What I Can Do

Helen Keller had a favorite quote, written by a friend of her’s, Everett Edward Hale.

I am only one,
But still I am one,
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something,
And, because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

Today I am reflecting on how I might apply these thoughts to my concerns and clonflicts over the coming election.

Realizing that I have only one vote and that will not go very far in the whole scheme of things, I had a few added thoughts of things I could do so that I can be doing the “somethings”: I can do.

• I can speak the truths I am carrying that best represent ME
• I can share my truths through my blog postings
• I can use the various forums of New Horizons’ programs to speak my truths
• I can engage others in dialogue in settings that I am assured will invite conversations that are open hearted and high minded. (None of that solely intellectual stuff for me, day in and day out. I want to get to the real heart of the issues, or at least some of them.)
• Sue and I (and our volunteers and supporters) can use New Horizons Bus Ride Story Adventure series to model, encourage and inspire others in our community to speak out similarly --- from their minds and their hearts.

This is my hope:

If each of us is only one and has only one vote, which, of course, we are and can only do, when we speak out, as we will be encouraging, without polorizing, but instead listening with our hearts as well as our mind, perhaps --

one plus one plus many other ones -- will become larger than the sum of the parts.

Thus, perhaps, we can a bigger difference together with our voices joining than any one of us can do by ourselves.  Not by just complaining but by sharing our hopes and our dreams.

I hope and I pray.