I Too.....Sing America
I hope this e-mail finds you all in a great Holiday spirit, and getting ready to spend some special times with your family and friends over the next several weeks. As we pave our way through this Holiday season and into the New Year, we can’t help but to reflect on the year passed and look forward to 2009. Although the economic situation seems bleak and it’s been a very tough year for many of us, I am actually thankful to have had the experiences of 2008. You see, it’s through the difficult and challenging experiences that you find your “true” self. At least, it’s been that way for me. I have talked with many of you recently, and everyone has experienced some sort of life changing situation this past year. Guess what, we made it through….and the future is bright. The future …..that will be the focal point of my message. For you Sesame Street fans, I will be assisted by the letter “F” today.
My inspiration for this message today comes from a poem I read this morning by Langston Hughes, entitled “I, Too, Sing America” It’s an incredible and timely poem for what is going on today, and represents a very optimistic view of the future. I read it in my book that I read from every day, entitled “The Intellectual Devotional”. It’s basically 365 pages (one subject per day) on visual arts, literature, religion, science, music, philosophy, and history. This poem really got my juices flowing, and although I try to stay focused on the present moment these days, it really got me thinking about the past and mostly about the future. I started to reflect of all of the important pieces in my life….like faith, family, fatherhood, and friends.
All of the sudden, the “Fs” starting flowing. The good “Fs”….not the bad ones. :) I thought to myself, if I keep my Focus on Faith, Family, Fatherhood, Fitness, and Friends……..my Future will be bright. The power of “F”….. bet you haven’t heard that one before. That’s the thing about inspiration. It comes in many different flavors and in many different forms.
Langston Hughes was one of the great poets of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s, and this poem elegantly expresses both the sad reality of African American’s second-class status in American society at the time and his own confident optimism for the future. Here it is:
I, too, sing America
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed –
I, too, am America.
Pretty cool…..right? We now have an African American President for the first time in our country’s history, and regardless of your political views, I know you ALL realize what an enormous achievement this is for our country. It’s a message of persistence, hope, optimism, and humility. It’s a crystal clear vision that should propel all of us to keep moving forward in the face of adversity and difficult times. As I write this note to you today, I am reminded of another short poem that I heard from an Indian taxi driver in NYC last month. It went something like this:
“Rosa sat, so Martin could stand, so Barack could run, so our children could fly”.
WOW….I had chills up and down my spine when I heard that, and a feeling of optimism that fueled me throughout the day. I was as equally uplifted and inspired by this poem today, and I am hopeful that his message will resonate with you in some fashion. Just look at all of these fabulous “F” words:
Faith, Family, Friends, Forward, Fatherhood, Fitness, Focus, Find, Flavors, Fabulous, Forms, Flowing, and last…..but not least……FUTURE. Indeed, this is a time to reflect on all of these great words and how each one of us can improve our lives in 2009 by reflecting on and diving into each one of them.
Here’s to a very Happy Holiday and an equally Awesome New Year.
Tony
My inspiration for this message today comes from a poem I read this morning by Langston Hughes, entitled “I, Too, Sing America” It’s an incredible and timely poem for what is going on today, and represents a very optimistic view of the future. I read it in my book that I read from every day, entitled “The Intellectual Devotional”. It’s basically 365 pages (one subject per day) on visual arts, literature, religion, science, music, philosophy, and history. This poem really got my juices flowing, and although I try to stay focused on the present moment these days, it really got me thinking about the past and mostly about the future. I started to reflect of all of the important pieces in my life….like faith, family, fatherhood, and friends.
All of the sudden, the “Fs” starting flowing. The good “Fs”….not the bad ones. :) I thought to myself, if I keep my Focus on Faith, Family, Fatherhood, Fitness, and Friends……..my Future will be bright. The power of “F”….. bet you haven’t heard that one before. That’s the thing about inspiration. It comes in many different flavors and in many different forms.
Langston Hughes was one of the great poets of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s, and this poem elegantly expresses both the sad reality of African American’s second-class status in American society at the time and his own confident optimism for the future. Here it is:
I, too, sing America
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed –
I, too, am America.
Pretty cool…..right? We now have an African American President for the first time in our country’s history, and regardless of your political views, I know you ALL realize what an enormous achievement this is for our country. It’s a message of persistence, hope, optimism, and humility. It’s a crystal clear vision that should propel all of us to keep moving forward in the face of adversity and difficult times. As I write this note to you today, I am reminded of another short poem that I heard from an Indian taxi driver in NYC last month. It went something like this:
“Rosa sat, so Martin could stand, so Barack could run, so our children could fly”.
WOW….I had chills up and down my spine when I heard that, and a feeling of optimism that fueled me throughout the day. I was as equally uplifted and inspired by this poem today, and I am hopeful that his message will resonate with you in some fashion. Just look at all of these fabulous “F” words:
Faith, Family, Friends, Forward, Fatherhood, Fitness, Focus, Find, Flavors, Fabulous, Forms, Flowing, and last…..but not least……FUTURE. Indeed, this is a time to reflect on all of these great words and how each one of us can improve our lives in 2009 by reflecting on and diving into each one of them.
Here’s to a very Happy Holiday and an equally Awesome New Year.
Tony
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