It is October and the leaves will soon be changing. I was born in October in the year 1946 under the auspices of Scorpio. Even when I write it out, 1946… it sounds so long ago… maybe because in reality, it really is. I will be seventy-eight years old. In two more years I will have lived eight decades. Way longer than I would have ever thought possible. Someone once said: I never imagined growing old. I don’t think any of us really do. It just kind of creeps up on us, especially when we’re too busy living. But, time catches up to all of us, no matter how much we’re in denial or how fast we try to live. And when it does, we’re shocked at how quickly time has passed and how little time is left to us.
We begin to examine the full breadth of our lives: How well did I love? What did I wish I had done differently? What will I be remembered for? Did I pursue my dreams or did I settle for what was easier and more convenient? Or maybe, did others decide for me? I guess, in retrospect, life is neither good nor bad, but rather both. And if we decide, so much more. Like that song, Tomorrow…there’s always a tomorrow to give us hope that things will be better.
Well, I think that time is here. At my 60th high school reunion, I shared with my classmates that we were the sixties generation: the ones who stood up against the war, racism, and poverty. We also sought out lifestyles that were uniquely ours: communes, seeing the world around us and within, trying out drugs as a way of discovering ourselves, joining the Peace Corps, working in non-profits, living more simple and meaningful lives. We redefined the arts and music. In short, it was a time of new beginnings and new insights into the endless possibilities of what could be… for us and for each other.
And so, we are here once again. On November 5, 2024 we can reclaim the Dream that MLK hoped for all of us. We can make a difference. We can choose to do what is right and what will benefit all of us, not just for a few select groups. As former President Jimmy Carter (who is now in his nineties) shared: I just want to live long enough to vote for the first black and Asian woman in the history of this country.
We are at the crossroads of history. As I wrote in my latest book, Even If Only in A Whisper:
“Even when there is violence and threats and endless denials by those who are filled with hatred and fear, the voices of those who speak from a place of love and integrity are always remembered, even if only in a whisper or a prayer… because throughout all history, their stories have always been known by one word: the truth.”
We are all in this together.
We have only to take the first step towards each other.
