Growing up in 55 Spindletree we had several books that I absolutely loved. One was a heavy volume of World Famous Paintings, edited by Rockwell Kent. Another thick gray book all about the Civil War and then, of course, the Horseman’s Bible. At some point a small paperback titled, The Family of Man showed up. Having three older siblings often meant I had early exposure to current trends. The Byrds, bell-bottoms, ‘slang books’. This book was a collection of photographs that had been on a ambitious eight year world tour starting in 1955. Curated by Edward Steichen, the director of the Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Photography, the images told a story I needed to see and feel.
“The first cry of a baby in Chicago, or Zamboango, in Amsterdam or Rangoon, has the same pitch and key, each saying, “I am! I have come through! I belong! I am a member of the Family. Many the babies and grownup here from photographs made in sixty-eight nations round our planet Earth. You travel and see what the camera saw. The wonder of human mind, heart wit and instinct is here. You might catch yourself saying, ‘I’m not a stranger here’.”
If you read my newsletters regularly, it is no secret I am often disappointed and frustrated with my family of origin. However, this past weekend I zip-a-dee-doo-dahed. Yes, new information has come to light. It is true that in 1957, I was dropped in to 55 Spindletree, but if you back up a bit you will see I was actually dropped on to planet Earth, into the Family of Man. With that perspective, I am going to do my best to embrace my extensive and extraordinary family. “I am! I have come through! I belong!” There are, have been and will be folks with whom I do feel safe, accepted and cared for, my Tribe. For this I am grateful and joyful… thus the zip-a-dee….
It may seem like it took forever, but truth be told, it took exactly as much time as it needed. I suppose it would be real helpful if we all supported each other, regardless of how long it takes, to get to that place where we all can say, “I am not a stranger here!”
Thanks for walking with me!
Amy
“The first cry of a baby in Chicago, or Zamboango, in Amsterdam or Rangoon, has the same pitch and key, each saying, “I am! I have come through! I belong! I am a member of the Family. Many the babies and grownup here from photographs made in sixty-eight nations round our planet Earth. You travel and see what the camera saw. The wonder of human mind, heart wit and instinct is here. You might catch yourself saying, ‘I’m not a stranger here’.”
If you read my newsletters regularly, it is no secret I am often disappointed and frustrated with my family of origin. However, this past weekend I zip-a-dee-doo-dahed. Yes, new information has come to light. It is true that in 1957, I was dropped in to 55 Spindletree, but if you back up a bit you will see I was actually dropped on to planet Earth, into the Family of Man. With that perspective, I am going to do my best to embrace my extensive and extraordinary family. “I am! I have come through! I belong!” There are, have been and will be folks with whom I do feel safe, accepted and cared for, my Tribe. For this I am grateful and joyful… thus the zip-a-dee….
It may seem like it took forever, but truth be told, it took exactly as much time as it needed. I suppose it would be real helpful if we all supported each other, regardless of how long it takes, to get to that place where we all can say, “I am not a stranger here!”
Thanks for walking with me!
Amy
According to a Psychology Today article, written by Art Markman Ph.D., “The interactions we have with other people affect the way we feel about life. Our close relationships keep us grounded and influence both happiness and the sense that we are part of a larger community. Interestingly, even our interactions with people we do not know that well give us a sense that we are part of that larger community.”
In other words, Community is Essential.
