Awakening Your Inner Hero: We Shall Overcome

From darkness into Light.

What does hope really mean?

None of us in Bend, Oregon, can believe what happened in our beautiful hometown at midday, Oct. 15. A mass killing in Silver Rail Elementary School. We’re still in shock, and we’ve all been blessed by the rapid responses of many of our heroic citizens who made our hell smaller than it was going to be.

Can our hell on Earth ever be made smaller?

Absolutely!

Absolutely not!

Nearly everyone we speak to locally begins by saying, “I don’t have any words.” Our state of shock and horror are beyond words. This condition is visceral, instinctive, automatic. We are what our body is telling us we are. Infuriated, terrified, devastated, heartbroken. Two of the most common symptoms of this state are numbness and confusion. We are unable to believe what has happened, and in our confusion, we can’t accept our horrific reality. We are flooded with anxiety which leads to agitation and anger. Rapid heartbeat, withdrawal, nausea, shaking, headaches and loss of appetite are also common in this state.

“There are no words.” We are, in so many ways, not running our own show. Our show is being run in ways we hardly even realize.

During this phase of anguish, may we all do our best to be more accepting and less judgmental of ourselves and all our dear, wounded brothers and sisters negotiating these horrific waters along with us.

Here is a question: How much do we ever run our own show? This may be THE question. How much do you and I consciously bring out our highest, most thoughtful self? This leads to two other questions: Which parts of our lives are we capable of running? And, of these, which are we running in ways that are best for ourselves and our family, friends, co-workers and folks we meet along the way?

Back to the title, WE SHALL OVERCOME. The famous lyrics that follow are:

Deep in my heart.

I do believe

We shall overcome some day.

I do believe does not mean the same as I know, although it does mean the same as I know…if that is what you truly do believe.

Deep in my heart.

I do believe

We shall overcome some day.

Do you believe we can ever overcome these heinous behaviors that humans do to each other? Some say “Yes” and some disagree and say “No way.”

Did slaves ever know they would be free some day? Could they ever know their future? But many believed in their hearts and souls that freedom was on the way. Even when they were merely pieces of property, being sold, whipped and lynched by angry mobs, they were still singing, praying and fighting for their freedom.

Are any of us ever 100% free? We are all slaves to the scared and angry parts of ourselves. Some more than others. Love, kindness and courage are daily, often difficult choices.

The young man who shot and killed three young students, their teacher and seriously wounded another teacher and her student was a slave to who knows what. The brave father who “happened” to be driving by the school where his two children were, and saw and heard the young shooter, made a choice. He saw the young man jump over the playground fence with a gun. He was in full panic mode but knew he had to follow with his own gun. He knew people were going to die.

Courage is where we are truly in control of our lives. When we do the right thing even when we are terrified. Kaylub Giamanco, our hero, is our role model. His heroism revealed to himself his purpose in life. He said, “I feel like I was put on this earth to do something more than just fix houses,” he said.

Let us all continue to have the courage to find our truest purpose. And maybe some of that is to courageously be the best person we can be. Even when we don’t feel like it.

Be a believer in believing

Hold to your convictions and

have perfect faith they will succeed. -Tzvi Freeman

Blessings on all our courageous journeys.