What Inspires Me Today - Kimberly Akimbo

 Kimberly Akimbo

Working in the Broadway Industry, there a lot of shows that inspire me. In fact, one of the things that gets me through the business side of Broadway is seeing the shows, hearing from the artists, and watching or being a part of the creative process. Broadway IS entertaining, but it is also inspiring. Theatre / Art should always inspire... feeling, thoughts, creativity, action, and our hearts.  

Which brings me to Kimberly Akimbo.

I specifically want to talk about the main character, Kimberly Levaco. She goes through a lot of shit in this story - and she has a heavy heavy weight to bear for a teenager. She is facing an early death, looks and acts different than her peers, and is dealing with all the ridiculousness of being a high schooler in the late 1990's.  Add to that parents who are difficult, but seem to actually care in their own way, and a criminally crazy, hysterical aunt who definitely cares about Kim - again in her own way... and Kim has got a lot going on.

She has a lot to be down about. I mean... this girl has a LOT to be down about. 

Yet... after a scary near death moment in Act 2, she decides to take action and live her own Great Adventure with her friend (boyfriend) Seth. She essentially takes Aunt Deb's advice and when life gives you lemons - you gotta go out and steal some apples 'cause who the fuck wants lemons.

And that is, I think, the message of Kimberly Akimbo.  You can't wait around for life to get better - you can't wait for your love to be requited from someone who can't do that. You can't wait for your parents to care more than they do already. You can't wait for someone to give you permission to be wholly you.

You just have to believe in yourself and do it.
And I think part of that message (and what I've been gleaning lately) is that you need to live out how you want other to treat you too... if you want people to be nice to you, be nice to them. If you want to be given opportunities, create them as well. If you want friends, be a friend.

What Inspires Me Today - The Narrow Road

 Finding The Narrow Road

In my personal "Quiet Times" over the past couple of weeks I've been focusing and thinking about Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7. As a 50+ year old adult who has moved away from the evangelical church to focus more on my personal faith walk and less on organized religious exercises, revisiting these passages has been so fascinating. They definitely take on new meaning and reveal a lot of insights I missed in the try to conform and be "Christian" periods of my life.

Verses 13 and 14 of this section deal with Christ's message to the crowds to enter through the narrow gate... that the wide gate is broad, through which many people enter and fall into destruction.

Back in the day I saw that as a crystal clear direction that Christ was the narrow path and "the world" was the wide path. This gave me - and I'd say many members of my various churches - a sense of haughty-ness... we were clearly choosing the more difficult, less travelled, Christ's chosen ones route.

Of course that's how we felt.
A quick glance at how many of these "Christians" see themselves and the rest of the "fallen" world makes it very clear that any approval to feel better-than because of your faith is like candy.

But today... my inspiration when it comes to these verses is quite different and applies so much more personally for me - and I think for anyone regardless of faith structure.

Work on yourself.

It's easy to follow where the masses go... to follow the media... to follow our leaders... to listen to whatever trend is trending and whoever is holding court in the public spheres, or in your own circle. That pathway is wide... and so many times we see the destruction it causes. From the limited effects of personal self esteem and worth issues to the larger issues of Mob Mentality, Dumbing Down, and Fascism/Dictatorship/Etc.

Work on yourself.

The narrow path is the one you tread alone, or perhaps with your closest of friends/loved ones/partners.

The narrow path is work.
The narrow path is about your journey.
The narrow path is about your own self discovery. 
And to stay on the Biblical Theme... the narrow path is about God's walk with you, about you, and for you.

Work on yourself.

The rest of the world will be there and you'll be stronger to face it if you..

Work on yourself.