Why did the Chicken cross the road?

 

To see why the caged bird sings!

I spent the past few days in Mystic, Connecticut. The fall foliage was beautiful and the change in pace was refreshing. I went to Mystic Seaport, which is the reconstruction of a 19th Century seafaring community. History is portrayed in every exhibit, and you can witness the lifestyles that existed during this time period. Walking into the woodworking shop, I was able to see a craftsman working on various signs and plaques used throughout the Seaport. I stood there for about twenty minutes, watching other visitors come and go. Some of these visitors brought their children to see how things were done in the past. A couple of them engaged the workman in conversation, mostly about the type of wood or the tools used for each job. There was a break in the stream of people entering the shop and I was able to talk directly with Thomas, the workman. Our discussion was about the time spent working on each piece, and whether or not Thomas would have had job satisfaction back 100 years ago.

Thomas thought a while and asked me a profound question: "Did the Wall Street bankers who wrote sub-prime mortgages that ended in foreclosure have job satisfaction? And, if so, what remains of their work?" This made me think about my own working career, especially the long hours and struggle I went through over the years to succeed. I had to agree that most of the products of my toil were no longer in existence, and that a lot of my work went into what is called "pencil pushing" tasks. However, Thomas told me that he can still look at his work around the Seaport, as well as the work of craftsmen who came before. This really impressed me!

I went further and asked Thomas if his work gave him joy and provided meaning to his life. He stopped working and walked me over to a back storage area that contained a few plaques that were not prominently displayed at the exhibit. He chose two in particular to show me. They were both in Latin. The first one Thomas showed me asked the question: "Why did the Chicken cross the road?" The plaque also answered the question - "To see why the caged bird sings!" At this point, Thomas put the plaque down and waited for my response. I liked the way the letters were formed into the wood and the labor of joy Thomas must have experienced making the plaque.

Why does the caged bird sing?

Thomas and I could have stopped right there, but I pursued a further question: "And, I asked, why does the caged bird sing?" Thomas smiled at me and picked up a second plaque that read: "A caged bird sings because it's his ART!" Thomas returned to his workbench and simply stated that each one of us might have an occupation that we attend to on a daily basis, but it's our ART that gives our life meaning and brings us happiness! His laugh, and the smile on Thomas' face, said it all; he obviously had his art...and happiness in creating it. He was also a teacher, which is something each one of us can aspire to.

I stopped to think about all of the work I've done in my life and the long hours spent away from my family to provide a living. There were times when I wasn't happy with my lot. There were times when I wondered whether life had any meaning at all, let alone happiness and joy. Finally, when I was ground down to a nub by the pressures and demand of life, there came an epiphany of sorts. I credit the teachings of Joseph Campbell for the realization that each one of us should go deep inside our being and find the things that bring us happiness and fulfillment. His saying, "Follow Your Bliss", has often been quoted, and is intended to assist us in making the necessary changes in our life.  I think that all of us have had a similar epiphany, at one point or other in our life. 

The question for each of us is: "What would make us cross the road?" What are we looking to change in life? Have we found our bliss, or are we just going through the motions and acting out what we think will bring us happiness and meaning? Sure, there are many role models to choose from out in the world. We can act like any number of "successful" people. Many of us have become very good actors. Some of us have been "successful" in attaining affluence. The question we should ask ourself is: "Have we truly demonstrated the art that is deep within ourself, or are we merely acting out someone else's conception?" To truly create, we must find our personal bliss and have the courage to follow it.

God has given us all the ability to connect with the energy of the Universe; to find the inspiration to create the art that lies deep inside ourselves. Thomas, the craftsman, has found his bliss. He doesn't find his identity solely in his daily work. He goes beyond, and has also become a teacher and guru to those of us who still need to find our meaning and happiness. Everything that we create is the manifestation of our art. How we demonstrate our art is a personal matter. We don't all have to be masters of our chosen media, this is not the point. The main thing is that we find the courage to let our own light shine by doing the things that make us sing with joy! 

Blessings,

Alfred Voto, M.Msc.