Deja Vu Blogfest

It's time for the Deja Vu Blogfest!  Be sure to thank our hosts DL Hammons and Nicole Zoltack for making this possible!

The purpose of this blogfest is simple: to help you bring attention to one of your favorite posts from the past year, or to unearth a post that didn't get as much attention as you'd hoped.  How do you do that?  Simple.

On December 19th, anyone who decides to participate will re-post their favorite blog offering from earlier in the year, or one that you believe failed to receive the exposure it deserved. To take part all you have to do is sign-up with Mr. Linky below, then shout out to all of your blogging friends and encourage them to sign up as well.  Take the badge above and plaster it everywhere, blogging graffiti gone wild. Tweet about it (#dejavu2014) and post the picture on Instagram. Then on December 19th as the day unfolds and everyone hops from one blog to another, what they will be reading is the best of the best (as determined by you) from this 2014.  The blogosphere will be chock full 2014 writing brilliance!  Encouragement, enlightenment, knowledge, bared souls, stimulation, hilarity, insecurities, success stories! All on display…the very same day.  And it couldn't be any easier to take part...no writing necessary!

The following post got a fair bit of attention when I posted it, but it's one of my favorites from this year.  It was a bit of an experimental piece for me, but I was pleased with how it turned out.  I hope you enjoy it!  (If for any reason you're interested in seeing my post in its natural habitat, you can find it HERE.)

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Ubuntu Bloghop

Today, I am helping Michelle Wallace at Writer-in-Transit celebrate three years of blogging anniversary by participating in the Ubuntu Bloghop.  This is an impressive milestone for anyone to reach, so I'd like to congratulate Michelle on a job well done!

For those of you who don't know about the Ubuntu Bloghop, here's the info you need to know.

What is ubuntu? "In Africa, there is a concept known as UBUNTU – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others." – Nelson Mandela.

So in the spirit of ubuntu, I invite you to join me in celebrating my 3rd blogoversary!

Date – 18th to 21st February. I've allowed 4 days to make it easier for you guys, since some people only post once a week… save the date that coincides with your blogging schedule!

What can you contribute?  Any form of creativity that captures the spirit of ubuntu is welcome!

So, as I reflected on how to reflect the spirit of Ubuntu, I found myself looking at the little light-up planetarium that I recently got for my kids.  In watching the little pinpoints of light dance on their ceiling, I was struck by the knowledge that we all live under the same sky, and that fact alone connects us.  From there, inspiration poured forth.  The result is what follows.  I'm not really sure what it is, but I know what I felt when I wrote it.  If I managed to capture a fraction of the interconnectedness that I felt as I pondered these things, then I've done my job.

Enjoy!

Beneath the crystalline dome of blue sky, treading the same trampled ground, you will find them all, harmonizing together to create the magic of the everyday.

The baker, the undertaker.

The lawyer, a first class litigator.

The teacher, the preacher, the nonbeliever.

The barista, dispensing bright mornings with a smile.

The mechanic, the plumber.

The doctor, saving lives day by day.

All different kinds of people.

Many working hard, contributing their best.

Threads of different colors weaving together to create something more, the tapestry made more beautiful in its diversity.  Strengthened by the textures of daily life.  Yet, where there is good, there is also strain.  The same sky shelters the threads that are about to break.

The conman, who takes advantage.

The murderer, who deals in death.

The thief who takes, but does not give.

Those who take until their dying breath.

And there are those who want better.

Those who don’t know how to climb.

Hopelessness abounds in the shadows.

To darkness they are resigned.

Strain wears holes in the fabric, exposing many to the cold.  Yet many of those who struggle have learned to see the light.  Sheltered by the dome of night where stars twinkle bright, you will find them filled with dreams.

The lonely child who has been ignored.

The celebrity whom all watch yet don’t know.

The single parent who struggles for everything.

The student, out of money, nowhere to go.

The homeless man who once had it all,

until the world fell apart around his feet.

So many stories, woven in tattered threads.

The bravest, most hopeful people you could meet.

Lives woven together, side by side, crossing paths from time to time.  Though littered with imperfections, the tapestry remains strong.  The beauty of each life shines through, making it radiant.