One Person at a Time

This morning while I was meditating, my phone rang. When I looked at the caller ID, it was a cell phone in Washington, DC. I assumed it was a friend returning my call. I decided to check the voice message. It was a call from a complete stranger that found me completely by accident.

She is an extraordinary young photographer named Emily Troutman, and she has just been designated a Citizen Ambassador. She acheived this distinction by entering a contest sponsored by the UN asking "If you could speak to world leaders, what would you say?" Please, please go to her blogsite and watch her film. It brought tears to my eyes. The text is also on the site.

Here is an excerpt from the end of the video:

"I want us both to agree to say one true thing out loud everyday. To remember one real person. To remind ourselves that our tragedies—yours and mine—are lived and felt one person at a time; just like our hope, our renewal, our future can also be lived and carried out into the world, one person at a time. You have a chance to be that person. So make a promise with me:

I promise to humble myself.
I promise to grieve.
I promise to bow down to truth.
I promise to argue.
I promise to listen and to live with intention.
I promise to know my own strength.
I promise to risk something.
I promise to stop talking about what hasn't been doneand start doing something different.

We are 6.7 billion real people who want to be remembered, who only want to live a life as good and as safe as the one you live. If we promise to think of you, to work with you; I hope you'll promise to think of us, to work for us. One person, one small baby, one dream at a time.
Sincerely,
Emily Troutman

Here is a link to her Message to World Leaders:http://www.emilytroutman.blogspot.com

As well as the press release regarding the contest:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32591&Cr=akasaka&Cr1=

I am hoping to travel around and ask people the question I answered, "If you could speak to world leaders, what would you say?"

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I wasn't actually able to assist Emily with the reason she called me, but I am hoping to help her in her mission by getting her an invitation to Naropa.