A Knight’s Tale

“The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn’t the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility.”

John Lennon.

I find it interesting, or at the very least, serendipitous, how things find their way into my psyche. Is it coincidence that paths the mind’s eye toward learning, understanding, and/or questioning? I truly believe that nothing is brought about by coincidence; once we begin to see(k), some of us cannot help but question it and journey toward an unveiling of truths that ring true for us as individuals and collectively. Truth can be an illusionary process as peeling away the layers can create even more questions. As certain truths become more evident, my faith becomes a more solid path. It becomes, for me, a Circle Quest and I never know where I may be led. To put it simply; this makes a person go, “Hmmm…” and truly wonder about those ol’ Laws of Attraction.

Recently, I happened upon John Lennon’s biography, “Imagine” and watched it with a renewed interest. I came away from that biography thinking that Mr. Lennon was indeed, a well-traveled soul. He had some very interesting things to say about government, war, wealth, religion, and love. I think, he too, was searching. I don’t know that he ever found what he was looking for, and like the rest of us, his journey took him down paths that I don’t think he could have ever imagined. I think it’s interesting that he said, “I don’t intend to be a performing flea any more. I was the dream weaver, but although I’ll be around I don’t intend to be running at 20,000 miles an hour trying to prove myself. I don’t want to die at 40.” I wish we could have all seen his talent and dreams come to true fruition.

Last November, my mom and I went to see the movie, “Bobby.” I didn’t really know what to expect from it. I’m really glad we had the opportunity to see it on the big screen. I gorged myself on a lunch of Milk Duds and popcorn while settling into a movie in which I was initially more fascinated with the 60’s clothing and hair fashions. I thought Demi Moore played a terrific, washed-up singer/actress, drunk. I thought it was funny that Emilio Estevez cast himself to play Demi’s long-suffering, ex-drummer-musician husband. Ashton Kutcher bugged me in that I couldn’t see him as anything but “That 70’s Show” dude. He was born in 1978 and I just could not relate to him as a wogged, sugar cube poppin’, and trippin’ drug dealer.

There were many great performances in this movie and I could go on and on about them. However, the movie didn’t really get under me until the end. Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence” started to play and I felt my throat tighten. I’d never really paid that much attention to the words of this song but suddenly they rang like a warning bell. I knew what was coming but it was the imagery of hope and tremendous belief in what Robert Kennedy professed to believe in, marked against the chaos that ensued as they walked through the kitchen of this grand hotel that evoked some of my strongest emotional reactions. Watching the parade of believers suddenly stunned into a reality of what “couldn’t happen again” and the bleeding innocents that simply got in the way of a bullet, was a heart wrenching experience; all to the tune of,

“Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

“Fools”, said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you”
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls”
And whispered in the sounds of silence”

It became quiet; deadly silent in the theater save the sound of a few sniffles and uncomfortable shifting in chairs. It wasn’t until the very end of the movie where they showed Bobby Kennedy walking, talking, and still-photos of him with his family, growing up with his brother Jack; in the White House, in the streets, and his sweet tussling of the hair of a small child, that I found myself truly breaking down. In the background was the song, “Never Gonna Break My Faith” by Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige and snippets of Bobby Kennedy speeches. This very powerful song set to some very powerful images layered over his words had an incredible effect on me. And I cried and cried; my mom cried and cried.

We sat all the way through the credits while watching the images, listening to the song, and absorbing his words. They were hopeful words and with his death came, then and now, a sense of loss beyond measure because, well, what couldn’t happen again, happened. And with him went the 60’s; the impetus to upheaval and a nation’s spirit to protest and have their say. It began the long, downward spiral to where we are today, in politics, in community, in caring about global issues, and even, dare I say, in religion.  I was a little kid in the 60’s and the only thing I remember about any of the Kennedy’s was that one Saturday morning, my cartoons were replaced by a riderless horse wandering aimlessly, a whole bunch of cars driving slowly, a little boy crying and saluting, and my mother weeping.  I was mad ’cause it was on all of the (3) TV stations.  Of course, that was John F Kennedy’s funeral.  I don’t remember a thing about Bobby Kennedy.

We will never know what Bobby Kennedy may have done. That’s not really the point. For me, the point was that from there on… nothing significant happened. Sure, we got out of Vietnam but clearly, we didn’t learn much from it and now find ourselves drawing similar parallels with Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, etc… Oh, my mind was reeling because while it seemed that nothing “significant” had happened, really, things have changed so much that we are now reduced to endlessly empty debates from our potential leaders versus proven leadership and ideals that appeal to the goodness within all of us.

It’s very difficult to discern reasonable answers toward what lies in front of all of us. What a mess our nation has become and so much of it from apathy that stretches into every speck of our lives. As connected as we all are through the internet, so too are we disconnected from each other and the power of the people. Movement was stagnant until recently when many, disgusted with the current administration, became compelled to actually make their voice heard by voting… in a primary. I really wonder what the numbers will be once the nominees are known and we are actually voting on a presidential candidate. Still, the choices are not easy.

