In the past six months I’ve been twice inspired by the Beatles. First, I saw Polyphonic Spree at an outdoor Summer concert. There was much chatter amongst the crowd as to whether or not PSpree was knocking off the Beatles later psychedelic style, or creating something new. The PSpree choir was small that night, and they had changed from last tour’s white choir robes to a new military-esque jacket and a ‘by any means necessary’ kind of stance — fists in the air, determination in their voices. I missed their former dreamy hopefulness, but at the same time I resonated with the energy coming from the stage that said, “Enough is enough. Peace. Must. Come.” It reminded me of the Beatles, determined in their songs to paint a picture of an alternative but possible reality: that the world could be as one; that all we needed was love.

A few months later as we walked through Central Park on vacation in New York, we came across the memorial to John Lennon. It was small and pretty non-distinct — there were much larger memorials to more obscure figures in the massive city park. Lennon’s was a circular plaque in the sidewalk, surrounded by benches where people gathered regularly to chat on their cross-town foot commute after work. It was a simple spot, lovingly attended, scattered with petals and roses. In the center of the plaque a single word…”Imagine.”

I thought of John and the Beatles — their musical and political influences felt and sustained across decades and generations. I recalled what I knew about their assertion that all we needed was love, and their imagination that spun out a world of equity and peace. I was sad Lennon’s dream had failed, that we as a people had failed. But then, my thinking shifted and I began to think that if PSpree was still singing, and people were still bringing community and roses to a plaque in Central Park, then maybe it wasn’t so much that we’d failed as that we were still working on it — perhaps the imagined dream was still in progress. Maybe it was true, that all the people could live as one, that all we need is love.

I know, it’s corny. Super incredibly impossibly corny. But I just can’t help hoping it’s true. Or at least, true enough to make it worth the effort to keep working on it.

So here’s what I say: let’s do it. Let’s make it our first Habitude to spread a little love around.

I, the Magpie Girl, hereby pledge to commit a random act of love every day for the month on February. Not just on Valentines Day. Not just to people I know, but to whomever I chance to encounter. Random, tiny, real acts of love to everyday people in everyday ways.

What do you say? Should we be lovers?

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one, I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will live as one.”

P.S. The first three people who say “I’m In” in the comments below will get a special gift — a set of Free Love Give-Away cards, the next hand-made treasure at Buy Magpie!

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 25th, 2007 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Magpie Girl.
Tags: habitude, seasonal celebrations, soulcrafting



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