Get Up Stand Up

Dearest Readers,

The other evening I went to see Night, a play by a theatre company called Human Cargo. It was created in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, and deals with the challenges facing the Inuit people in contemporary culture.

The star of the show, Abbie Ootova, was a great pleasure to watch. Not only is she a natural actor, she has that thing of which stars of made: pure charisma.

At the end of the play, Abbie's character, who has been through the ringer with the accidental death of her mother by her father's alcoholism and the suicide of her best friend, rises up with fists and shouts, with tremendous emotion, "Stand up Inuit people! Stand up Inuit youth! We have to be strong!"

Although I don't think the words are exactly right I think I've got the gist of what she said. The effect was deeply powerful. Though I enjoyed watching the play I had been unmoved up until this moment in the end when Abbie exploded with the power of her speech and spurt the tears came a-streamin'.

The call to stand up and be strong, though particularly important for those who have been downtrodden by dominant cultures, must be heeded by all of us in the face of our fear. We all must rise up and overcome that which holds us back. It is our Greatest Purpose.

There is great healing to be done in all of us. Together we can overcome the collective wounds of our past histories. Let us stand up and be strong!

Inspiring Message of the Day: I will rise up against my fear today. I will stand up and shout for my freedom from all that I am afraid of. I'm not alone!