Hello folks, I’d like to tell you a story about my granddaughter, my seven-year-old granddaughter.
I asked her, “You ever see the movie Forest Gump?”
And she said, “Yes Opa.”
And I said, “What scene do you remember and like the most in the movie?”
You’re staying home.
You’re washing hands.
You’re drinking water.
Now what?
Are you still anxious?
Do you realize the entire world is now focusing single-pointedly on well-being?
Everyone in their own way.
Vast numbers, hidden, like stars in the sky in the daylight.
The doctors and nurses and researchers in their way.
The caregivers in their way.
The people of all religions in their way.
The light-workers in their way.
Two four year old girls in my nursery school class were the best of friends. When one entered the room, the other would run to give her a big, welcoming hug. They managed to sit side-by-side throughout all activities and held hands when they walked around the room.
These girls were bright, creative and mature beyond their years. Every so often, something of interest would happen at home and they would turn this idea into a little two girl play.
These plays delighted me so much I’d stop what I was supposed to be doing and watch (from afar, of course).
My friend called the other day, and was very frustrated, and disappointed.
He was quite upset about something that was going on in his life,
something he could not control. It was something he actually brought into
his path by not taking actions that he should have taken,
on something that he knew he was supposed to take.
He ignored the situation and just went on to continue to move forward,
and then there were consequences to the decisions he chose to do.
And he didn’t like the outcome and had to wait to hear what the final outcome would be.
I want to share with people. You and I are going down to Rutger Park. You are going to be interviewing the NBA legends down there.
I want you and Cindy to inspire other people. Make connections down there.
(deleted garbled speech) For those of you listening, Chris is going to introduce us to Kenny Grant. He started in West Fourth Street in 1977. This is the greatest basketball arena.
According to Nike, West Fourth Street and Rutger Park go back and forth, one and two every year.
I grew up as a basketball buff. Once I was a player, and a person who follows the sport, in all phases: professionally, college, high school, grade school.
And the thing that I remember is that a lot of people tell you, “You couldn’t do it. You couldn’t make it because other people are better than you.” And I constantly fought that.
Did you ever go outside and feel that all the birds were singing?
Every single one. So many different songs. That there was a kind of happiness in the air. An exuberance at this moment. As if anything was possible.
Strange, isn’t it - the thought “As if anything was possible?” Most of us rarely think of this.
Suppose, just for a moment that it really is true – that it can be true - that anything is possible right now, just because I tune into and play with “anything is possible.”
What would you do? Really, what would you do?
The world is stopped, on pause, from its frenetic pace.
Perhaps people, the earth, and our busy-ness need a rest.
The roads are empty.
Perhaps people see better “nearsighted” now and then.
People look for groceries and food.
Perhaps people appreciate better the abundance we took for granted.
People’s daily routines are all “off-kilter” and disrupted.
Perhaps the habits were also a box that now is not.
Some people are bored with newly found free time.
Perhaps they can now feel “allowed and permitted” to think, to imagine, to create.
We loved going to the Kimberly Diner.
It was very small, and the patrons were very loud, but the food was very good - simple things, breakfast and lunch food.
The waitress and owner would call everyone “Happy people,” as in her greeting, “Hello, happy people,” or “What can I get for you happy people?”
That’s why we called it the Happy People Diner.
One day, as we were paying, I casually asked the cashier, “So how’s it going?” He replied immediately, and surprisingly, “Another day in paradise.”
I was amazed. What an interesting thing to say.
A friend called me this morning, and was really upset about
something that was going on in his life,
something that he could not control the outcome,
as far as what was going to happen with this particular thing.
He thought he was losing his house. He was not paying his bills.
In fact, he had the money to pay his bills, but he just chose
to spend his money on something else.
This is a big thing for him, a scary thing for him about
where he is going to live, and what is going to happen.