The things I have learned so far in this Journey called life...By Dan Tres Omi
And it goes a little something like this:
1. Love, just do it! -- When I say that I don't mean that we should forget reciprocity. Be for who, who be for you. Today while reading to Zumbi's class, a little girl raised her hand and asked, "can I give you a hug?" I told her no. Not because I didn't want to. I am a hugger, but I know how some parents can get about a stranger hugging his or her child (then again, everyone in school knows me). At the end of the story, she ran up and hugged me anyway. So love, folks. Don't hesitate (just remember reciprocity is important). I gave her a book and challenged her to read it to the class. From experience, I can say that the people who love me back far outweigh, outclass, and outnumber those who didn't.
2. You can't save everyone -- I know, I know. One would think this is a lesson I should have learned already. Well, I actually relearn this lesson about once a week. I can't help it. I am a fanatical optimist. I get it from my mother. On a serious note, this too can be dangerous so we must be careful. Some folks will just drain our energy and not lose a wink of sleep. We also have to choose our battles wisely.
3. "I eat, you eat" -- That is a term I heard over and over in 2009 and now in 2010. I know that with the recession, many of us have reverted to our socialist leanings. Actually, let me rephrase that. We have reverted to the way our ancestors moved. They shared. Everyone came through. Then someone else shared. So on and so forth. We have to go back to that. It's the only way we will survive any disaster.
4. Life is actually long -- So you might as well have fun. I hear people say that life is short. I disagree. Compared to most animals and insects, humans actually live for a long time. Compared to fruit flies, humans are virtually immortal. With that said, take time to learn, to build, to explore, to share, and most of all to love.
5. Put the cell phones and other mobile devices down and talk! -- For those that know me, they know I love to build. Whether I am on line at the bank, walking down the street, or shoveling snow, I am going to build with someone. I think it's a shame that when we are in a large gathering of people, we go to our mobile devices and talk to someone else who is probably sitting around with a group of people. Big up to brothers and sisters on the long, cold line in Brooklyn. I had a great time trying to find Sirius B.
6. Every little bit counts -- the last few years we have witnessed some ill disasters. Yes, it is overwhelming and daunting. However, we still have to give what we can. Many of us are not rich but we have legs. Many of us are not Ph.d's but we can still think. Many of us are not artists, but we can paint, write, type, push, pick up, grab, hand off, etc. Get in where you fit in. Volunteering a few hours a week makes a difference. Trust. Oftentimes, when we think of huge movements we are only told about the leaders of those movements. We are never taught about the countless millions who did much of the dirty work (most of them being women). We are those countless millions who need to do much of the dirty work.Thank you everyone for having some part in teaching those lessons to me. They will not be forgotten.
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1 comment:
Excellent points. I especially like number four - I never thought about it that way before.
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