I have learnt over the last few years on my journey to enlightenment, that if you have a particular dream for something and it's not working out, leave it alone! If a door is shut keep it shut, but if a door is open go through it.....simple! Naturally, like any stubborn female there have been times that I have tried to find the key to open the door or even managed to force it open with a flippin crowbar, but it just swings back and I get my fingers caught or worse!
Lately however, it seems that I am following the right path, doors are opening everywhere and so far I don't feel an annoying draft! As I have mentioned before I have been working with teenagers and twentysomethings.....the youth of today. Never have I experienced anything so rewarding and I feel as if the best is yet to come. Although, I think they get bored of me nagging at them about the rubbish they eat as they munch away in class on stuff that doesn't even look like food. I digress....more importantly they are more enthusiastic than ever to sort out our sorry town.
So despite our long term plan to have a place for them to go,that provides fun and a future for them, first up is giving Sudbury a shake. Once a quaint Suffolk market town, now a place overrun by young people spilling out of pubs and clubs all weekend, causing trouble. Vandalism, drug addiction, alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy all rising steadily and now......murder. Yes I know we are not exclusive, but Rome and all that.
In 1993, a transendental meditation group on Washington meditated for peace and to lower the crime rate. It worked, just through the power of 4,000 participant's thought process the crime rate was recorded as decreasing by 48%! This is a mind blowing figure and surely can not be ignored? I suggested we try and pursuade Sudbury's population to do the same, bring the place to a grinding halt, even for just for one day.
Positivety is infectious, and organically within an hour we had come up with a cunning plan to produce some kind of Peace Day. Our imagination went nuts as we visualised stages with brilliant bands, amazing speakers and gurus, turning our town for one day into a proper community.
One of the boys said "and perhaps we could all pin our hopes and dreams onto a tree?" His comment blew me away, but it's amazing what happens when you cut down on sugar!
I began in earnest to put the feelers out and the doors are swinging open. Not only did everyone pick up their phone and listen, so far they are all saying yes! Local authorites and the police are being incredibly helpful, my friends and contacts are just the same. Already I have had some very exciting names agree to be on board, details later, and next week I have meetings to pin down the date next year and of course the venues. It has even grown into being a weekend now, a festival.
My 12 year old son said that "we couldn't have peace around us, unless we found peace within first!" and suggested we have a confession cubicle for people to write down their troubles and burn them. And yes it did bring a lump in my throat.
Another group member has no idea how good his writing is, finally started writing his own blog, and I am very proud of him. Well done Matt, please keep it up! The link is below and definitely worth a read.
http://www.matthew-norton.blogspot.com/
I will be keeping updates of this event on here and there will be facebook etc pages available soon, I think I am going to be rather busy for the next 9 months and as ever, brilliantly timed with the arrival of a new member of the family on Sunday.....Woodstock aka Woody.....our new puppy! Funny how we named him after the most amazing festival ever, before this idea was born. But then there is no such thing as coincedence!
Peace and happiness
