Lisa A. Kramer

Author, Speaker, Theater Artist, Creativity Facilitator

Political or Passionate

 
When I was a senior in high school, I was voted most political. I didn't understand that then, except for the fact that I was one of the two senators representing my "house." My high school was huge, and we were divided into Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow houses--which mostly represented the color of the cafeteria and served as a guide for finding your classrooms. And, as divisions often do, it opened the space for rivalry.

So yes, I was a senator, but why was that the only accolade that I recieved? I never thought of myself as political. Heck, I barely thought I made a difference back then, or that anyone even knew me. (I can't remember exactly, but I think I might have won the senate seat because nobody else ran for the office. So" responsible, interested in helping the school. teacher's pet, outspoken . . ." those terms applied, but political?)
 
For the 80s, this person looks as apolitical as they come. My hair wasn't even big.


Many years have passed since then. 37 to be exact. And we all know that politics have become ugly. Many people who are comfortable in their privilege, avoid political discussions like the plague (although interestingly enough, many of those same people do not take steps to avoid Covid19). 

Now, perhaps I understand why I was labelled as political. In a country (the US) where there are more and more divisive politics every day, I can see why I might be labelled political. However, I have no desire to rule, or become a member of a political system so broken that it seems impossible to fix. Kudos to those who step into the fray and try to make change from the inside. 

Still, I rebuff the label "political" in exchange for the word 
PASSIONATE. 

I tend to dislike labels in general, but that's a discussion for another time.
What does it mean to be passionate rather than political?
 

Passion is the art of looking inside of yourself, finding what you truly believe, recognizing its possibilities, and building communities around it toward better remedies.
 

Okay, so I bastardized a Groucho Marx quote. The point is, to me politics seems to be a complicated game which nobody ever really wins. Whereas passion allows for possibilities, that are often impossible within the structures of politics. 

So what am I passionate about?

  • That the voices of regular people (with or without blue checks) are as important, if not moreso, than the those who claim power because of money or politics.
  • That everyone must tap into their innate creative abilities, and work in collaborative ways to solve problems, and we all have that power within us.
  • That money does not make you more worthy than any other person, but kindness and empathy do.
  • That we have for too long  been controlled by the voices of patriarchy and religious institutions built to keep people down .
  • That I choose to raise others up rather than step on them as I crawl my way up.
  •  That it is possible to learn and grow even across the most political divide, as long as we are willing to do the difficult work.
  • That we are not defined by the color of our skin, the country where we were born, or the religion in which we are raised. Rather, we are defined by the people who we choose to be and to welcome into our lives. 
  • That humans are part of the natural world, not the rulers of it.
  • That we are all connected by energy and creativity.

If you too are passionate about some of these things, or anything, let's connect. There should be no limits to passion. That's how we make real change. 
 
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RE-CREATING THE WORLD:
THE POWER AND JOY OF COLLABORATIVE CREATIVITY
by clicking here.

Copyright © Lisa A. Kramer.

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