and why it is important to address root causes.
Most of us have grown up in a society that is pretty shallow. We rush from one thing to the next, rarely taking the time and energy to sink into the true depths of any particular issue. When people become ill, doctors take note of symptoms and prescribe medications to help alleviate those, while rarely looking at the conditions and deficiencies that actually caused the illness in the first place. When some tragic event happens, people quickly assign blame to the obvious surface level conditions, rather than delve into what was actually at source for the occurrences in the first place. When someone is found to be in need, gifts of charity may address the emergency concerns, but lack in the discovery of what might make a meaningful difference in preventing emergencies to simply arrive again.
Thanks to our conditioning (and a variety of other influences), it seems so much simpler to just address the symptoms and move on, delaying their inevitable return (often returning in manifestations that are worse than the first time it was “handled”). This abrupt cycle of well intentioned surface-level support is honorable in its own way, for it is a testament to peoples desire to resolve issues as efficiently as possible, while there remains tremendous hidden costs in our approach.
I often see a very friendly man who stands at a freeway exit every day (I see them all the time). He carries his sign asking for help and greets drivers with a smile and gratitude for their monetary gifts. Certainly he has reason to be grateful, for those very gifts feed him every day. They may buy him a beer, some medicine or even a hotel stay now and then. He has been there for years, doing the same thing, while no real meaningful change has come to his situation by eliciting charitable donations.
It’s not that he is without talent or ability. I would guess that if he were given an opportunity to actually change his situation for the better, he would gladly spend his days someone more pleasing than a freeway exit. If it was I standing there, I would rather feel productive in my life, rather than constantly feeling dependent upon the charity of others. Yet that is what is working for him, to meet his basic needs and I doubt there is much support to address the underlying issues that have him trapped daily on the side of the road.
Although there are definitely times when emergency needs must be addressed, by treating the symptoms, there are much greater opportunities to make a difference that most often get missed.
In my own case, I highly value the gifts of community intended to change my situation for the better, rather than ones that might further entrap me into the uncertainty of depending on charity to live. It is gifts of encouragement, kind words, quality time, authentic love and acts of service that promise to move me from a basic survival mentality into the possibility that I may thrive in my life.
Shadows Illuminated is a wonderful example where community has supported me in such meaningful ways, and it is the best example I have experienced of how deeper community engagement can transform even the most difficult of situations. As I have made a tremendous effort to shift my own path, I have been met and supported by a number of individuals who have aided me in making up for my many weaknesses, while encouraging and supporting my strengths.
Some have taken substantial amounts of time to understand my story and to help me better communicate it to others, especially important since I tend to speak in language that most do not understand. Some have helped me to create and refine the content, so that I can make the best of the resources that I have available. Some have provided private counsel and priceless recommendations to me, to help me improve my approach and results. Some have provided tangible material support, such as places to sleep and work, food to sustain me as I build a more independent future, and even cash donations, that help me get to rehearsals and meet other real-world needs. Still others have taken a few moments to share about me, my story, my art, and what I am up to in general, which is extremely valuable in creating the momentum I will need to succeed in my goals. Even those who take the time to listen, read and review my art give me confidence to keep driving forward.
There is no doubt that Shadows Illuminated is not a creation of my own, but a culmination and example of where deep and authentic community support results in positive outcomes. It is this example that encompasses the main point of this blog post and one of the primary messages of Shadows Illuminated in general.
While reflecting upon the countless symptoms in our society that something is not working, and striving to discover the root causes of all of the dis ease that we are individually and collectively facing, I found a fairly simple common thread. We have been so focused on symptoms and on trying to prop up a broken society that we have become deficient in authentic community. Our communities have all been but destroyed through over-valuing independence (for a species that is inherently interdependent), through division, and through a lack of depth in understanding.
In order to avoid being too vague about this, for community is a term that is broadly used but little understood. Most people in our society believe that community is a synonym for society. This is not so. A community is a collection of individuals who live amongst each other, and so all community is based in individuality and individual ways-of-being. For me to be in community simply means that I find a need (in the community that directly surrounds me) and if I am capable, I seek to fill the need.
My decision to help someone gets to be absent of my judgments, my pride, my opinions about how I believe others should be living according to my own value systems. It is actually quite simple. If someone is trying to accomplish something, then help them to succeed. If someone needs assistance that I am capable of fulfilling, support without strings.
There is something remarkable that occurs when a group of individuals carries such a personal responsibility for being involved so directly and in such meaningful ways. Such a collection of individuals weaves a fabric of community that allows no one to fall through the cracks, ever. Abundance for everyone in the community becomes almost automatic, as no need goes unrecognized or unfulfilled. Everyone in the community is welcomed in bringing their own unique gifts and capacities for the greater good of all, and everyone gets to feel equally valuable within the community for their contributions.
Let’s face the facts. So much of our energy is dedicated to fighting over societal ideals, laws, hot-button political issues, and other ideological conversations; while so little effort is brought into making a difference in our day-to-day actions. We are quick to assign blame and personal responsibility to all kinds of celebrities and factors that our out of our control, we miss the opportunities to avoid situations that require blame of any sort. And we offer all this attention and energy while only minimally seeking to make a difference in those things we can affect today and in our immediate circles of neighbors, family and friends.
We are all human. We are all facing great challenges in this world every day. There is no shortage of how we can support each other right now. The first step however is getting beneath the surface of superficiality and symptoms to begin addressing the root causes of our challenges. It is time for us to get to know our neighbors, and I mean really to get to know them, not just look up from our screens long enough to say hello. It is time for us to support our family members in what they are up to, not just sit stoically in judgment about how they are not living according to our values and advice. It is time to spend some quality time with friends and finding out what will make a difference for them in their lives, and then rising to the occasion!
So while we go on treating symptoms as becomes necessary, please don’t forget that we have the ultimate power to influence everything at its most meaningful level. It all starts with our own behaviors, is carried out into our communities, and ultimately perpetuates the entire society and world in which we live. So there it is. Now please go find a need and fill it. For this one revolutionary act you will become a true hero in my book.
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