Cubicles and Broken Trees

      Ben has been telling me lately that I am being prepared for greater things. I can feel the amazing changes, but it kind of makes me laugh a little. I have never lived my life as if I will be famous or remembered for anything in particular. Not that we are just insignificant and vanish.

        I saw a movie recently with a very interesting concept. It portrayed lives as if not only are we interconnected as people, but that everything around us in interconnected. Our surroundings retain memories of all of the past and all of our ancestors. My reality is not so different. Not that I can or would want to touch a brick in my home and feel it's experiences. That wouldn't exactly be my viewpoint.

       I do look around at this place I have chosen to live. It absolutely defies reason. I grew up with hills and flowers everywhere, trees older than the laws of this country. Yet here I find myself somewhere that is challenging for beautiful flowers, flat, and with few trees. Of those few trees, most have scars from previous ice storms and tornadoes. On the surface, it appears this area extinguishes talent and fame, however, this place requires more investigation.

        I currently work with a woman, who not only works with me, she is an ordained minister, a singer, and now a playwright. She is an inspiration to many. I work with another woman who creates amazing art and each piece is reprinted thousands of times for an international business. When someone walks into our building do they immediately see such talents? I doubt it. It appears as a sea of cubicles, however, look a little closer and there is the ability to quietly overcome mundanaity.

       Every one of the people I know is a star. They are all conquering the silence. They are volunteers, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Many of the people I know have the extraordinary gift of being able to hear more than just the words that are spoken. In less than a minute, they can assess a situation and be able to commit to a solution. They do this with grace, compassion and control. Make no mistake. It is a gift. I have learned several phrases in many languages, but I could not profess to be able to switch eloquently and fluidly between any, and I know people who do it as if they are making a bowl of cereal. It is all amazing and should be appreciated as such by ourselves and others.

      I do not simply see a rugged landscape here, or just a sea of people with day jobs. I see that the land has not just had many storms to provide the scars, but people who came to help. I see the families, putting everything from their freezer onto grills to feed neighborhoods of others who had lost everything. I see the notes on Facebook about a woman who has lost everything to a fire, and the quiet organization of food, clothing, furniture and dishes. It is happening every day, below the surface. We are all interconnected. We are surrounded by the beauty of humanity and giving, if we are willing to look past the scenery of cubicles and broken trees.

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