InSpiritry

Watching for Inspiration

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Gold! Silver! Bronze!

Weren’t the Olympics amazing? Can we ever forget watching Michael Phelps finish race after race, breaking records and winning gold? And what about the amazing performances of American and international athletes in women’s gymnastics, track and field and the many team sports? In front of our televisions and in Bejing, we rooted for predestined heroes and little known underdogs. Across the country and around the world, for two weeks, young and old, rich and poor, Western and Eastern, women and men and children gathered to share in the triumphs and tragedies of sports at the highest level.

Best of all, as we watched, we allowed ourselves to join the world community, to care about athletes we had never met. From the opening ceremonies where light and sound and human movement became cultural art to the closing ceremonies with its fantastic celebration of humanity, we experienced each other. We looked into faces from other places and saw ourselves. At the Olympics, there was no discussion of border disputes or international deadlines or imperialistic invasions. No accusations or prejudices or threats. Wasn’t it wonderful?!

A commentator on NBC may have best described the possibilities inherent in this momentary peace:

If we can do for two weeks, why not three and then four…

Now with the Olympics behind us, we in America have two more television events this next month to draw our collective attention and inspire us: the Democratic and Republican conventions. The Democrats began last night with heart-lifting speeches by Ted Kennedy, Jesse Jackson Jr. and Michelle Obama, and then again tonight as Hillary thrilled the crowd. As we leaned in to listen, each of them told us their American story and asked us to envision our most passionate dreams for this country. In the coming days, others will do the same in their own personal ways both in Denver and later in Minneapolis.

I don’t know your political leanings, but whatever you believe, this is a great time to continue to build on the patriotic inspiration we felt during the Olympics. Remembering the amazing athletes we watched in Bejing, I would ask you to put aside cynicism and listen, really listen to the speakers we will hear at each of the conventions. Set aside disgust for those who disagree with you. Embrace those who offer their commitment to this country. Let yourself be inspired to believe in the future. Remember those moments during the Olympics when your heart pounded with hope for the athletes, and bring that sense of excitement to your television viewing of our political conventions as we journey toward the Greater Good for America.

When we allow ourselves to be inspired about our politics, we can be a blessing!

Learn more about InSpiritry and Anne McCrady, subscribe to InSpiritry Emails

or Contact Anne.

Join the InSpiritry Conversation– Add Your Comment!

Technorati Tags: Olympics Democrats Political Conventions speeches

Trackback Address for This Posting:
http://www.inspiritry.com/wordpress/2008/08/26/watching-for-inspiration

Posted in Events & News, America, Anne McCrady, InSpiritry, Politics of Possibility, InSpiration | No Comments »

Rocket Boys

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

It’s quite something, isn’t it? I am terribly excited!

Sir Richard Branson, upon unveiling his new shuttle Spaceship

It flew! It flew!

Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam

This week, as so often magically happens, several events in my life converged to offer a bright message. For me, the result was a reminder of the importance of wonder, of celebration, of exploration and of science.

The first instance was my reading of the best-selling memoir, Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam. I saw the movie the book inspired, October Sky, some years ago, but was recently encouraged to read the novel by a friend who heard that my son is a mining engineer who once longed to become an astronaut. (For those of either persuasion, I passionately recommend the book.) Taking his advice, I spent last week reading about young Homer’s fascination with Sputnik, his formation of his own rocket club in hopes of joining the race to space, his jubilation upon seeing his inventions fly and his struggle to understand his mining supervisor father’s own passion for the work and workers inside a deep West Virginia coal mine.

The second event of note was the announcement a few days ago by Sir Richard Branson that his Virgin Aerospace shuttle is almost ready to take tourists into space. Branson, well-known as a creative entreprenuer and futurist, promised that within a few months his SpaceShipTwo will be shuttled to 60,000 feet and launched into space, giving those aboard a chance to experience weightlessness and enjoy a suborbital view of Earth. Suggesting a ride comfortable and safe enough to accomodate Branson’s family and even scientist Stephen Hawking, who is confined to a wheelchair, Branson described his airship as “one of the most beautiful and extraordinary aviation vehicles ever developed.”

