Today’s writing spark was Song titles from the group “The Decemberists” (an indi rock band, whose name refers to the Decembrist revolt, an 1825 insurrection in Imperial Russia). Here are the titles we had to choose from:
Make You Better
Don’t Carry It All
Sons & Daughters
Down by the Water
Ben Franklin’s Song
The Mariner’s Revenge Song
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
Well, if you know me by now. I used them all. We had 25 minutes to write.
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Time for a December Revolt
It all happened down by the water. It was there that one could say I met the truth.
I was told that going down there would make me better. My only thought was what a terrible world we are living in. How are we going to survive?
She said, If I go to the sea, I would find what a beautiful world there is – one of love and peace. One where brothers and sisters, sons and daughters would find joy and contentment. A place for us all.
I was told, “Don’t carry it all on your shoulders.” That I must share my frustrations and disbeliefs with others, only then would I find the pathway to a better place.
So that’s what I did. I went down to the sea, and I found not one but many others who had heard the same message. And we shared.
The thing about sharing is that by doing so, you find that you are not alone.
The thing about sharing is that by listening to others, you can envision what the world can be.
You can see that you are part of a whole, not one individual fighting against the world.
You can see that when you look at all you can do to better your life and others, your focus changes.
It’s not just me who is being targeted. It is we who are working for a future we can all be proud of.
Being by the sea makes me feel like a sailor on a ship. I’m not the sole captain looking for a mariner’s revenge song to sing against those turbulent waves and dark clouds trying to sink my ship. I’m part of a crew of ocean-goers who band together as one and sing a song of resilience and collaboration, looking to raise our sails and calm the seas, bring back the clear blue sky, the star-filled nights, and the beauty that is all around us.
And that’s the truth I see. But don’t just listen to me.
Ben Franklin said, “Nothing but the purest truth should be spoken, and the same exact truth should be acted.” He probably should have made a song about that. People would listen.
