Every January, I have to give a State of the Crow address to the Board members of Upstart Crow Studios. We are a non-profit youth performing arts company, with over 300 students that grace our doors for an opportunity to work in the performing arts. Our annual report shows how many children we have served, how we served them and how we will improve services in the coming year. We are in the business of transforming lives one child at a time.
Every year, our mayor gives her State of the City address and soon the Governer will also stand at the podium and tell us about the State of Oregon. All the way to the White House, this month officials are telling us where we are, how we got there and how we can better the state we are in.
Someday, I would like to hear The State of the World address. Perhaps this would come from some objective, hopefully benevolent, alien super power, who's sole role would be to give us a heads up on what is happening on our fragile planet.
The news media reports bits and pieces that would make any diplomat run for cover. With so much bad in the world, it is a wonder God hasn't called for an end to it all. From terrorist attacks to mass shootings, from the ebola crisis to missing airliners in an endless ocean, it seems the world is tilting on its axis and spinning out of control.
Living through Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, Women's rights, two recessions and a housing decline, I think it should be getting better. Instead, there always seems to be a new disaster on the horizon. History repeating itself doesn't appear to be working as lessons to be learned but rather an experience in survival.
Maybe that is the lesson - to survive. Better yet to survive and remain hopeful that history can change for the better. A bit vague, perhaps, and certainly wouldn't fly with my Board, but a meaningful goal nonetheless. The bottom line is the State of the World is not in the hands of the benevolent alien super power. It remains in the hands and hearts of the people. We have the ability to change one life - ours. We have the obligation to change the world around us, one life at a time. So we start there. In a small non-profit, small towns, our state, our country and with any luck our world.
So the State of the World address? Here it is. Learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow.
Flickr image by zoereubens