A vanilla, sparrow-only life would be devastating
Imagine walking into an ice cream shop excited about the many flavor selections, only to be greeted by a clerk who says, “From now on, all we have is vanilla.” Befuddled, you respond with, “Oh… OK, then I guess I’ll have vanilla, but let’s add some sprinkles and chocolate chips.” Then the clerk says, “No toppings. Just plain ol’ vanilla. That will be the only option from now on.”
One day you open your Spotify app in the mood for a blended playlist to appease your restless mind. You’re not really feeling Americana or jazz or pop in particular, so a variety of music sounds nice. But when the app opens, there is one playlist with 20 songs all in the folk genre. “That’s odd,” you think, but no matter what you do, the screen stays on that same playlist. Listen to folk music or sit in silence.
Invigorated about time off work, you start fantasizing about a sunny vacation destination. With a total open mind, you get on the Delta website to see what locations have discounted flights, only to see all flights go to the same place, a beach off the coast of Florida. “But, I don’t want to go to Florida. I want to go to Italy or Belize.” Oh, well. Florida is all you get.
Your sister is about to turn 50 and you want to send wildflowers to brighten her day, knowing how much she loves different types of colorful flowers. When you call the florist, the associate says, “No more wildflowers. We have white roses and white roses only.” Then you say, “My sister has never liked roses. She likes wildflowers.” It doesn’t matter. It’s roses or nothing.
Before you step out for the day, you open your closet to choose an outfit, but strangely, the only selections are white shirts, gray pants and black shoes. “What happened to all my fun clothes?” Apparently, they vanished in the night, only to be replaced by a monotone ensemble that looks the same as everyone else.
On your morning walk, the normal symphony of birds is eerily stilted and the only noise is that of sparrows. You keep walking, one mile then two, down this street and that, and the sparrows continue. They sound strange in isolation, melancholy even, like a lone instrument misplaced from the orchestra. Tomorrow’s the same, and the next day and the next. Every day, it’s only the sound of sparrows.
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In 1785, English poet William Cowper wrote, “Variety’s the very spice of life that gives it all its flavour.” With no variety, we wither, we wilt, we grow bored and weary.
The Nazi regime and MAGA mentality thrive off propaganda that everyone and everything be the same — a philosophy that’s insane at best and deadly at worst. It’s a fear-based tactic on the part of the instigator. The instigator feels more in control with uniformity and limited choices, but only the ignorant and weak seek sameness under the guise of safety and triumph.
In the incredible book, “A Course in Miracles,” a single line always sticks out to me. It says, “Fear is really nothing, and love is everything.” It doesn’t matter if a leader moves with fear or if a person is feeling fearful, it’s nothing. But love. Love is everything.
I’ve been traveling a lot this month. I chaperoned my younger son’s eighth-grade trip to Washington D.C., and attended two national track meets for my older son, one in Boston and one in Los Angeles. Being in different parts of the U.S. always reminds me what an incredibly unique and wonderful country we live in — not only in regard to natural beauty but also the people. One doesn’t have to travel internationally to be exposed to different cultures, races, religions, cuisines and languages. We have that right here in the United States of America, and it’s something we should honor wholeheartedly.
To live a truly illuminated life, there must be diversity and variety. There must be joy, curiosity, depth, sorrow, connection and creativity. Let’s be bold. Be bold in your actions. Be bold with your words. Be bold at the polls. Be the change you want to see in the world.
Why, you ask? Because a vanilla, sparrow-only life would be devastating.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer and editor who lives in Haywood County. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
