This Chapter in History

We have all lived through moments of history:

The Good:

• Neil Armstrong taking “One Small Step for Man. One Giant Leap for Mankind.”
• The dismantling of the Berlin Wall
• The election of the first African American President of the United States

The Bad:

• 9/11
• The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger
• The assassinations of JFK, MLK, RFK

And then there are Chapters in history. These don’t happen as often:

• The Holocaust
• WW I & II
• The Depression

I know, there are others. But here is my point:

Right now, we are living in a pivotal chapter of history.

Perhaps the most important of our lifetime. You need to choose your place in it.

Most of us have the opportunity to decide just where we would like to be represented when the history books are written.

Some don’t have a choice in the matter, like George Floyd.

But the rest of us do.

Choose wisely.

Those that have come out on the positive side of history did so because they lead with their heart as well as their mind. They cared about others, not just themselves. The saw actual wrong around them and tried to make it right. They used their own experiences and realities to guide them and their actions.

They were leaders, not followers.

They didn’t listen to conspiracy theories to incite themselves to action.

They didn’t listen to blowhards, spewing rhetoric and hate.

They didn’t need the unproven ideas of others to spark their ignitions.

They looked around the world in which they lived, and found the problems that needed to be resolved.

Not all of them made their way into our educational curriculum. Most did not.

But they didn’t act because of the glory.

They acted because they cared. 

They had no desire for fame or notoriety.

They just did what was right.

So now, you have the chance to decide what you are going to do during this Chapter.

You get to decide if you want to lead with love or with hate.

You get to decide if the color of one’s skin, the religion they practice, where they were born, or the person they love is something that factors into whether or not you care about them. If you fight for them.

You get to decide if you want to judge people or love people.

You get to decide if you are a member of the human race or a member of a group of wannabes, drowning in B-movie fictional plot lines.

You get to decide if having a gun protects you or if having a healthy relationship with your soul protects you.

You have to decide if you want to look at life in the short term or the long term.

Your place in this Chapter will change as time goes on.

You may need to pick up the flag, or just be the drummer boy. You need to be conscious of just where your place needs to be in each moment. Know when to lead… when to step aside. Know when you are acting on behalf of those around you or just for yourself.

You need to give a damn about everyone in the world.

Again… choose wisely.

And with love.