Folks seem to always be in a rush these days.   We talk about work life balance yet write ourselves out of our own calendars.  We gobble down a meal at our desk while banging out emails and working on a report rather than taking a real lunch break.  Not taking a mental or emotional break in the action to recharge our batteries is not healthy my friends!  When our obituaries are read, I doubt there will be any mention of the hours we toiled working, how many of our kids’ activities we missed because we chose to work instead, or how many weekends we blew off to finish that report.  In other words, we have to stop being a human doing and be a human being.  God gave us the formula by resting on the seventh day after all, right?  

According to Wikipedia, films, particularly comedies, often climaxed in chase scenes. Some inexperienced screenwriters or directors would pad the film with unnecessary dialogue, which bored the audience and prolonged the time before the exciting chase scene. “Cut to the chase” was a phrase used by movie studio executives to mean that the audience shouldn't get bored by the extra dialogue, and that the film should get to the interesting scenes without unnecessary delays. The phrase is now widely used and means "get to the point."  But should that phrase apply to our lives? I think not.  We can miss very important things if we aren’t alert during the run up to the chase.  Things that allow you to be caught. Or to paraphrase from the movie Malcolm, you get “had, took, hoodwinked and bamboozled.”

I chose to reprise of this particular missive as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States becoming a republic.   Many of us continue to move too fast and not pay attention to the journey.  We are just surviving and stumbling through these difficult days where our democracy and the Great American Experiment is hanging on by a thread.   We have so-called leaders trying to erase much of that history, especially as it relates to Americans of color as part of the narrative.  

As a storyteller, I find it an abomination that some seek to whitewash history, and act like many parts of the American story never took place.  It is ironic and hypocritical that the “founders” fought to be free from King George but thought it okay to keep others who didn’t look like them enslaved and women as second class citizens.  It is an undeniable fact that these United States we celebrate, a “bastion of freedom” was founded on stolen land, with an economy built with enslaved labor with liberty and justice for some.  

What is truly remarkable though is that our republic still stands!  No greater society in the world.  For all of our foibles, people from all over the world want to emulate and become Americans.  That is because many of our fellow Americans throughout history said a resounding no to the foolishness of some of the inflection points in history, paid attention, knew a minority was doing wrong, and decided to do something about it.  It is sad that many of the same battles are still being fought today.  Change takes time and maturity.  At 250 years old, we are virtual babes in the woods.   

Learning about the history of this country and the world seemed to always be about just recounting distant memories.  That great men and women overcame great challenges so that I might have the opportunities that I have had today.  They paid attention, had unshakeable perseverance and tenacity, and stayed the course to sacrifice for us.  I never imagined that I would living in the middle of another historical inflection point, where I am a protagonist and part of the story to ensure we get to another 250 years of the Great American Experiment.

Do we have what it takes to exhibit the fortitude our forebears had to step back and take a moment to appreciate what we have, and rededicate ourselves to fight for what is right and just?  To follow the second great commandment to “love our neighbor as ourselves?”  It does not say to love “some” neighbors.  It means all.  The essence of inclusivity.  In my humble opinion; keeping people busy and their collective eyes off of the ball has been done with intention.  E pluribus unum (out of many, one), trumpeted as a founding ideal, has been merely a platitude.  

The good news is that the majority of people in this country are paying attention and fed up with having the wool pulled over their collective eyes, and intent on doing something to actually live up the words “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal, etc.”  Dare I say that paying attention is being “woke?” To the folks in the back of the room, paying attention is what the word “woke” really means.  It speaks to a positive call to the awareness of injustice, not the horse puckey misuse of the word by folks wanting to hold some of us back from pursuing the American Dream.  

I choose to believe that there are many more of us who want to do the right things, and aren’t buying the stuff being shoveled by folks trying to sell an exclusionary dystopian version of our country ala Handmaid’s Tale or 1984 version of America which the majority of folks reject.  

In order to be woke, we have to slow down and pay attention to the journey and learn from it.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  Or we could be the next great civilization to suffer a great fall.  Freedom and righteousness do not come easily or without struggle.  The prophets of old were molded and prepared for their roles through trials of the “40 days and 40 nights” variety in a proverbial wilderness of challenges.  What we encounter along the way makes us who we are.  The same is true for a nation.  Trying to pretend that slavery never happened or that it was somehow an act of benevolence is an afront to humanity and the next generation who will be called upon to set this country on a course for the next 250 years.  This time, one that tries to finally live up to its noble ideals.  A “more perfect union” is not a given thing; it is an aspiration that lasts a lifetime.  Each generation doing its part to make it better for the next.

There is more to life than some payoff at the end.  Take time to enjoy the journey.  Pay attention. If you drive in to work on I-90 coming west into town like I do, try taking a safe glance to marvel at the inland sea that is Lake Erie.  Notice the beautiful city skyline.  How about that family of deer that gambol in between the houses in your neighborhood as you make your way to the freeway?  Yes, I know that they wreak havoc on your lovely Hydrangeas!  Even overcoming some of the challenges we face can bring a sense of accomplishment, right?

Life’s rewards aren’t found only when we reach a destination, but rather throughout the journey towards that end.  It is contained in the dash between the years on our headstones.  That is what living is all about.   Try setting aside the stress and anxiety brought on by that cut to the chase mentality for just a moment.  Teach yourself to enjoy God’s marvelous creation.  Not simply the landscape, but the people around you as well.  Call a friend or relative when they cross your heart or mind, eat your lunch outside of the office sometimes, or simply take a brief walk for a coffee and offer a friendly greeting to a stranger that you may pass on the street.  Remember, we are not only on our own journey, but are also part of the sojourn of others we encounter daily.  

Truly enjoying the journey begins with the realization that we are all a part of a team in some form or fashion.  To put it in movie terms, part of a cast and crew in our own film.  Or in someone else’s.  We can saunter through the experience on our own in what can be a lonely undertaking, or we can take on life’s challenges and victories together.  One of the great movie speeches of all-time is the one Al Pacino gives in the film Any Given Sunday, at half-time during the big game.  It wouldn’t have had nearly the same impact but for the series of events leading up to that climactic scene where he draws parallels between football and life.

I am sharing it here for your enjoyment and inspiration to go out and enjoy the journey.  Check it out here.  You won’t be sorry you watched. Go forth and fight for that inch my friends and see how your life will be the richer for it.

Cheers,

LP  

Chief Diversity Officer, VP Corporate & Community Engagement