The third piece of my personal convergence was actually chronologically the first. It happened some weeks back, and was brought into focus by these first two. It was my Parent’s Day tour of the Edgar Mine, the hardrock mine used to train students at the Colorado School of Mines where, until graduation this May, my son, Patrick, was in college. Vividly remembering Patrick as a curious little boy, my tour with him through the mine was an amazing experience: dressing in the weight of safety gear, walking with him deep into the mountainside, experiencing the unfathomable darkness, seeing his capability with the equipment, grasping the inherent dangers, seeing his fascination with going where no one has gone and finally understanding his role in the world’s neccesity for metals…not to mention, the joy of stepping back out into the cool Colorado light!

That unforgettable experience was vivid for me this week as I read about Homer Hickam’s own boyhood decent into a coal mine with his father. As I turned the pages, other sweet memories of my boys designing and building things swept over me as Homer and his friends dreamed of and then built their own rockets, just as Patrick did between childhood summers at NASA’s Space Camp. Those thoughts were underscored as I watched Sir Richard Branson this week talk joyfully about the fulfillment of his own dreams of space, and I was reminded of the courage of those who envision the future. Educated in science myself and the daughter, wife and mother of science students, I delight when the excitement of exploration is celebrated by the world.

The final convergence came this morning as I turned on my computer to find that today is the 50th anniversary of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, NASA. What a happy coincidence!

NASA, Rocket Boys, Sir Branson’s spaces travel, my sons’ experiences…they are each a reminder of the power of consilience, E. O. Wilson’s idea of the unity of knowledge, that the various branches of science converge and confirm each other. That idea is the basis for the InSpiritry concept of Consilience: that all knowledge and experience is inherently good because whatever and however we learn, we are learning about ourselves, our world and our God. When we embrace that perspective, education becomes essential. Exploration and research become holy. Wonder becomes worship. Science becomes sacred.

Even if you are not a scientist or explorer, you can experience the power of wonder. Consider your own life:

What excites you or your children the way space excited the Rocket Boys? Follow your heart!

Do you have ideas that are as innovative and risky as Sir Branson’s? Stay the course!

What do you not yet understand or haven’t yet learned? Stimulate your mind!

What do you wish you could do with your life? Make your dreams come true!

What do you want to see happen in the world? Invest in the future!

Let’s be inspired by the accomplishments of Sir Richard Branson. Let’s use our admiration of the Rocket Boys to fuel the imagination of creative young people. Let’s believe that the more we know, the closer we are to the Truth. Let’s believe in the InSpiritry concepts of Consilience, of Courage and of Celebration.

When We Dare to Dream, We Can Be a Blessing!

Learn more about InSpiritry and Anne McCrady, subscribe to InSpiritry Emails

or Contact Anne.

Join the InSpiritry Conversation– Add Your Comment!

Technorati Tags: Rocket Boys Sir Richard Branson Space Edgar Mine Consilience

Trackback Address for This Posting:
http://www.inspiritry.com/wordpress/2008/07/29/rocket-boys/

Posted in Anne McCrady, Social Entrepreneurship, InSpiritry, Books, Science, Events | 1 Comment »

A Hero Lost in the Battle with PTSD

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

“He was certainly a hero…

He did have some difficulty dealing with it,”

Jean Offutt, a Fort Bliss spokesperson

News came today that we lost another hero, not on a bloody battlefield in Iraq, although he had served there, but instead back home in Texas where he should have been safe. No, after all he had been through, it was not gunfire or an IED or even friendly fire that killed former Army Spc. Joseph Dwyer. Instead, he died late last month of a drug overdose. Dwyer’s friends say he, like thousands of other veterans, suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. (more…)

Posted in Anne McCrady, War, InSpiritry, Greater Good, Politics of Possibility, Peacework | No Comments »

Peace and Love

Friday, July 4th, 2008

Peace and Love! Peace and Love! Peace and Love!

