“all I have heard is silence…until I saw your movie”
People write us the most amazing things.
I’ve thought about starting a “Dear Sally” column where some of what people write can be shared with others. It might give courage and inspiration. I’m tempted to jump into this because it would be fun and inspiring for me too. But right now I just don’t have the time to stay on top of such a column. Perhaps in the future, when more of the administrative tasks are out of my inbox, when the tours are complete, when someone comes along to fund administrative staff, or when DVD sales soar to such a point that we can support another staff member, then I would love to do such a thing.
For now I will just share one woman’s experience, and my response:
Dear Kathy,
Your email is, of course, quite touching to read, as are so many that we receive.
I’ll respond, back and forth, below:
Hi Sally,
Thank you and Timothy so much for making this film.
Thank you, in return, for resonating with the message, the work, the longing to help, to have an impact.
I have a small story of my own to tell. Over the past few years, I have grown increasingly frustrated with what seems are my own paltry and insignificant efforts to contribute to the saving of the planet. I have tried many ways (prayer, consulting the trees, consulting ancestors, therapy, begging, pleading to anyone and/or anything) to discern what my role should be.
But all I have heard is silence…
My heart resonates with all of those expressions of your longing to find your work. And, for myself, all of those expressions of heartfelt longing to help, to be of service, have been important pieces even in the absence of clear answers.
….that is until I saw your movie. The night after watching it, I tossed and turned until finally at about 4:00a.m. Then an idea emerged. I am going to send 50 copies to people I know and ask that they, if inspired and so inclined, will “pay it forward” and send it to 3 other people and request the same of their receivers. I hope they will purchase an additional 2 copies to keep it circulating at a fast pace. I know this is still a very small step, but I have a lot of energy around it so I am going to assume that it is my inner voice telling me to act.
This is the way that widespread changes often happen. Are you familiar with The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell? It’s a very compelling book. Often apparently small actions can create huge changes. He details many examples of that happening. So I would invite you not to discount such an action. Your action, may set into motion, in ways you may or may not see, some ot