I think we might be failing at our main job – failing at the one thing we were created to do – the one thing we can do best for each other – the job of showing up, of being there, the job of compassion.
It’s a strong accusation, I know. And there will be at least three responses. Maybe more.
How did this happen?! we will say. And we will worry because nobody likes to think we’ve failed. And this worry will generate action. Energy will be expended trying to figure out what happened and how to fix it. Activities will be designed to improve the score which will eventually mitigate our worry. This will at least allow us to get on with our lives. Until we fail again. And then we’ll worry again. We will worry ourselves into such a fixing frenzy that we simply won’t be have the energy to do our main job.
Not me! we will protest. We will ferociously protest this accusation of failure because we want to believe the best about ourselves. Of course we’re ready to help! It goes without saying that we are always ready to lend a listening ear! We can cite dozens of examples of dozens of times we’ve worked a caring moment into our schedule. We haven’t failed – we’ve simply redesigned the job description to better suit the kind of crazy busy lives we live now.
It’s THEIR fault! we will whisper and point the finger. Fingerpointing helps because if it’s true that our main job as human beings is to be there, then there must be some really good reason why we find it impossible to do our job. And it really doesn’t have anything to do with us. It’s them. THEY were prickly. THEY were self-centered. THEY were mean, cranky, bossy, troublesome, SOMETHING. THEY made it impossible for us to succeed at the one thing we were created to do.
That’s enough. We can’t go on like this. Some things have to change. Some bodies have to change. As unrelenting waves of sadness wash over this planet, mercilessly eroding hope, we’re the only ones who can break the perpetual cycle of uncertainty and suspicion. Instead of expecting that at any moment we will be betrayed, abandoned, or simply ignored – even though it happened – even though it is happening – we have to take a risk. We have to take a risk and do the job we were made to do.
And things will change. It will all change.
Improvisations 