Ringo Starr

For some of us, these words are a familiar slogan from the 1960s. For others they are exactly the message the world needs to hear. For a few, Peace and Love is a tired cliche’. Whatever your first impression is, these simple words speak of what so many of us hope for in our lives: safety, harmony, nonviolence, compassion and acceptance. Peace. Our religions seek to instill it, our governments try to provide it, our politicians orate about it…and still is seems like a distant dream. (more…)

Posted in War, World, Music, Anne McCrady, InSpiritry, Peacework, InSpiration, Greater Good, Events | No Comments »

Loving Day

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Posted in InSpiritry | Comments Off

Bigger than We Can Imagine

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

The God that we serve is so big

that we don’t have to be limited

by the world that we now see.

This quote by Mariama White-Hammond was part of a recent post on the always insightful and encouraging blog, God’s Politics.

Ms. White-Hammond is the inspiring young executive director of Project Hip-Hop (Highways Into the Past—History, Organizing and Power), a youth-led, secular, nonprofit organization that provides a space where predominantly young people of color from traditionally low-income communities in Boston can develop and exercise their individual and collective leadership. The blog entry is excerpted from an interview with her that appears in this month’s issue of Sojourner magazine in a feature about young Christians who are making a difference in the world.

This particular quote came in answer to the question, What would you like to tell other Christians? While I think it is a great statement of faith, for me it is more than a Christian guidepost. (more…)

Posted in Anne McCrady, Community, InSpiritry, Greater Good, Christianity, Spiritual | 1 Comment »

Science Without Borders

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

The first day or so we all pointed to our countries.

The third or fourth day we were pointing to our continents.

By the fifth day, we were aware of only one Earth.

Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud, astronaut

This perspective from space offers wisdom for us here back on earth. Unity sounds simple, but when we are distracted by family issues, social concerns and our national interests, it can be hard to remember there is “only one Earth.” In fact, there may be no more important thing for us to remember than this: all of us on the planet are neighbors.

Thankfully, there have been positive moves toward that recognition. (more…)

Posted in World, Anne McCrady, InSpiritry, Greater Good, Science | No Comments »

Poetry: An Invitation

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

April was National Poetry Month, and what a heart-warming celebration the past few weeks have been for me:

(more…)

Posted in InSpiritry, Anne McCrady, Greater Good, Writing, InSpiration, Texas, Poetry | 3 Comments »

The New Generation Gap

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

Be the change you wish to see in the world. Gandhi

With the Republican nominee decided and the Democratics yet to find consensus on a candidate, the Presidential primaries have offered some interesting revelations:

Women are not all voting for the only woman running.
Blacks are not all lined up behind the one Black candidate.
Experienced Senators are having trouble getting credit for long careers of hard-fought accomplishments.
New young voters have turned out in record numbers for a candidate who seems young.
The buzzword has been “change.”

What is going on?

I would suggest that we are experiencing the early pangs of a syndrome we, Baby Boomers, should recognize:

A Generation Gap!

Yes, there is growing evidence that the country is divided along generational lines with a disconnect between old and young. Think about it:

(more…)

Posted in Anne McCrady, Aging, Social Entrepreneurship, InSpiritry, Greater Good, Peacework, Women, Politics of Possibility, Social Issues | 5 Comments »

Leaving for Iraq

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

On a rainy afternoon this week, as I worked at my desk, I got the phone call I had been dreading for months:

”Anne, it’s me. I thought I better call. I am leaving tonight for Iraq.”

(more…)

Posted in Anne McCrady, War, InSpiritry, Greater Good, Politics of Possibility, Peacework | 1 Comment »

Archive for the ‘InSpiritry’ Category

Watching for Inspiration

Rocket Boys

A Hero Lost in the Battle with PTSD

Peace and Love

Loving Day

Bigger than We Can Imagine

Science Without Borders

Poetry: An Invitation

The New Generation Gap

Leaving for Iraq

Recent Posts

Blogroll

InSpiritry Pages

Categories

Archives