OK, we really don't, and we know that. So there's a little dark humor, a little sarcasm, and a little bit of grandiose foolishness in this post. But, there's a little bit of truth, too. Let's see if we can find it.
For years (probably decades) now, there has been a small group of local social workers who meet for coffee once a week. We just chit-chat, really. Sometimes we try to sort through a social work problem that has one or more of us stumped. Many times we fret and fuss about the state of the world and wonder why we're not in charge. We dream about local and larger projects that we might implement, and we've even implemented some of them. But mostly we just talk and drink truly obscene quantities of coffee.
We thought me made no difference whatsoever, except possibly to our own mental health. Well, that's no small contribution to the general well-being of the world, when you consider how screwed up I've been ;) But everything changed (here's the very dark humor) on September 11, 2001. We had missed a meeting the Friday before. Do you suppose that our silly meeting was somehow -just barely- creating equilibrium in the world? Missing one meeting set things off, and the world came unglued for a tragic day? Surely, we didn't know our own power and owed the world a heart-felt apology.
We don't really believe that. We were just being silly.
BUT, we missed the meeting just before the shooting at Northern. This is a disturbing trend, boys and girls. Again, please accept our abject apologies.
OK, sarcasm and silliness aside... We are in fact just drinking coffee and chatting. We get that. But, our meeting, as small as it is, is a part of the fabric of the community. We sit there at Panera, holding up the idealist/liberal/leftie edge of that fabric. Hardly anyone knows we're there. It may not matter. "Without a vision, the people perish."
Our vision for the world certainly isn't the accepted one in this conservative town and nation. Nonetheless, someone has to hang onto it. Someone has to remind people that there is a vision of a just world that could be created, with sufficient will.
And rest easy tonight, dear ones. We met this morning.
3 comments:
I'm thinking it's a very good reason to continue drinking coffee each week, just in case. Who could argue with that?
John Friend says the way you place your hands on the mat in downward facing dog can change the world, so why not drinking coffee and chit chatting?
Whew! ;)
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