Chapter
10: Visions of a Better World
None of this bothered me while we were under the moonlight together, sharing our
deepest secrets -- after all the excitement we’d been through together that day.
But it sure scared the heck out of me when I stared up at the stars alone and
tried to sleep late that night. I felt so guilty. I kept seeing my kids’ faces,
and their big, sad eyes reminding me that “Mommy is the only one for you,” and
“some day you’ll get back together.”
I was kind of relieved the next morning when Jesse acted as if nothing had happened
the night before, and I agreed that it was the best thing to do. Especially since
it seemed the four of us would be heading off to save the world together.
When the bus reached Quito, I got my laptop out of hock and hungrily read the
emails I’d accumulated from Melissa and Henry, and wrote them a quick note about
what had happened and what we would be doing, and how Daddy would see them as
soon as we were all set up in Washington.
A red-eye flight and a ferry boat later we were there, at our
new ‘Peace Center’ on the secluded island of Peacetopia. Wow,
what an estate Jesse had. Ninety acres of rolling fields, with
a huge mansion and no less than a dozen guest houses. After
the ‘simple life’ I’d been leading, for far too long, I could
get used to this! For a second I started to wonder what made
Jesse tick. To have all this wealth and to just suddenly decide
to use it to change the world, while at the same time it almost
seemed like she was being forced against her will by the Kid
to pursue this path.
And the Kid -- what was his story and why did I get the feeling that we were simply
puppets in a play he was improvising as he went along?
What
an odd bunch of enigmas we were. But I only let myself wonder
about it all for a second. I was back trying to save the world;
that’s all that mattered. Besides, I didn’t have any time to
think about it all. We got right down to business, as soon
as I’d unpacked my bags into my really nice new bungalow, and
had our first of many, many meal-meetings. There
were only the four of us, but we had a waiter who took our orders and a chef who
created an amazing meal for each of us. While I devoured my food, the Kid explained
that he'd set up a nonprofit organization called One Day In Peace, and Maya was
the Chair of the Board, he was the Executive Director and Jess was the Treasurer.
"And
what do I get to be?" I muttered, feeling left out.
"Artie, don't look so
sad. You can be our Webmaster … I understand you used to be good at that sort
of thing," the Kid exclaimed, as if it were supposed to make me feel better. It
did. It really brought back some amazing memories for me and for a moment I was lost in remembering those happier times when I had someone who believed in me by my side and a wonderful, amazing goal to pursue that we believed would come true. "Were you part of the original One-Day-In-Peacers, Arthur?" Jess was saying, bringing me back to reality. From her tone it sounded like she was mocking me, but I shrugged it off. Nothing could destroy those good feelings. "No,
Merle, Maya and I came into the picture much later. We read about One Day In Peace
on the Internet and "met" each other through a listserve. We started a Peace Bus
and traveled around performing together…"
But I never really enjoyed
the technical side of it all, and the Internet had grown by leaps and bounds,
technologically. Nothing that I knew back then applied anymore. That first day,
I sat down at my newly assigned state-of-the-art computer terminal, and the Kid
told me what he wanted our website to be like. I just stared at him because it
was all gibberish.
For the moment, until we figured out ‘my niche’ in this peace brigade, the Kid
had me call all the contacts I’d had over the past decade or so, and enlist them
in our new One Day In Peace army.
I had a fun couple of weeks touching base with all of the people in my past, and
it really made me realize I’d been part of a lot of amazing things. Which also
made me really homesick for my kids.
The Kid completely understood. “How’d you like to be our United Nations representative
and fly to New York to meet with the Ambassador of Costa Rica to get a UN Resolution
going for the world to celebrate One Day In Peace. You can spend a few weeks
or a month there lobbying the UN Ambassadors to get them on board, and at night
you can take the bus over and spend some time with your kids in Jersey.”
I had been part of the effort to get the United Nations behind the January 1,
2000 campaign for a worldwide day of peace, and it did, in a small way. Technically,
‘One Day In Peace, January 1’ is officially on the books, but so are thousands
of other resolutions. This time we’d really get the UN engaged in helping to
promote humanity’s first day of peace on earth. And I’d get to see the kids!
For the next few weeks before my trip was to start, I was floating on a cloud.
