One Man’s Desire for More and Better

2009-03-09

Good Day Everyone!

Recently I’ve been watching Showtime’s series, the Tudors. On the Special Features disc I was treated to see one episode of This American Life, another Showtime Series. This episode was about Michael Phillips. You can read Michael’s blogs here, here, and his latest blog here. Eric Deggans, staff writer, wrote an amazing account of Michael and his story.

I heartily encourage you to read the story and then watch the show. It is the first episode of the second season of This American Life. On this video from Youtube, his segment starts at about 4:40 on the timer.

Talk about Quality programming, this is it.

Mike is an ordinary guy, except that he’s got a particular challenge called SMA. His only body part that moves, save his head, is his thumb. He’s still an ordinary guy with hopes, dreams and desires. He is striving, like each of us, to become more than he has been.

The episode talks about his having lived with his Mother all his life, and now he wants some independence. He wants – his own Life.

Wow, we think as we watch, how amazing is this? Yet, he, like each of us, is a Godchip in physical form. He is alive and reflective, a being of Light in a physical, albeit, broken body. Many, I suppose, would think, “why bother”. Yet, he does. He strives to grow and become more Real, more himSelf. Michael is our teacher.

A friend of mine is reading The Story of My Life: The Restored Edition (Modern Library Classics)by Helen Keller. In sharing with my friend Michael’s story, she in turn recounted to me that same Joie de Vive – zest for life – in Helen’s words about her own life. Everyday was a wonderful day to Helen. Every letter started with some version of how happy she was to be alive and how privileged it was to feel the sun on her face, or the rain, or the snow…she was just happy for Life, Itself.

A new book has come to my attention, Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Outby Marci Shimoff. On my walk this morning I was contemplating these three people coming into my awareness over the past 24 hours. Michael Phillips, Helen Keller, and Marci Simoff – all reminding me that my Life Is Good, as well, and to Be Happy for no particular reason except that I just get to be here in the physical and that is the Reason for Joy.

How grateful I am for the lives of others who influence me back into Reality.

Thanks for Reading!

Kath