Love this. It's so true. As a crisis worker, most people I work with report getting assistance not from government programs or non-profits but from the people around them, the kindness of the stranger. Indeed, we are all connected. It's easy to forget the indelible mark we can make on another's life through small acts of kindness.
We proclaim persons, writers, singers, musicians, athletes, the G.O.A.T. But were they really? Or did Lady Luck place them in the right place at the right time? Amati/Hemingway; Amati/Poe; Amati/Woolf; Amati Tolkien?? Two sides of the same coin!!
Vice versa is the rule, not the exception, during my 55 years in the workforce…my 1st job was at the French Fry Stand at Idora Park…I was 15…Ethel was the owner/manager…4’ 10” of capitalism incarnate…she was the BEST boss I ever had because she knew everything about entrepreneurship and leadership…she had the racist tendencies of her time, BUT she was a true feminist…she took no bullshit from any man…she could be mean as Hell to us kids, grinding away every day in the heat and grease; but she knew she had to be on our teenage-asses or the entire operation would head south…which is where she lived in Florida during the winter months, eating lobster, NOT French Fries!!
Every boss I had in my adult career got the job of boss since they couldn’t do the job-at-hand…they rose because of their incompetency…which made me wonder that bad bosses/managers are ubiquitous; how does any business or corporation survive?
I was/am a union man and I saw bad workers up close and personal…but they were the exception…unions gave workers security against a bad boss....when you feel secure in your job, you actually work BETTER...AND unions make corporations better by exposing the worst bosses...sorry for the rant, but you young people need to know this shit!!
I'm a believer (animist) that everything and everyone holds energy. We can drain energy, give energy, or transform it. Art thrives in communities that give energy to artists to expand, try new things, and not feel like a commodity. One tiny action can sometimes create a larger spark, which can set someone ablaze for good or for something darker. I have often read stories of musicians, writers, artists who had one small interaction with a stranger, and it inspired a new work, a new line of thinking and being in this world. As they say in the esoteric world - "as above, so below." Intentions and the actions that follow have echoes, even if we do not hear them until years later. I liked this a lot.
And that’s why I wish more people would help each other. I don’t understand why, if someone asks for assistance, so many turn aside pretending they didn’t hear.
Love this, thank you ❤
Yay thank you April ❤️
Love this. It's so true. As a crisis worker, most people I work with report getting assistance not from government programs or non-profits but from the people around them, the kindness of the stranger. Indeed, we are all connected. It's easy to forget the indelible mark we can make on another's life through small acts of kindness.
That's a great observation, Will. So true. We must help each other. Build each other up.
Good reminder. Looking at situations from various angles is one antidote to egocentricity... One person's ceiling is another's floor....
So true! Thank you
Excellent as always, Franco! I sometimes wonder if things aren't even more intertwined than we realize.
Same here, I really wonder about that too!
more people need to remember this. every single minute, banal interaction is a chance to make someones day better or worse.
That is so true
"they triggered a cascade of remembrance in you" Lovely bit of writing, Franco. I really enjoyed this one, doff!
Thank you!
Very nice
Thank you
This is beautiful. 🤍
Thank you, Isabel!
"I am you as much as you are me,
the writer who was accepted
is the same writer who was rejected — "
We proclaim persons, writers, singers, musicians, athletes, the G.O.A.T. But were they really? Or did Lady Luck place them in the right place at the right time? Amati/Hemingway; Amati/Poe; Amati/Woolf; Amati Tolkien?? Two sides of the same coin!!
you have a point about lady luck, very true
“if a worker is languishing,
you must look to the boss…
and of course, in most cases,
vice versa…”
Vice versa is the rule, not the exception, during my 55 years in the workforce…my 1st job was at the French Fry Stand at Idora Park…I was 15…Ethel was the owner/manager…4’ 10” of capitalism incarnate…she was the BEST boss I ever had because she knew everything about entrepreneurship and leadership…she had the racist tendencies of her time, BUT she was a true feminist…she took no bullshit from any man…she could be mean as Hell to us kids, grinding away every day in the heat and grease; but she knew she had to be on our teenage-asses or the entire operation would head south…which is where she lived in Florida during the winter months, eating lobster, NOT French Fries!!
Every boss I had in my adult career got the job of boss since they couldn’t do the job-at-hand…they rose because of their incompetency…which made me wonder that bad bosses/managers are ubiquitous; how does any business or corporation survive?
I was/am a union man and I saw bad workers up close and personal…but they were the exception…unions gave workers security against a bad boss....when you feel secure in your job, you actually work BETTER...AND unions make corporations better by exposing the worst bosses...sorry for the rant, but you young people need to know this shit!!
I agree, when you feel secure and appreciate you always will work and behave better
Love this piece, Franco!
Thank you, Trevor!
Great reading of a fine poem.
Thank you so much 😊
I'm a believer (animist) that everything and everyone holds energy. We can drain energy, give energy, or transform it. Art thrives in communities that give energy to artists to expand, try new things, and not feel like a commodity. One tiny action can sometimes create a larger spark, which can set someone ablaze for good or for something darker. I have often read stories of musicians, writers, artists who had one small interaction with a stranger, and it inspired a new work, a new line of thinking and being in this world. As they say in the esoteric world - "as above, so below." Intentions and the actions that follow have echoes, even if we do not hear them until years later. I liked this a lot.
I always love your insights. A lot to think about here. Especially the bit about art thriving in communities of acceptance.
nice voice 👍
thank you ❤️
And that’s why I wish more people would help each other. I don’t understand why, if someone asks for assistance, so many turn aside pretending they didn’t hear.
there's a lot of selfishness in this world. People are often entitled and competitive and soulless.
Wondering if I am allowed to post here ?
Yes of course I always welcome comments and dialogue
Ok so far so good :-)
:)