Winter in the Pacific Northwest is often rainy but lately every day the sun was
out in full force, and everything seemed full of hope and promise. It
really did feel like old times. All that was missing was Merle. No one had heard
from him for a couple years. "One of these days, he'll turn up and we'll all be
together again, fighting the good fight," I thought out loud, and I really believed
it.
One morning as the big day for my trip got closer, I went to Seattle to get some
things for the trip and ended up buying a guitar. (The Kid said I could get whatever
I needed -- what a trip to not have to worry about how much things cost!) It
felt so good to sit back with a guitar, delve inside again into that pool of creative
energy, and just let a song flow out. Gosh, how I’d missed that.
The morning I was to leave, I was sitting in the shade, under
a towering pine tree, singing a song about my wish for a more
peaceful world, making it up as I went along. I was completely
in the groove, lost in the feeling, and it came out just perfectly.
Then I noticed there was a voice singing along. I hesitated
only for a second, with my eyes still closed, then continued
on with the song, enjoying the harmony that followed my voice.
It was an amazing experience.
The voice followed my every note, gently harmonizing perfectly. It was that kind
of moment you never want to end. I didn’t dare open my eyes because I didn’t
want to lose the groove. I actually wasn’t sure whether the voice was real or
just in my head, and I didn’t want it to stop. When the song was done, I waited
a sweet moment of silence afterwards, enjoying the echoes that continued on in
my mind. When I opened my eyes, there was no one there.
I rose quickly and my guitar plopped gently into the pine needles. I caught the
blur of a woman disappearing around one of the guest cottages. I had no idea
who it was. By this point, Maya and the Kid had hired a whole slew of interns,
and had flown in tons of friends and consultants, and it could have been anyone.
I really needed to know who it had been, because I’d never sang so well with anyone
before, especially just improvising like that. Sharing that song gave me an idea
of what it was I’d like to do for the campaign, at least for the moment. I knew
that I’d be up to it if that voice would accompany mine.
Over lunch that day
I brought it up with the group. (We always ate together every meal, no matter
how big “the group” was that day, and some of our best sharing and brainstorming
happened over those meals.) “When I get back from New York, I’d like to help
set up a new ‘Peace Bus tour.’ I’d like to perform some of my songs, and we could
travel to college campuses and get local performers involved. We’d set up a schedule
ahead of time and get all the local environmental, peace and social activist groups
involved to set up a Peace Fair on the campuses we’d be visiting. Like we used
to do way back when. Remember, Maya?”
Maya smiled. Of course she remembered. She thought it was a perfect mission
for me. “While you are assembling a team, maybe we can come up with a simple
manual so that other teams can set out from the other Peace Centers in a similar
fashion.”
I thought that was a great idea, but her implication was that she wouldn’t be
part of the Peace troupe this time. She confirmed my fear, and shared with the
group that she’d be leaving for a couple months to set up another Peace Center
in Peru. I was heartbroken. Somehow Maya didn’t see how sullen I’d become.
Or maybe she was trying to teach me something; that would be more like her. But
what?
The Kid saw my disappointment right away, though. “Maybe you should work with
Jesse on some songs when you get back. You sounded wonderful together this morning.”
I gasped and looked
down the table at her. She was beet red and fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair.
Never in a million years would I have imagined it had been her. Crap. Now what
was I supposed to do? I had tried my best to avoid her the past few weeks since
we’d been there. That wasn’t exactly an easy thing to do because, well, she never
seemed to have anything to do and was always wandering around with a lost look
on her face.
“Was that really you?” I asked hesitantly as I chased after her after lunch.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I heard you and it sounded pretty and I... I just closed
my eyes and... well, that’s what flowed out. Sorry I bothered you.”
“No, you sang beautifully. I...I really enjoyed it.”
Jesse looked down sadly. “Yeah, I did, too. I didn’t know I could sing like
that. It felt good. Almost like, I... well, like I’d finally found my voice.”
I stared at her for a moment. Gosh, she really was beautiful. Would I be able
to sing with her, without falling for her? I’d never be able to go out on the
bus tour alone. “I really would like it if you’d be part of the troupe and sing
with me, Jess...”
She looked up and there were tears in her eyes. “I think I’d like to. I think
I’d really discover my own voice. But I... I don’t know anything about ‘peace.’
