February and Black History Month has given way to March and Women’s History Month. While I believe it remains important for us in this country to dedicate (at least) one month every year to highlighting Black History and another to Women’s History, our long term goal must be for our nation’s history to become complete enough and the spirit and the soul of this country enlightened enough so we will no longer need to set aside months for such things because they will have become a natural and normal part of everyone’s life and learning. When we have done that I believe we can become a nation at home with ourselves and each other.
The Government website set up to help explore Women’s History Month (https://womenshistorymonth.gov) begins by declaring: The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observation and celebration of the vital role of women in American History. Resources at our fingertips.
If the ignorant, misogynistic, sexist attacks on our current Vice President are any indication of our national progress, we still have far to go.
A long road and one worth taking. The Road That Leads Us Home was inspired by a James Michener quote from The Fires of Spring:
For this is the journey (we all must) make: to find (ourselves). If (we) fail in this, it doesn't matter much what else (we) find. Money, position, fame, many loves, revenge are all of little consequence, and when the tickets are collected at the end of the ride they are tossed into the bin marked FAILURE.
But if (we) happen to find (ourselves)—if (we) know what (we) can be depended upon to do, the limits of (our) courage, the positions from which (we) will no longer retreat, the degree to which (we) can surrender (our) inner life to (another), the secret reservoirs of (our) determination, the extent of (our) dedication, the depth of (our) feeling for beauty, (our) honest and unpostured goals—then (we have) found a mansion which (we) can inhabit with dignity all the days of (our lives.)
Please note: I have changed the pronouns in Michener’s quote to make them more inclusive.
The Road That Leads Us Home
On this road we travel down
It isn’t wealth or fame somehow
Or Power that we may hold now
That makes this life worthwhile
It’s not revenge or many loves
And glory never is enough
For in the end all turns to dust
After all of those miles
Our journey is to find ourselves
To share and care and love as well
Be witness for somebody else
And in the end to know
The depth of our determination
The extent of our dedication
The place we seek our inspiration
Our true and honest goals
The reason we find to believe
The way we set our demons free
That place where we will not retreat
Though we must stand alone
What we are counted on to do
The limits of our courage to
What we have found to be the truth
On the road that leads us home
©Copyright 2004. Love Gives More Music
THE DEAR PARTNER LETTERS CONTINUE
The Dear Partner Letters continue as part of the Songs and Stories from Home Podcast. They are written to Mike McCoy and celebrate our 55 years of friendship and musical partnership. Here is a link to the latest.
All Muse Letter photos by Elston Hill
