Freeday – 051024

Bees are so cool. I may eventually write more about them in detail, but I love this sports story so much that I want to highlight it this Freeday. Evidently, honeybees are a sign of good luck from ancient times. A full team win resulted from teamwork and cooperation.

This seemingly-random first paragraph is in reference to a fun article that I recently read:

Dodgers-Diamondbacks delayed by bee swarm at Chase Field

How much change was endured that day? The starting pitch was delayed by two hours. The first, ceremonial pitch was given ad hoc to the “hero of the hour”. That hero had to change up his plan of watching his son’s tee-ball game. His drive in to the MLB stadium was smooth, though. That feels right.  It is a more literal take of sorts on what Matthew McConaughey talks about with Green Lights. Letting him throw that first pitch in his beekeeping suit feels right. Stunning those bees and relocating them safely feels right. I was on pins and needles for more of the article than I care to admit, but I was so fully and physically relieved when I read that they were frozen and relocated in a peaceful way. Otherwise, I am not sure if I could have held it back anymore; instead, I can let it go. :) <3

Bees are essential for our survival; I beelieve that. Again, I will save any more details here for a future post and/or cycle. Honey can be explored in detail, too, either in tandem or completely separately. We shall see… so many connections can be made if you keep your mind open enough. Bridges can be built between almost anything and everything if we simply put forth the effort and try. That is why the theme of the next cycle will focus on bridges. I hope you will cross this bridge with me. Is it wise? Is it dumb? Time will tell.

As a bonus bridge here, do you know what does not feel right to me? A bunch of college seniors out there who are missing out on their graduations. Violent protests should not be rewarded. Violent anything should not be rewarded. We must first learn to live and act peacefully in my wholehearted opinion. However, many of these students worked hard for years. To punish the many due to the few does not feel right to me. In case it offers a small consolation prize for any who may see this post, please celebrate yourself. Please set aside time to memorialize your milestone with these moments, these past commencement addresses that I feel are right. These moments met the mark of merit. These memories mirror manners and meaning. May you even learn and grow from and through these untimely hardships. I am so sorry you had to deal with this. Imagine what seniors four years prior had to deal with graduating in a pandemic1. We all have to deal with lots of change. How do you react and respond to it, though? Do you react in kind from a low road, or can you rise up and do better? Can you bee better than those before us? That is what I am trying to do here; that is why I write. I feel a sense of duty that calls me here. I have a love so deep and profound for all of us. Yes, all of us. Even those whom I have disparaged in past posts. I know what good they could be capable of. Choose to push buttons for productive progress. Change to make the world better for all beings.

In lieu of your own commencement and guest speaker, please enjoy any or all of these:

Chadwick Boseman

Gloria Steinem

Elie Wiesel

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Steve Jobs

George Takei

Barack Obama

Amanda Gorman2

Howard University must be doing something very right, IMO, to show up on here twice. Nice work. <3

Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. 

  1. As I reviewed this post, I realized that this timing actually and sadly presents a double whammy for many. For those adhering to the standard or typical American higher education path, y’all graduated high school four years ago… at the peak of the pandemic. FWIW – I am so sorry you now experience this double whammy.  ↩︎
  2. Not quite a commencement address per se, but it is so powerful and strong IMO. ↩︎