December 31st Through the Years: 2016 - 2020

 

Dec. 31—2016: One Starfish at a Time

 

… I was fortunate in my life to cross paths with a teacher named Mary Goetze. … Mary has since “retired,” but we keep in Christmas touch and I just got her newsletter and her moving news of work she’s doing with displaced people, folks in prison and other marginalized groups in the cultures that love to "win" and leave the “losers” to fend for themselves. She ended her newsletter with a story whose punch-line took my breath away. I can’t think of a better message to help us turn toward the coming year. Thank you, Mary!

 

A young man is walking along the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore. Further along he sees an old man, walking slowly and stooping often, picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean. 

 

“Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?,” he asks.

 

 “Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don’t throw them further in they will die.”

 

 “But, old man, don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it! You can’t possibly save them all, you can’t even save one-tenth of them. In fact, even if you work all day, your efforts won’t make any difference at all.” 

 

The old man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the sea. 

 

“It made a difference to that one.”

 

(PS I had forgotten that I first heard this story, which I refer to a lot, from Mary and especially poignant because Mary passed away at the beginning of the past year, 2025. This one’s for you, Mary. )

 

Dec. 31—2017: Letter to the Last Day of the Year

 

Well, hello last day of the year. Here I am, awake yet again for another spin of the earth. How shall we spend the day together?… Now the sun is setting and the soup is cooking and after dinner, the new annual ritual of going to hear the hilarious genius of Paula Poundstone, topped off with another ritual party at my ex-school head’s house that culminates in taking to the streets and ringing his family’s collection of Tibetan bells as the clock strikes midnight.

 

Of course, there was the time writing this blog, closing out 7 years of marking in print the joys and sorrows of some 2,555 days in some 1900 posts, to be shared with a public who might or might not find something affirming, thought-provoking, funny, poignant, boring or parallel to their own experiences. 

 

So day, what do you think? Shall we do this? Let’s go!

 

 

Dec. 31—2018: Pebbles in a Pond

… I remember Gary Snyder’s Zen teacher saying to him, “Sweep the garden—any size.” So it’s not only about the quantity of your contribution to some healing and justice in this world, it’s about the quality and the effort and the sense that each small contribution helps. A music teacher’s voice is a tiny whisper compared to the mighty roar of a Supreme Court Justice like Ruth Bader Ginsburg but still it counts. It reminded me of a poem I wrote when I turned 60:  

 

           PEBBLE IN A POND

 

At 20 years old, I was confident, cocky, sure 

     that the boulder 

         I would heave into the mainstream

                  would make a big splash in the world.

 

Each decade, the stone

                             and the stream

                                          got smaller.

 

At 60, that once-big splash a mere pebble

                                                                    in a small pond.

 

But still it makes ripples, tiny rings 

that circle outwards 

     and sometimes reach the shore

of someone’s life about to be changed.

 

Here’s to yet another year of tossing pebbles in the pond.

 

Dec. 31—2019: Goodkin Wenceslas

 

… 
1)   Goodkin once loved Santa Claus,

       Loved his jolly spirit.

      Pledged that this would be his cause,

            To help bring others near it. 

 

              Now that feels a good league hence,

              Far from generous giving.

              Living with Trump and Mike Pence,

              (If you can call that liv—ing.)

 

2)   Goodkin went once and looked out,

              As the year was turning.

              Looking back he heard the shouts,

              ‘Midst flooding and the burn-ing.

 

              “We won’t take it any more!

                The ignoring and denying. 

                Disdain for the victimed poor

                Deafness to kids cry-ing.”

 

3)   In the tyrant’s steps some trod

              Bringing down democracy

              Like peas sheltered in a pod

              Hiding in hypocrisy. 

 

              Therefore all good folks unite

              Wealth or rank possessing

              Let us join in the good fight

              Bring healing and some bless—ing.

 

4)   Those who now can sing this song.

              With these words can read it.

              Let’s pledge now it won’t take long

              Before we start to heed it. 

 

              May truth and love be our reward,

              And small things feel like plenty.

              May our vision be restored

              Return to 20/20. 

 

 

Dec. 31—2020: Farewell to 2020: The Year in Review

… On the last day of 2020, I had the thought of finding one Blogpost from each month that stood out a bit and re-print them one by one. 

 

•JANUARY: The Other Side of End Times: First mention of corona virus

•FEBRUARY: Dis-appointment: My last live workshops in Singapore and beginning of things cancelled.

• MARCH: The Great Time-Out: Looking for meaning at the beginning of sheltering.

• APRIL: The Modern Online Schoolteacher: My Gilbert and Sullivan parody.

•MAY: Retirement Speech: The one I spoke online to the school community.

•JUNE: A Chance to Savor: My nod to Black Lives Matter.

              Closing Ceremony: Another farewell to school on the last day of 45 years.

• JULY: Why We Come to Orff Workshops: Might as well include one post related to the Blog’s title!)

• AUGUST: From the 60’s to the 60’s: A funny look at aging through hit songs. 

• SEPTEMBER: Petition to the Gods: My poem about the day that stayed dark.

• OCTOBER: Letter to My 11-Year Old Self: Preparing for the election.

• NOVEMBER: A Song For Every Occasion: Parts I/ II: Election euphoria!

•DECEMBER: Perfect Answer: Have to include the grandkids here!