Ever since I first saw the apprenticeship video that Zero included in his keynote address back in 2007, I find myself emotionally overwhelmed when I see examples of pure joy. This is not usually wistful thinking because I'm not longing for times when I was as joyful. As far as I'm concerned, those aren't events that live in my past:I expect it to happen a few times during our time in Portland. Rather, I am so drawn to the purity of such moments: rare, crystal clear and brilliant.
Evidence of this type of happiness leapt from the computer screen the other day. I'd heard an interview with the 3 kids you make up the Homemade Jamz Blues Band. Their name comes from the fact that their father built the lead and bass guitars himself. Actually, he assembled them using old guitars and new auto parts, especially mail-order exhaust systems. There's evidence of joy when hearing them perform. But when I watched a clip from the Tavis Smiley show, that's when I saw genuine happiness. And of all places, it comes from a young girl during her musical performance. There are many places to witness this but a good place to jump in is when at 14:10 and again at 13:08 (time left in the video). I tried to capture a good still shot but it's the happiness in motion that is part of the magic.
In a similar fashion, Naomi Shihab Nye (a future poet for our conference -- she lives in San Antonio) uses her poem So Much Happiness to capture the surprise and delight that happiness provides:
Evidence of this type of happiness leapt from the computer screen the other day. I'd heard an interview with the 3 kids you make up the Homemade Jamz Blues Band. Their name comes from the fact that their father built the lead and bass guitars himself. Actually, he assembled them using old guitars and new auto parts, especially mail-order exhaust systems. There's evidence of joy when hearing them perform. But when I watched a clip from the Tavis Smiley show, that's when I saw genuine happiness. And of all places, it comes from a young girl during her musical performance. There are many places to witness this but a good place to jump in is when at 14:10 and again at 13:08 (time left in the video). I tried to capture a good still shot but it's the happiness in motion that is part of the magic.
In a similar fashion, Naomi Shihab Nye (a future poet for our conference -- she lives in San Antonio) uses her poem So Much Happiness to capture the surprise and delight that happiness provides:
Since there is no place large enoughThis runs somewhat counter to the adage that we're each responsible for our own happiness. But what makes most sense to me is that when happiness arrives, it's best to just let it flow -- and become known for doing so.
to contain so much happiness,
you shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you
into everything you touch. You are not responsible.
You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit
for the moon, but continues to hold it, and share it,
and in that way, be known.