My mom and I tried to remember who actually won that particular election. It took us a second to figure it out. I didn’t know that Ronald Reagan ran on the same primary ticket at that time. No, Reagan didn’t win (that time) but just as bad, if not worse; it was Nixon. There were actually many things that happened within Nixon’s Imperial Presidency but, once Bobby was gone, so too was a level of strength and inspiration in our nation. As he was mourned, the nation shifted and there was a level of defeat against hope within the “common man.”

Pockets of activists continued to fight the good fight and there were fewer and fewer as a nation in tremendous need of strong leadership, someone and something to believe in, acquiesced and retreated into their own homes and lives; oblivious to the world around them and too afraid or busy to venture out. It was an end of an era; Camelot was dead.

And so, I leave you with some quotes from a potentially great leader whose time came and went, like so many great leaders willing to stand and work for those he was leading as well as some quotes from a time management guru. (And unlikely pairing, que’ no?!) We will never really know what kind of leaders Bobby (or John, for that matter) would have been… could have been…

If only we had an RFK today… I wonder by what measure of a man and leader he would truly be. Some have compared Obama to both John and Robert Kennedy but I’m not so sure that these comparisons ring true. I, like many people, have become so suspicious of politics and politicians that I don’t know what to believe in or how to take a chance on someone’s leadership skills/potential. I wonder how many people felt that same way when both John and Robert were running for president.

There’s always something about someone that could be (or is) objectionable. The Kennedy’s were (are) Catholic (and for me, personally, that’s a tough one) and there have been many allegations of improprieties, etc… No one is perfect but when searching for true leadership, well, for me, anyway, I like to look at how they communicate because I truly believe that is the heart of great leadership. I think Obama is a good communicator but I just don’t know how I feel about him otherwise. Clinton, well, I never know if what she communicates today will be the same as what she communicates tomorrow. And I don’t even want to listen to the Republican (any of them) communications.

I like what Stephen Covey has to say about communication and leadership. Here are some snippets:

“If our motive is to manipulate, our communication and our leadership, in general, will prove to be ineffective over time…

When I ask in my seminars, “How many of you would agree that the vast majority of the workforce possess far more capability, creativity, talent, initiative, and resourcefulness than their present jobs allow or require them to use?” the affirmative response is about 99 percent. We all admit that our greatest resources are being wasted…

Quick, easy, free, and fun approaches won’t work on the “farms” of our lives because there we’re subject to natural laws and governing principles. Natural laws, based upon principles, operate regardless of our awareness of them or our obedience to them.

The only thing that endures over time is the law of the farm: I must prepare the ground, put in the seed, cultivate, weed, water, and nurture growth. So also in a business or a marriage there is no quick fix where you can just move in and magically make everything right with a positive mental attitude and a package of success formulas.

Correct principles are like compasses: they are always pointing the way. And if we know how to read them, we won’t get lost, confused, or fooled by conflicting voices and values.

Principles such as fairness, equity, justice, integrity, honesty, and trust are not invented by us: they are the laws of the universe that pertain to human relationships and organizations. They are part of the human condition, consciousness, and conscience.

People instinctively trust those whose personalities are founded upon correct principles. We have evidence of this in our long-term relationships. We learn that technique is relatively unimportant compared to trust, which is the result of our trustworthiness over time.

When trust is high, we communicate easily, effortlessly, instantaneously. We can make mistakes, and others will still capture our meaning. But when trust is low, communication is exhausting, time-consuming, ineffective, and inordinately difficult.

Most people would rather work on their personality than on their character. The former may involve learning a new skill, style, or image, but the latter involves changing habits, developing virtues, disciplining appetites and passions, keeping promises, and being considerate of the feelings and convictions of others.

Character development is the best manifestation of our maturity.

To value oneself and, at the same time, subordinate oneself to higher purposes and principles is the paradoxical essence of highest humanity and the foundation of effective leadership. Principle-centered leaders are men and women of character who work with competence “on farms” with “seed and soil” and who work in harmony with natural, “true north” principles and with the law of the harvest. They build those principles into the center of their lives, into the center of their relationships, into the center of their communications and contracts, into their management processes, and into their mission statements.”

Cool stuff.

Quotes of Robert Francis Kennedy:

“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”

“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

“Ultimately, America’s answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired.”

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”

“What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.”

“Gross National Product measures neither the health of our children, the quality of their education, nor the joy of their play. It measures neither the beauty of our poetry, nor the strength of our marriages. It is indifferent to the decency of our factories and the safety of our streets alike. It measures neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our wit nor our courage, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything in short, except that which makes life worth living. It can tell us everything about our country, except those things that make us proud to be a part of it.”

If only a Vulcan Mind-Meld were possible… This would all be so much easier!