Who Cares - What Matters
Dead Poet’s Society, 1989.
Some say the movie is timeless and that it should be a requirement for Teachers before teaching their first class.
Maybe that’s selling it completely short and putting it into a $1.00 or under re-sell bin at a rummage sale.
The story in 1989, 2014, and most like in 2089 will never be about teaching or learning or living or dying.
Truly–it’s about you!
Maybe it’s not so much about being Remembered as it is simply not getting FORGOTTEN. . . .
I’ve NOT been remembered LOTS as a minister, a Life-Celebrant, a Spiritual Care Coordinator with hospice, a Wedding Liturgist, a Speaker for Leadership, Communication, Spirituality, End-Of-Life Issues. Maybe too many times. But I have literally, powerfully, emphatically NOT been Forgotten.
Most of the phone calls I get to fulfill any of the roles above is merely been because I’ve NOT been forgotten.
I’m sincerely, intimately, “THAT GUY!”
Dare I take up the next 6:19 minutes of your Life?
Dare you squander it?
Dare you Miss It?
Michael Pollack. You certainly know the name, right?
I didn’t know of him…never heard of him before 10 minutes ago.
Billy Joel.
I’ve liked his music since his very first song, “Piano Man” in the early 70’s.
I remember one story, because of his busy concert schedule, he was going to miss his only child’s, his daughter’s Birthday and she was devastated by the news…he was more so.
Do you care?
What’s the last thing you said, “I DON’T CARE,” about?
Does it really matter whether you care or not about anything?
You bet!
In fact you actually bet your life on it whether you recognize it or not!
Classic Story for not so classic folks!
PREMISE: WHEN WE DO GOOD, GOOD HAPPENS TO US!
He worked overtime, but not for the overtime. He worked because his best friend, with terminal cancer couldn’t. His friend had tried his best, but his best was becoming more and more his worst. His friend wanted to maintain his life, just by working a few hours every day, he felt he could have some normalcy. His friend was wrong. He was becoming weaker, more sick day by day and now to keep up the pace, overtime had to be applied.
Hey, what are friends, true friends, truly for, if not to help out a sick friend?
Well, the countdown has begun, hasn’t it. The teams, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks, for the Super Bowl have now been decided for their ultimate showdown on Sunday, February 2.
Recently what’s been bigger than the game are the Commercials. Millions of dollars per second are charged for select spots.
What was your favorite last year or have they been that quickly forgotten and very soon replaced?
Paul Harvey’s GOD MADE A FARMER ranks up there for me, for not just last year, but many a recent Super Bowl. The Commercial advertises Ram trucks but maybe like me, they could have saved the millions for the real message we received, and still do from the Commercial.
YOU, we, are all Planter of Seeds, aren’t we?
Nope. . .it’s NOT what you’re thinking.
First, you might really be asking what kind of seeds are those?
As soon as I say, “MUSTARD SEED,” Look where your mind goes…right to the Gospel Gutter: IF YOU HAVE FAITH THE SIZE OF A MUSTARD SEED. . . .
Nope! It really isn’t what you’re thinking.
It may well be so that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move a mountain. . .but if you have the Caring Compassion the size of the a mustard seed you can, continents!
She suffered the death of a child and she was devastated to say the least. She, understandably so, was unconsolable. She sought council from her Priest, her friends, her friend’s friends. She went to the best Counselors and Advisors–Nothing–there was no Peace, no consolation, no relief, real or now, imagined.
Some ONE suggested something that was a little out of the ordinary, and in this particular case, way off the well-traveled paths and even the over-familiar ruts. A Holy Man. A Guru. A Spiritualist. . . .
There’s such a very huge distance between Looking and Seeing.
When’s the last time you, you just didn’t look but actually saw what’s behind the eyes, the face of everyone you meet?
Granted, we’re all very busy and it would be just so much easier if we could wear a special set of glasses that would identify the pain of each person, known and unknown to us in a very specific way–taking out all of the guess work.
A Simple game, huh?
But why, why is it we take the Simple and make it so complicated?
To make it more important? For it to be taken seriously? To take it more seriously?
Would it make the Checkers Plan inconceivable?
The plan can be implemented in any area of your life, especially the most troublesome ones.
Hit the Rewind button and go back with me for a little bit. When, exactly, was the the last time you actually played a spirited game of Checkers?
Yesterday or yesteryear?
I often show this short clip when teaching on Compassion or Compassionate Presence. I firmly believe that it allows us, in less than two minutes, experience the power of this Compassionate Presence which has more power than some high-powered medications.
If Compassion could be dispensed like a medication, would it be an illegal substance?
Would it come with a prescription?
Could you be inoculated with it?
Could it be used for an intended, overdose?