I Come From...

I come from the South—a product of a long line of Kentuckians. I come from Southern hospitality—a strong community—a legacy of love.

My grandparents will celebrate 66 years of marriage on May 15 of this year. My parents will celebrate 43 years of marriage on June 15. My other grandparents would have celebrated 66 years of April 1, but my granfather died in November of 2008.

I come from love.

I come from a place where you say hello when you meet someone on the sidewalk or in the aisle of the grocery store—even if you don’t really know them.

I come from a place that still says “yes sir” and “yes maam.”

I come from good Southern cooking—gravy and biscuits, green beans, and coconut cream pie…and the original Kentucky fried chicken.

I come from mystery—I don’t know exactly where I come from, and I know precisely where I come from.

I come from my past, my present, and my future.

I am not alone…I come from support, understanding, faith, hope, and love.

I come from doing the best I can with what I’ve got.

I come from generosity.

It is my hope that the foundation of who I am and where I have come from serves as a catalyst to contribute, to make a difference, and to return that love, support, understanding to others along the journey.

Life comes full circle and all that I am and all that I do and all that I have circles back to others. As Carrie Newcomer reminds me, “Love and kindness is all we ever leave behind.”

I come from love and kindness.

We Stand on the Shoulders of Those Who Come Before Us

“We stand on the shoulders of those who come before us.”
--Maya Angelou

At this time in the spring semester, we have a tradition of meeting with the returning Wash U RAs thirty minutes prior to welcoming the new RAs and signing contracts. We discuss the importance of their stepping up as leaders and role models for the staff. We thank them for recommitting for a second or perhaps third year.

We also take the opportunity to remind them that they are a part of a long line of RAs—a strong program built on the foundation of student leaders dedicated to creating respectful, welcoming communities, to helping their residents succeed both in and outside of the classroom, and to being part of a team that cares about one another.

I then mention that I “see” former RA sitting amongst them. I even list off names of former RAs that I see (at which time, I make fun of myself for “seeing” people who are not actually there.)

This year, I saw Debbie Busler, Aimee Israel, Michelle Purdy, Erin Stafford, Tim Bono, Sagar Ravi, Katherine Clapham, Taylor Poling, Jimmy Cox, Caitlin Hearns, and Mike Pope (mostly I heard Mike Pope singing). I truly feel the presence of all of the RAs I have had the honor of knowing over the last 18 years. They are in the room. Their presence is in our midst.

We stand on their shoulders.

We are the organization that we are because of the dedicated RAs that have come before us.

This weekend, I literally had the opportunity to see many of those RAs who were on campus for Young Alumni Reunion and was reminded of their enthusiasm, their strengths, their commitment, their sense of humor, and their leadership.

Several RA alums commented that RA training has created not only an enduring memory, but that it has also developed a lasting impact on how they approach both their professional and personal lives.

Diversity training, “I” statements, nonverbal communication, programming, team building, and the ever popular “leaving places cleaner then we found them.”

This mantra has transformed into leaving people and places better than we found them. And that is exactly what the Wash U RA alums have done.

Thank you. We continue to stand on your shoulders.

What Brings Me Life...

What brings me life is embedded in the heart and soul: it is the mystery that unfolds in ways that we can never imagine.

And sometimes I want to know how it will all end up. I want to have a crystal ball and know about 5 years on.

But what brings me life is the present moment—the not knowing that requires trust and faith—trust and faith that is often bigger than I am.

What brings me life is leaning into the unknown—knowing that I don’t have to know it all—releasing the grip of fear and opening up my arms and my heart to love.

As the Beatles say, "Love is all there is." And why try to figure it all out when life is truly a mystery?

What brings me life is traveling through the mystery with other seekers and dreamers—companions on the journey.

What brings me life is the a-ha of now and the realization that today is a good day and today is all we have and love is all there is.

Happy Birthday Miracles and Joy to the World!

Two years ago today, I got the call that a baby boy was making his way in to the world. I drove from St. Louis to Louisviile & met my nephew a few minutes after he was born. JOY to the world & happy 2nd birthday to DREW!

He brings such happiness, joy, and laughter to our family. Drew puts things in perspective and reminds us as Thich Nhat Hanh claims,
"All is a miracle."

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.

Every day we are engaged in a miracle we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the curious eyes of a child, our own two eyes.

All is a miracle.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Celebrating 65 Joyful Years!

On May 25, 1945--Charles O. (Whitey) Davis and Marion Page were married. Today, my grandparents--Bigdaddy and Granny--are celebrating their 65th wedding anniverary. They represent a legacy of love and serve as a blessing to their family on a daily basis with their commitment to one another and their children and grandchildren.

Their love is a joy! Congratulations Granny and Bigdaddy!!!!!

Before and After

Today is the official release date of "Before and After," Carrie Newcomer's 12th album on Rounder Records. I first met Carrie in February 1993 in Bloomington, IN while I was a graduate student at IU. She was playing a concert at Bear's Place and said something that apparently I found quite humorous as I let out a loud cackle. (I have a very distinctive, loud laugh I am told....). Nobody else laughed, and Carrie said, "I must have found my metaphysical connection in the audience. She laughs, but nobody else does. We should have coffee."

Well....I have never been extended an invitation that I did not take the person up on. So although it took some time to coordinate our schedules, Carrie and I finally got together for lunch at the Uptown Cafe in May 1993. Since then, I have been one of Carrie's biggest fans and at one point, I was even her manager. I once told Carrie that I would walk to the ends of the earth for her and her music. I believe that strongly in the power of Carrie's music to transform, heal, and move people.

Parker Palmer claims, "It is a mark of spiritual range as well as artistic virtuosity when a singer-songwriter can make you dance one moment, laugh the next, and then take you to a deeply moving, even prayerful place, as she touches on regret, loss, or grief, or on the wonder of being alive. Carrie’s music does all of this for me, and more." And she does that for me and many others.

I would still walk to the ends of the earth to support Carrie and her music.

Dreaming Big

In The Making of an Activist: Stitching a Revolution, Cleve Jones describes how the NAMES Project came to exist. I found myself mesmerized by how Jones weaves in the personal stories of his close friends and colleagues not to mention his own story, which serves to both inspire and spark the project. The pain of losing friends and family members in such a tight-knit community catalyzed an artistic movement that “would put a face on statistics and change the world” (p. xiv).

Jones asserts, “I believed that when we unfolded thousands of quilts on the National Mall, the stony walls of Congress would come tumbling down and the nation would awaken—that our quilt, my quilt, would crash through the fear and intolerance” (p. xv). Many of Jones’ closest allies doubted the project would succeed.

What prompts artists to dream big in the face of daunting challenges? What keeps them going and how can leaders learn from the perseverance, determination, and commitment of Cleve Jones and the founders of the NAMES project?

Check out this website for information on the AIDS Memorioal Quilt and the NAMES
project:

http://www.aidsquilt.org/index.htm