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Imagine
Peace
Sometimes I
need to remove the punctuation from my life the barriers of understanding
that separate me from other people and other ways of looking at
the world. Sometimes it is not easy to break out of the masculine side of my experience of my genetic code that would have me withdraw from the connectedness that is so vital to a better world Withdraw behind the walls of a security that is not really security at all There are times
when I am moved to tears by the willingness of women to fight for
peace to engage for peace to build for peace for all our children
I spent the
day at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. with 2500 women who dare
to imagine peace not just for themselves but for the entire world Women of every
size and shape and color and temperament and desire and talent and
age Women rich and
poor and lonely and alone and wife and partner and mother and professional I spent today
with 2500 angels of peace me an alien from another planet fortunate
to be in their presence awed by their commitment inspired by their
vision Sometimes I
must break down the punctuation in my life that would prevent me
from seeing to the other side Put aside the
commas and the periods and the exclamation marks so that perhaps
I can see some truth Like the truth
of chorus men who diligently and individually rehearsed their music
their task while a chorus woman decided out loud that she would
dedicate her song to her husband and children who could not be there And in these
two simple but profound punctuated differences of how we men and
you women approach the moment I choose to see real hope for us together
because it is this balance that we so desperately must find I hear the truth
that this must be the century when women come into full partnership
and I realize this is the same path I have traveled with my mate
for over thirty years Mine must not
be yet another marriage or this another a century of masculine dominance
but one of equal partnership I spent today
with the spirit of three billion women many who will never know
the blessings of freedom Who continue
to be systematically punctuated out of existence by uncaring male
dominated religious and political systems Can you hear
their angry cries Afghanistan the women of the world cry out to
you I heard their
cries this morning and my heart broke and I could barely contain
my grief Or my joy as
I remembered the many women in my life who for fifty years convinced
me I was worthy of love long before I learned to love myself These women
who I would name but for a lack of space I talked to
my daughters today as women not children as keepers of the future
confident that they would face their challenges with compassion
how could a father ask for more And my wife
who continues to amaze me in every way who has the courage to understand
both my male and female sides and the patience for me to learn which
to use Sometimes I
need to remove the punctuation from my life so that I can remember
to respect and listen to the women around me The world is a much more wonderful place with them at my side © 2001 Michael Lisagor |
