Elicit the Best from Sun. September 18 by Stephanie Sigala
Today’s Elicit the Best theme is Do Good! Make Friends! Help Out!
The big surge of COVID-19 quarantine is over, or at least we certainly hope it is. We no longer have horrifying hospitalization numbers in the Post and many of us wear masks selectively now. It seems like the crisis may be petering out. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
One lingering effect of COVID-19 is psychological, not physical. We have gotten used to being in a pod. We like our pods. They are safe and cozy. Your pod may be different from my pod. Your pod may have a family of four plus a goldendoodle, mine just has me and my husband. But I think we are all now used to the idea of hunkering down. Letting stuff come to us rather than going out and getting it. Not going out for that pizza. Streaming “Better Call Saul” rather than going to the multiplex. Sending a check rather than showing up in the protest line. We have all done it, living life in our pod for the last couple of years.
When you are ready, I’d like to talk you into getting back into your community. Seeing a face on Zoom is just not the same as an interaction where you can exchange spontaneous ideas. When folks say that they join the Ethical Society “to be part of a community of like-minded people”, I am sure they did not envision their community to be 12 mug shots in a row. Being human together, I don’t think so.
James talks about the Ethical principal of bringing out the best in other people, thereby to bring out the best in yourself. Even the Dalai Lama says that the only way that you can be happy is by being nice to other people. A common idea is that you are your very BEST when you are interacting with other folks and they are their very BEST by interacting with you.
Here’s where today’s message comes in: Do good! Make Friends! Help out!
THe Ethical Society is going to help you and others be their Very bests. A big fun opportunity to do that is next week’s Activity Fair. Over 30 groups will be in the Becker Room after Platform. You can talk to them about what they do and how they do it. There will be snacks!!!
Doing good might involve working with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team to make the world a fairer place. Perhaps you’d like to make friends at the Humanist Hangouts–they do a bunch of fun things. It could be that you would like to help the Welcome team one Sunday a month. What matters is that next week you have a great one-stop shop to find your perfect project or team.
Your community needs you, really needs you! BUT you need it even more. People, cast off your pods and unite!