How could I go out there and sing about it?”
I sighed and smiled.
“I’m leaving for New York this evening...” How I wished we’d discovered this sooner.
“But while I’m gone, I’ll leave some things you can read,” I offered. “Some visions
of the kinds of things that would help make a better world. But you know, Jess,
while we were singing together, you felt exactly what ‘peace’ feels like. Peace
already exists inside each of us...”
“It sure doesn’t exist in the world, though!” she sighed.
“No,” I agreed. “But if we can only help people to see what it might be like
if we all got along, and if we really believed that if we all worked together
we could make this world so much better ... maybe people would try.”
“Art, I think I’d like to believe that. But I can’t envision it. There’s too
much wrong in the world. It’s so overwhelming.”
“But if you just try to imagine what it would be like, and if you could really
picture it, you’d want to try everything you could to make it all just a little
bit closer to that vision. At least, that’s what it’s like for me.”
Jesse sighed and hesitantly sat down and leaned against the tree. “Okay, relax,”
I whispered, sitting near her. “Breathe in and out, slowly and deeply.” I watched
her breathing and breathed deeply myself.
“Now... Imagine a world where nations never war. Where no more weapons are fired
any more... ”
Jess winced and shivered, and I watched as a tear rolled down her cheek.
“Breathe, Jess... Imagine a world where people do what's right And the rule of
law is stronger than the rule of might...
“Imagine a world where everyone has all they need. Where kindness and compassion
are taught instead of greed. ..”
A gentle breeze and our breaths were the only sound in the world.
“Imagine a world where the global economy is based on what's best for all earth's
communities...
“Where beauty and art and the media inspire the best in all, and lift our spirits
higher...
“Imagine a world where no child is left behind, where children everywhere are
free to educate their minds...
“Imagine a world where tolerance and diversity are the golden rule that guides
humanity...
I was silent for a moment. “Jess, this is a world at peace.” I closed my eyes
tightly, wishing with all my heart that she could see that world that could be,
if only... “May peace prevail on earth...” I whispered.
We sat there for a few more minutes, just breathing in the wonderful day together.
When I opened my eyes she was smiling at me. “That’s a very beautiful vision,
Art. I hope that someday I can believe in it as much as you do.”
“I think you will, Jess,” I smiled. She started to get up, and I looked up at
her with the sun behind her golden hair, shimmering like a halo. “I know you
will...” I whispered with a sigh.
“I guess you’d better get packing,” she sighed herself, and reached out to help
me up. “I’d like to read those things you were talking about to get a better
understanding of your utopian dream...”
“I’ve got this great book,” I garbled, then coughed to continue, “Visions of a Better World -- thousands of people, young and old, in over 100 different countries shared their ideas about what a better world would be like, in pictures and words, and the Brahma Kumaris, who coordinated this United Nations Peace Messenger Initiative, broke it down into 12 themes. It’s a beautiful book and the Global Vision Statement they compiled from the responses is really inspiring ...” Once
I got started, I began talking a mile a minute. “And the Earth
Charter, that’s a great document that took ten years with
input from hundreds of thousands of people! And the Hague
Appeal for Peace Agenda -- wow, that document came out
of this great conference in the Netherlands in 1999 with 10,000
peacemakers from all around the world ... and Peacetopia:
100 Milestones To Our Utopian Future ... and The Better
World Handbook, you've got to read that! It outlines 7 foundations
for a better world and how together each of us can help build
a better world... and We Want Peace On Earth: A Guide for
the Peace On Earth Movement, by The People For Peace Project…and
...”
“Okay, Art,” she laughed. “That sounds like a great start. I promise that I
will read it all, and maybe when you get back it’ll have inspired a song or two
of my own, and maybe we can sing them together.”
“I’d like that, Jess,” I smiled as she walked me back to pack my things.
“A 'better world' isn’t an impossible dream,” I whispered to myself. “It could
be if we only made it our priority to make it so.” My heart leaped as I realized
Jesse and I would help people decide to choose to make it our global priority...
together. I never believed more in my wish for peace on earth than in that moment as I smiled and thanked my lucky stars that the Kid had heard us singing. Previous Chapter | Next Chapter Table of Contents | Preface | Ch 1
| Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch
4 |
|
