I was watching a "Whoopi Goldberg: Back to Broadway". It was good, very entertaining, she hit home about many things. One thing that resonated with me was her analogy about change.
"Change is inevitable. It's going to happen no matter what you do, you can pull it, you can cut it, you can burn it, it doesn't matter, it happens whether you participate or not. And now the question becomes, do you participate on your knees, or do you participate standing straight up in the way that's most comfortable for you."
That is so true. I have decided that I will stand up and participate. Change will happen no matter what you do to stop it. Either you can participate or not. Participation is always better than not. It might be a bit scary, it might be a little terrifying, but the most terrifying things in life usually end up being worth the most sacrifice. You can't live on an island anymore, it just doesn't work, no one is isolated, everyone is connected.
I also like the quote Whoopi used from her trip to Amsterdam. She visited the Ann Frank house. She said there were large black and white photographs hanging from the ceiling. They looked like they were suspended in midair. She said the pictures were very disturbing, they showed people being dragged out into the streets. She new that could not happen in America. In America no one would stand by and let you get dragged out into the street for speaking out against the government, and in America no one would stand by and let you door get kicked in and dragged out because of your Religious preference. And she was certain that no one would stand by and let your door get kick in because of your sexual preference that stuff just doesn't happen. She had seen how far they had come. America is the country where you get to believe whatever you want to, that’s just the way it is. Then on her way out, she saw a sign, it had a quote on it, the quote read, "In spite of everything, I still believe there is good in people". She was very angry about this, she was loud, "how can you say that after what I’ve seen in here", until she read the author of the quote, Ann Frank.
That also resonated with me. After all the bad stuff that's gone on in our World, I still believe people want to do the right thing. We can get blinded by hatred, jealously, or fear, but at the end of the day, I don't believe people are inherently evil.
Change is coming, many new and scary things are coming. Preferences are changing, people are starting to notice what's going on, and they aren't going to take it anymore. "I'll be watching you" she hummed from the stage, "I'll be watching you, every more you make every vow you break, i'll be watching you, George"
What an awesome show. I must watch it again.
