Each one of us possesses unique and beautiful gifts needed to make it through life. This weekend, artists came together all over town to create magic on empty walls. At first, the Grumpy Old Woman in me was a little bent about “graffiti” adorning our shared spaces. After all, who wants “graffiti” littering our streets as we race around the town. Well, color me too stuffy and a lot wrong.
Just look at the water tower! Over a period of days, volunteers of all ages came to paint the most beautiful murals around town. By Sunday evening, the town had a new look. Desert winds sandblast the best of paints, leaving our Main Street buildings looking faded and tired. Having some new murals to brighten things up is a cheerful addition to our rather quiet wide space along the interstate.
An intriguing part of this activity was that no one really knew who would be doing the painting. It was decided the painting would happen this weekend trusting that the murals would be completed by strangers. Isn’t life a little like that? It isn’t all about who shows up with their talents and gifts? Not one person possesses every talent. In this project, there was the graphic design artist that had to make their murals fit to scale on the side of the buildings or the water tower. The color artists picked out the correct paint and made sure everything was ready on painting day. Those that were skilled in organization prepared all the supplies necessary to pull this off. The advertising people made sure to get the word out about this fantastic event. Musicians got their play lists ready for the weekend. Before you knew it, it was a one-of-a-kind, small town event.
In our own lives, we are gifted with what we need right where we are, right here and now in this very moment. For sure, we need each others. That’s a given.
Even in a place as barren as the high desert plains of Northwestern Nevada we need to strive to thrive where we are. Life’s mural will slowly unfold if you only step back a little and allow it to do so. Each having our own assignments, if we work together the results will be stunning. I can’t do your thing and you can’t do mine, but together, we can achieve miracles.
If you have a knife, fork, and spoon, then that is what you need. But, if you’re missing one, don’t forget to ask a friend. They might just have an extra to lend you. No one else has what you have, the same way you have it. It’s okay to ask for help, but just don’t give up. We’ve all come too far to turn back now.
Watching the choir in church on Sunday, the lesson was evident. The guitarist might not have had the strongest voice, while the vocalist couldn’t begin to pluck out Mary Had a Little Lamb on the guitar. The drummer couldn’t play the hymn we were signing on the piano, but he kept us in time with the beat of his drums. It took each of them, along with the congregation, to make “I Come to the Garden Alone” ring in the rafters. Just like life, nobody has everything they need to handle everything alone.
I hope your town is lucky enough to have an event like the one we had this weekend. If they do, go pick up and brush and discover the artist in you!
More tomorrow.