[Dialogue] question to ponder

Sun Jun 28 18:48:57 CDT 2009

Great story, Larry!  Singing truly does keep us alive!

Nancy

On Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 5:29 PM, Lawrence Philbrook <larry at icatw.com> wrote:

>  I sing and teach songs many programs I do particularly programs that are
> focused on individual development.  I usually teach preschool songs but also
> others I have picked up over the years.  Sometimes we do the song story and
> symbol workshop.  Last year I was doing a multi-cultural program and the
> Koreans were just not connecting so I sang Kwang Yong Il - they sang back
> (better and with the "right" words but it transformed the group and their
> relationship to the community that was forming.  Singing was an important
> part of the programs we did last year with ICA Nepal and Bangladesh.
>
> With respect, Larry
>
> Marge Philbrook wrote:
>
> It is my memory that before TV, etc. everyone sang more.  As a family we
> sang, when we gathered at my grandparents home we sang, they had a old pump
> organ.  We sang "church" songs that we all knew and songs from the culture
> as well.  Music was more everyone did it.  In the first world war there were
> songs: "  What do you do the infantry, you march, you march you march."
> "Some day I'm going to murder the buggler, some day their going to find him
> dead,  I'll amputate his revelle  and step upon it heavily, and spend the
> rest of my life in bed."  How do you spell revilee?  Then my memory tells me
> we sang at school whenever there was an assembly, we sang World War II
> songs.  about the army, the navy, the marines and the air force. And the
> "movements" of our time sang as well. We always sang in the civil rights
> movement.  And It's also the story that in South Africa the apartheid
> movement moved by song across the country.  When there was an event a song
> would be createad and sung across the country by black people to transfer
> the news, like on trains, etc. and soon events were known across the country
> and led to the ending of apartheid gradually.   I think it would be more of
> a surprise if we didn't sing in the order.  I think singing was one of our
> wellness exercises although we didn't know it at the time.    I also observe
> that the current ICA is not singing.
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 11:48 PM, Nancy Lanphear <nancy at songaia.com>wrote:
>
>> Dear Ones,
>>
>> WHERE DID OUR SINGING AS AN ORDER COME FROM ?  WAS IT THE CHURCH?  WAS IT
>> FROM MOVEMENT BUILDING ACTIVITIES?  One of our Songaians asked that question
>> of us - he had given a tour today and was asked?  Please respond with
>> answers or just your own stories.  I would love to hear from you about a
>> spiritual practice that has opened so many hearts and places of energy, and
>> at times literally kept us alive.
>>
>> This has been a big week here at Songaia!  The national Cohousing
>> conference is being held in Seattle this year and the executive director
>> lives here.  He has enlisted most of us to contribute in one or many ways
>> during the week.
>>
>> On Monday night we hosted the International Summit group from the
>> conference which translated into 38 folks from the group at dinner in our
>> common house along with the 30 of us Songaians.  Of course we were our
>> authentic selves and had singing, introductions, a birthday celebration with
>> questions, and a fantastic meal -  a joyful time was had by all.
>>
>> I led the singing and included Consider Yourself, This Little Light of
>> Mine, and Oh, Mr. Sun and Russian Hymn for the Earth - the first was a song
>> of welcome and the others, in acknowledgement of Summer Solstice and the
>> wonder of gathering as Earthlings.  We ate in honor of communitarians and
>> those who had not yet found themselves enveloped in a welcoming community.
>>
>> Following the meal we celebrated one member's birthday.  His name is
>> Nartano and as he has been so moved by the ritual around each members
>> birthday, he wanted to share the ritual with our guests.  Fred asked the
>> questions of him and then shared words that recognized Nartano's role in the
>> community.
>>
>> We closed the evening by singing the Irish Blessing to our guests.  They
>> left with tears and smiles of joy and hope that if we could share the values
>> of our community lifestyle with the world, it would be a more peaceful place
>> to live.
>>
>> Yesterday, Fred was awarded the Geoph Kozeny Award for a life of
>> communitarian activities.  Our friend Geoph died a year ago with cancer.
>> Fred was so honored to be the first recipient of the award.
>>
>> Today, we hosted 40 people who were on a cohousing community bus tour.
>> They came for lunch and a tour of Songaia.  Again, we sang before lunch,
>> they joined in with great gusto!
>>
>> Fred continues to be his spirited, wonderfilled self.  The huge
>> limitations of movement and dextarity frustrate him but he keeps finding new
>> ways to type - he now uses his thumbs and a voice activated computer
>> program.  SINGING here at Songaia and at church is a lifeline for him.
>> Somehow with his breathing capacity greatly diminished, he still sings with
>> joy and twice as many breaths.  At his ALS diagnosis 1 1/2 years ago, he
>> promised me we would still be together to celebrate the journey of the 2 of
>> us and the life of our family. We are celebrating our 50th wedding
>> anniversary on July 4th with family and our community.
>>
>> We are so very grateful to be living in our community of Songaia.  And we
>> are grateful for you,  our spirit community of many years.  Take care and
>> remember that you are all loved,
>>
>> Nancy
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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