just pulled up at curbside), struggled to get out of the car. He hurried over to help her while the driver, an elderly man (perhaps her husband) made his way around the car. He saw this act of kindness in action, as he stood back to allow the young man to help his wife. Did it matter that that “he”, the helper, was African American, and that “she”, was white? Well, at that moment...yes, because it spoke to the manner of his heart despite the color of her skin. She was in need and he felt that he could help, and it counters how black men, in particular, are depicted in the media.
Similarly, one day I’d just entered Ikea, and as I approached the escalator I saw a young family struggling to get five kids on board. I was reminded of the many times that my husband and I juggling with only two kids in tow, and I chuckled to myself and said, “Wow…they have five!” As they approached the landing to the second floor, which is known to bottleneck at the slightest lag of disembarking, a man got off right before the family. He turned around only to reach out his hand to take the youngest child (of walkable age) from the dad's arms, and said, "Here...let me help".
I was about six or seven people below this couple, and I simply wanted to cry. This man who could have hopped off the escalator and went about his business (and started his leisure walkthrough of what I believe is the finest store known to woman!), but instead, he’d sensed the opportunity to help, and decided to free-up dad's arms while mom stepped closer to the platform holding the hand of child two, who was holding the hand of child three, and dad quickly gathered the other two behind. It was poetry in motion and shown by everyday-kind of-folk.
The people in this situation were all persons of color. Therefore, the distinction here is less about color than it is the kindness shown toward others. It happened, and people were impacted. This one act of kindness incited in me the same feeling of happiness, hope, and doggonit, pure joy! Once again, the heart took over and shined through what I call the Light of Christ = Love. Just as it did in the other scenario. People behind me on the escalator started to utter phrases like, “Awww-wah” and “Oh, how nice”, as we all make our way up to shop (and shop, and shop) – likely feeling better in that shared moment than we did before entering the store.
I continue my intentional introspection and observations for “good” that may perhaps be my personal “pulse check” or assurance that what I call, common folk, are indelibly good, but I cannot overlook those that serve to do harm. I believe that Good powers over Evil. However, these are realities that we must face and address using all our "good": Black and Hispanic men are gunned down and taken from their families (which gravely hurts the depths of my soul) and our government officials are dismissing truths and telling lies that correlate with soaring rates of COVID-19 and impacting death rates across this country, are all despicable ills, humans can show themselves to be more incredible than what is depicted in any form of media. During my observations, I am repeatedly reminded of who we are as human beings and recognize what we have in common, and that is civility. I ask that we all start to show an increasing amount of it. These three things are what I believe that most humans desire. We:
• Want to show how much we care;
• Want a kinder and gentler nation and the world;
• Want our children, grandchildren, cousins, and neighbors to live a decent, healthy life.
I personally want a cleaner world and am committed to learning more about what I can do toward changing my own behaviors, including, how better to grow my own food and nurture the earth so that it continues to give back beyond my lifetime. We can want a number of things, but it is the action toward achieving these desires that are of most importance. Humbly, they are the human things that we can do and that is within our control.
Let's act right now to move these wants to a reality of living? Might I suggest starting with #VoteCivility2020 in whatever way is meaningful to you? I’ve explained at a heart level, what it means to me.
#vote #peaceful #voting #staycalm #pleaseBeCivil #keep6feet #EarPodsInEarWhileWaiting #BringSnacks #BringPatience #BringYourFaithBook #ListentoAudible #YouGetTheDrift #JustDoIt
