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Bridges of authenticity...

1/25/2018

19 Comments

 
by Gwendolyn M Plano​
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I’m a child of the Sixties. I know what it is like to dream big and fall hard. I remember innocence, a time when I thought I could change the world. While a college student in San Francisco, I danced to the Grateful Dead in Golden Gate Park and the Doors at the Fillmore West. When my friends left for Vietnam and did not return, I marched to stop the war. Martin Luther King Jr was my hero.

Then the world turned upside down - three assassinations: President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The streets that had been filled with flower children became angry with lost dreams.

It’s been 50 years since the tumultuous Sixties, and we are again facing a pivotal cultural shift.

The sexual abuse of children is now center-stage through the trial of Michigan State physician Larry Nassar. Sexual harassment is in the spotlight because of the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby. The government of the United States as a federal republic is under scrutiny because of various election machinations. The streets are again angry with lost dreams.

When I was in my twenties, I reached a point at which I stopped hoping. I had seen too much, felt even more. For years, I ignored Walter Cronkite and David Brinkley; I didn’t trust what they had to say. As a student of psychology and an eventual counselor, I worked at interior transformation, doing a lot of soul searching. There were mountains to climb, rivers to cross and oceans to maneuver. I was not well-equipped to do any of these, but I learned.

Unlike the Sixties, I’m surprisingly hopeful about the current cultural shift. As icons of Hollywood, academia and politics fall, truth is searing our complacency. It is returning people to their hearts, to the only place of real strength.

It takes great love to reach across divides and offer a hand, it takes vulnerability to risk trust, and it takes hard earned self-respect to stand tall for truth. All of this is present now in its magnificence, even while the opposite rears its ugly head.
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2018 will likely be turbulent as there is too much at stake. But if we can show up in our innocence, in our truth and with our hearts open, I believe the year will be like none other, for we will be standing together building bridges of authenticity.  


19 Comments
Kathleen Pooler link
1/26/2018 06:11:29

What a beautiful and hopeful reflection, Gwen. We all need hope —that hearts will soften and kindness will prevail—and the strength to hang on until it changes for the better. Thanks for sharing your heartfelt thoughts.

Reply
Gwen Plano
1/26/2018 08:18:57

Thank you so much, Kathy. When we are close to our hearts, common ground provides us reasons to hope. Have a lovely day. ♥

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Harmony Kent link
1/26/2018 06:20:11

What a lovely and heart-warming post, Gwen. Thank for sharing. I've Pressed This on: http://harmonykent.co.uk/blog-reflections-on-life-from-sorrow-to-joy-perfect-love/. All the best :)

Reply
Gwen Plano
1/26/2018 08:20:51

Thank you, Harmony. Your kind words mean a lot to me. ♥

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john howell link
1/26/2018 07:12:37

You offer words of hope, Gwen. I think what is needed is for the discussion to turn from the blame game to how we individually foster a feeling of unity. Thanks for this.

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Gwen Plano
1/26/2018 08:28:20

Thank you, John. I very much agree with you. We're at an important, hopeful juncture. Have a great day!

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Mae Clair link
1/26/2018 09:57:14

I barely remember the 60s as I was fairly young at the time but I've read a great deal about them as an adult. I also have a very vague recollection of seeing a newscast when RFK was shot. I often think that the people who lived through them must have thought, at various points, that the world would never recover. There are times when I look at the present and wonder the same. Then I'm reminded of a verse from the Psalms: Be still and know that I am God.

In all the tumult, in all the craziness, it's what gets me through.

P.S. Loved the vid. That's a great song!

Reply
Gwen Plano
1/26/2018 11:21:14

Thank you, Mae. My comfort is in God as well and staying close to my heart helps me experience that loving presence. ♥

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D.L. Finn
1/26/2018 11:32:05

Perfect song for your inspiring post. It is interesting times we are in. The hard push between us and them and no real solutions, yet people are speaking truths and finally being heard. It is hard to stay loving and innocent, but so necessary to respond with our hearts for change. Perfectly said Gwen building bridges of authenticity. Thanks for shinning hope.

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Gwen Plano
1/26/2018 14:44:53

Thank you so much, Denise. I almost included you in this reflection, because you so beautifully stress the need to embrace the inner child. What a difference it would make if we all did just that. ♥

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John Fioravanti
1/26/2018 14:39:26

This is a beautiful reflection of hope, Gwen, and it is sorely needed. Allegations of sexual misconduct has resulted in the resignations of three major political figures here in Canada over the past three days. Your prediction about 2018 is right on track.

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Gwen Plano
1/26/2018 14:46:45

Thank you, John. As challenging as it is right now, I think we'll look back and be amazed by the transformation. :)

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Jan Sikes link
1/26/2018 15:33:27

Ah, yes, the sixties. It was a special time when boundaries were being crossed every direction. I was in junior high school when JFK was assassinated and they dismissed school and sent us all home. Everyone was sobbing, including me.I couldn't believe anyone could kill our president. Yes, there are many things happening today, but as your post says, there is always hope...hope that love will win. This is a beautiful post, Gwen and "For What It's Worth" was always one of my favorite. Very fitting.

Reply
Gwen Plano
1/26/2018 17:21:58

Thank you, dear Jan. I'm not surprised that "For What It's Worth" was one of your favorites, we're sisters after all. ☺

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Staci Troilo link
1/27/2018 06:05:36

I just missed the 60s, but the decade has always fascinated me. I guess it's true---history repeats itself. We are in another tumultuous time. We need more people like you, talking about common ground and unity, and fewer people unwilling to stop and listen.

Quite a poignant and eloquent post. Thanks.

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Gwen Plano
1/27/2018 13:15:52

My goodness, thank you, Staci. Our hope rests with those willing to bridge the divide, willing to stop and listen. ♥

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Davy D link
1/29/2018 07:29:53

What an excellent post Gwen. Unlike the 60s and other decades where there has been turmoil, in today's climate there are less places to hide. The world is a smaller and it is easier to show love and support to people in places where previously we wouldn't know what was going on. Innocence, truth and open hearts - great things to take through 2018.

Reply
Gwen Plano
1/29/2018 12:08:47

Thank you so much, Davy. You are right about fewer places to hide. To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." Have a great day!

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Bite Sized Bree link
12/6/2020 20:44:09

Thhanks great blog post

Reply



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Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ―Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning


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