"The Ideal"

“The human soul has still greater need of the ideal than of the real.  It is by the real that we exist; it is by the ideal that we live.”

-       Victor Hugo – French Author and Poet

Last Friday night as I sat in the upper deck of Busch Stadium watching a Cardinal baseball game, I experienced "the Ideal.”  The Cardinals are beloved by their fans and many believe the Cardinals are the best team in baseball.   It is not just because of the Cardinals' winning records and trips to the playoffs and the World Series, but because in our minds, they represent what is the best of baseball, "the Ideal."  For a few hours at a Cardinal game we recognize the ideals of God, county, a perfect field of emerald green grass, scoreboards lit up in the night, inspirational music, and the perseverance and sportsmanship of the players.

As I sat in the upper deck of the stadium that night, I listened to a children's choir sing "God Bless America" followed by the National Anthem.  Each fan received a Whitey Garden gnome and during the break in one inning, a fan guessed the top three vegetables planted in a garden.  In the last inning, thunderous music played as our closing pitcher warmed up with lights flashing all over the stadium symbolizing "lights out" for the opposing team.   It was surreal and real at the same time -  "the Ideal."

Plato, the Greek philosopher wrote that what we experience with our senses on Earth, is merely a shadow of the real or 'Ideal."  Some may believe I am an idealist and that my visions are impossible, but I am reminded that there are other idealists who have experienced the real and the surreal and together, captured "the Ideal" for the rest of us in a beautiful night at a baseball game.

It's A Wonderful Life

“Frank called me one day and said, ‘I have an idea for a movie, why don’t you come over and I’ll tell you?’ So I went over and we sat down and he said, ‘This picture starts in heaven’. That shook me. “ 

- James Stewart - Actor

For my Introduction to Speech class, we were asked to select a scene from a movie, show it, and follow with an analysis of the scene. I chose my favorite movie It's a Wonderful Life, which is a story of George Bailey who placed aside his dream to design great buildings and to travel, saved the town of Bedford Falls from an evil businessman, Potter.  At George's moment of despair, an angel, Clarence, showed George who "wished he never had been born," how his family and friends lives would have been affected.  After seeing "Pottersfield," George realizes how "wonderful" his life truly had been.

But there is another viewpoint of this movie.  It is a story of souls/people who kept George on track to save the town through the use of strategic interpersonal communication.  The pivotal scene that I showed in my speech presentation was the emotional confrontation between George and Mary, George's eventual wife.  After George's brother had married, George knew he would have carry on the Bailey Building and Loan and put aside his dreams again.  While George dreamed of building cities and traveling, Mary dreamed of staying in Bedford Falls, married to George, and fixing up a rundown house.  In the scene, Mary through music and shared memories tries to reach George who becomes angry and leaves.  George returns because he forgot his hat, and Mary tries to reach him once more.  The scene ends with George shaking Mary saying he doesn't want to stay in Bedford Falls, "he wants to do what he wants to do," she begins to cry, and he dissolves and kisses her because he loves her.

In our American culture, we celebrate the success and perseverance of the individual overcoming obstacles through self-sacrifice.  What we don't always see is that individuals throughout our lives intervene to keep us on track to create a "Wonderful Life."  I wrote in my blog entry "Synchronicity and God's Grace" about "Unus mundus" which is God's grace or energy at work.  I also wrote that while our humanity is mortal, our souls are eternal.

In It's Wonderful Life, George, Mary and the rest of the characters are not only mortal, but their souls are compasses connected to God and to each other.  If we can become more conscious of the eternal and of God at work in our lives, we can make the better choices for others and ourselves.  

In the concluding scene, all of George's friends arrive joyously to his home to save him from Potter and impending jail.  But the scene is was not only a story of all George's friends grateful for his sacrifices, but a celebration because, he was now "in on it." His friends through their souls kept him on track through strategic interpersonal communication to create "It's A Wonderful Life."

One Nation Under God

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God indivisible, and with liberty and justice for all.”

-1954 United States of America Pledge of Allegiance

I grew up in an Air Force family.  My father was an officer who served in World War II and the Korean War.  I was ten when he retired, but his military service and the generation of both of my parents influenced our daily lives.  However, I was also a child of the sixties and seventies when there was "flower power," the Vietnam War, and Watergate.    The free spirit of the sixties, women entering the corporate professional workforce, and the disenchantment with government influenced my choices.  I didn't fully understand the reason for my parents' dedication to discipline, sacrifice, and respect, but I had learned to be organized and hardworking.

