What I know
August 2008

It is 5:00 a.m. and I have been driving for 3 hours and listening to BBC news. It airs through the night, broadcasting world news and perspectives not heard on American stations. (Take your pick if we are disinterested or purposefully being kept in the dark.)

Regardless, between accounts of Russian vs. Georgian aggression, displacement of indigenous in Brazil to allow a dam which will also disrupt water flowing to Bolivia, and reports of lip-synching at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics…I am struck with the clash between what I know versus what I hear.

What I know: the vast majority of people are simple, and love Life.
What I know: given a chance people will choose Peace.
What I am beginning to know: we must choose to take back our humanity.

Lately I am struck with the very obvious reality that a very few bad ideas have driven a whole lot of us crazy…with our permission.
I keep thinking about that line: The meek shall inherit the earth.

I do not for a second believe that ignorance will turn to simplicity and say, “Here, I f----d up, it is your turn.” Nor do I believe there must be a ‘clash of the titans’ to reclaim what is inherently our nature: simplicity and love.

I think it must come as it is given. One person, one heart, one breath at a time.
One choice.
I believe with everything in me, that all we need is within and around us to choose and to choose well.
I believe with everything in me, that each of us holds a unique and precious Answer.
I believe with everything in me, while we are implicitly alone, we are in this together…

Not so long ago, a speech writer had a president say, connecting "1,000 points of light”.
I don’t know if anything was understood by the line or felt by it, but it makes sense to me.
For this turn around, this pachakuti (as it is known in South America) these points of light must in fact connect. But first and always, it is my light that must be lit. That is my effort. Regardless of the darkness, regardless of my doubts and fears, I must clear my path and look toward Light. I must protect it and cherish it.

Now is the time. Everything is here. There is no one to blame.
There is, however, a choice to be made… again, and again, and again.
I choose my humanity. I choose love. I choose freedom.
I choose an end to the madness.
I choose what I know.