Last weekend I saw the Cirque du Soleil in Atlanta. It was not only visually amazing, but a powerfully emotional experience. To see people push their bodies to perform at such a high level of execution and precision was awe inspiring. Watching people work together in such a organized manner demonstrated the level of harmony and purpose people can accomplish. When people work together to create such intense beauty and grace it is gripping and uplifting.
The Olympics and the NASA objective of getting to the moon are two other examples of how far people can push themselves and those around them to accomplish amazing feats. In some ways it is easy to fathom people working on their own to accomplish the previously impossible, but when people work together as an intricate machine it is truly mind boggling. The opening ceremonies for the Olympics in China this pass year was another example of how jaw dropping fantastic teamwork can be.
These feats of teamwork give me great hope for the future of man. The Cirque du Soleil in particular was impressive and hopeful, in the fact that the performers appeared to be from so many cultural and national backgrounds. Seeing such diversity working and functioning so intimately together was something to marvel at. It shows how well we can not only cooperate, but how we can flourish in harmonic rhythm.
Our politicians still talk of patriotic nationalism and globalism at the same time, without recognizing their irreconcilability.
I’m sure the Cirque du Soleil is filled with conflict as well as harmony, with self interest as well as teamwork. Yet, when all is said and done they can come out night after night and work as a well oiled machine an accomplish the goals and vision of the group. Such success breeds harmony and a sense of purpose which carries one past all obstacles and petty feelings. No society is, or will ever be perfect, but a global community constructed on our providing for everyone’s basic needs has many templates of success to pattern itself after.
The Cirque du Soleil, and the Olympics are just two of many thousands of models man has used to inspire himself to create beauty and harmony. In a circus not everyone has to have an outstanding skill, some people’s role is to support and assist those with talent and determination. Some stay in the background and organize, prepare or just plain encourage the performers of the troop to do their best. While many make the circus possible by just being an appreciative audience.
Mankind is incredible in its talent and industry. When our goal is to build and invent we create truly impressive objects and systems, and when our goal is to destroy or conquer we can be unimagineably brutal and devious.
The hope is that man begins to make his goals worthy of being accomplished, for man has shown that he is quite capable of accomplishing what he sets out to do.
The following lyrics address these ideas from a similar perspective. This song is part of a CD I should have on this site later this year.
Carnival 7/4/08
Life is a carnival
A merry-go-round slowly spinning for me
There are wonders at every turn
Novel and talented people smiling
Here’s to the people who play hard
Here’s to the people who take time to care
Everyday is a party
Everyday is a walk at the fair
Come waltz a number with me
Gliding in step we fashion our own world
There is magic in melody
Poetry, love and sweetest harmony
Both performers and watchers are we
Take a bow before clapping
I’ll be your audience
A good fan for cheering
Then I’ll bask in your applause
Life is a carnival
A merry-go-round slowly spinning for me
There are wonders at every turn
Novel and talented people smilng
Jim Guido