My mother was especially dedicated to rituals whether as a family, church, or service in the military.  At that time it did not set well with me because I am in many ways different than my mother.  This was partially due to the effect of the changes of women’s roles in society and my intuitive theoretical personality, which was so different from my mother’s sensory-based personality.   My parents never discussed the "why" but simply "did."  I wanted to know the "why."

As I have aged, I now understand the why.  The rituals, the discipline, and the sacrifice were necessary to bring together the United States to defeat a horrendous enemy.  For my parents it was essential to be "one nation under God, indivisible."  They believed they would prevail in righteousness and justice with sacrifice by all.   They had to be disciplined to succeed.   Rituals, including kneeling in prayer, saluting the flag, standing at attention at the playing of taps when the flag was lowered bound the nation together.   My parents could not explain the theological concepts of God to me that I write about, but through rituals they dedicated themselves to God and a higher purpose.

Today there is disagreement on whether God should be included in the pledge of allegiance.  But God is love, God is righteousness, God is justice and God grants free will.   Those are our fundamental American values.   We are one nation under God.

Everybody Knows Your Name

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

and they're always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see,

our troubles are all the same

You wanna be where everybody knows

Your name.

- Lyrics from the Cheers theme.

Every morning before work I drop by Panera to get an iced coffee and breakfast.  Jenn is a small young woman with lots of energy that calls out my name when I enter Panera even when I place my order at the kiosk instead of the register.  She knows I'm selling my house and she always asks how is it going and encourages me.  Mark and Brittany prepare my breakfast and as I stand by the counter we discuss the weather and how our weekends went as well as our cats and family.  I commented to them one day coming to Panera early in the morning is like entering the bar Cheers.  Mark laughed and called out "Norm!" even though he is too young to have watched Cheers when it first aired.

I was talking to my sister-in-law Jan about my daily interaction at Panera and my comment to Mark and Brittany about Cheers.  She said the show Cheers was like a great community church.  Everybody loves you despite your idiosyncrasies and faults, is glad to see you, and knows your name.  When I think of all the characters from Cheers, I smile.  Great art and writing including television shows can make us think and bring us together as a community.  The show Cheers reminds us of what is important - each other.   I don't watch reality shows or crime shows because I believe they are superficial and overly dramatic.   Unfortunately they are influencing our perception of what it is to be human.  It is like asking if the chicken comes before the egg.  Are we becoming what we watch or is what we watch reflective of our reality? When does one start and the other stop?  

Intuitively I know what I watch and observe on television and in my everyday life influences my perception of others and therefore, my behavior.   It is wonderful that shows like Cheers, great churches, and people like Jenn, Mark and Brittany can bring us together and remind us of the importance of community where "Everybody knows your name.”

Ad majorem dei Glorium

“Ad majorem dei Glorium.  For the Greater Glory of God.”

-       Society of Jesus (Jesuit) Motto.

In 2013, as part of a creative exercise to create a Times magazine cover representing Saint Louis University in twenty years, I drew the Sword of Ignatius of Loyola balanced by righteousness and justice.  I included a quote from Matthew in the Bible - "Think not that I came to send you peace, I came not to send you peace, but a sword."  This quote from the Bible is about putting God first (who is love) or brother will be set against brother.   I believed Saint Louis University's mission was to change the world through the education of the whole person to promote justice and righteousness in the world.   I included on the Time Magazine cover the following under the title:

"Sharpened Sword"

Discerning intellect

Inwardly reflective

Outwardly focused

Disciplined in action

Bound by love and service

Unified in purpose

“Ad majorem dei Glorium”  

(For the Greater Glory of God)

I have learned that leading means exercising self-discipline to follow Jesus, but to know that I am sinful and that only through grace and forgiveness by God and others can I grow in the Kingdom of God.  Each one of us is granted gifts, but we must follow the lead of Jesus when using them.  I'm not sure if God is asking me to lead through symbols or asking something else of me, but no matter what I do, I have chosen to follow God.

  "Ad majorem dei Glorium"