Storytelling can be more than a blog post, essay, or book. It can be an emoji, a meme, a selfie, or a tweet. It can become a movement for social change.
When something can’t be fixed, then the question is what can we build instead?
Alice Wong (1974-2025) was an American writer and activist for disability rights. Her life was filled with the challenge of living with a progressive neuromuscular disease.
Quelling emotions
Welcome each blossoming change—
Sunrise sets table
Friend’s steady guidance
Tomorrow’s journey brightens—
Today’s welcome steps
Encouragement’s light
Harvest of welcome choices—
Resilience well-knit
Your life is a reflection of your thoughts. If you change your thinking, you change your life.
Virtually everything you do is the result of habit. The good news is that all habits are learned, and they can therefore be unlearned.
Brian Tracy (born 1944) is a Canadian-born motivational speaker and author.
Endless days
Rain with cold
Clouding ways
Hidden folds
Journey’s road
Whispers heard
Bearing loads
Past unblurred
Rhythm’s pace
Patience calls
Giving chase
Freedom stalls
Darkness reigns
Future waits
Changing lanes
Freshens fate
Clouds depart
Sun arrives
Thawing heart
Full of drive
Outlook warms
Boldness shines
Leaving storm
Day looks fine
We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in our hands to make a difference.
It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success.
Nelson Mandela overcame oppression and imprisonment to become President of South Africa (1994-1999). His unwavering opposition to the nation’s policy of apartheid led to much change in his beloved country.
All it takes is just a little change of perspective and you begin to see a whole new world.
We each see the world in our own way. That’s what makes it such a special place.
Bob Ross (1942-1995) was an American painter and art instructor. He served as television host of “The Joy of Painting” on PBS from 1983-1994.
Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.
No one ever said life was fair. Just eventful.
Carol Burnett (born 1933) is an American actress, comedian, and author. She hosted her own television variety and comedy show from 1967 to 1978.
The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.
If you want to make enemies, try to change something.
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) was the 28th President of the United States.
Listening is being able to be changed by the other person.
Be brave enough to live life creatively. The creative place where no one else has ever been.
Alan Alda (born 1936) is an American actor, writer, and director. His is well-known for his role as Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the award-winning sitcom of “M*A*S*H” from 1972-1983.
In December, 1989, the Romanian Revolution ignited with passion, which would no longer wait in silence. The rest of the Eastern Bloc countries under Soviet influence had already experienced peaceful change from communist dictatorships. Under Nicolae Ceausescu’s harsh leadership, Romania was the final holdout as the democratic wave of freedom blitzed across Eastern Europe. The city of Timisoara was the first in Romania to secure its freedom, with the rest of the country to follow. This poem shares some of this revolution’s story.
Ruthless, authoritarian rule controls the cards
Harsh, brutal regime crushes dissenting voices
Quietness hides the remaining, burning embers
Daily life conceals wounds, offering few choices
Citizens endure lack of even the basic needs
Challenging days, facing endless heartbreak
Darkest days of winter, hunger and little heat
Voices stifled, experiencing numbing heartache
Freedom routed, plummeting to rock bottom
System of repression forcefully controls lives
Defiant opposition, beaten down to nothing
Dictator’s untruths cover up with empty lies
Scattering of small voices continues to speak out
Smoldering protests fueled with hungry passion
Government crackdowns to silence any dissent
Voices growing bolder, backed with compassion
Massive protests ignite courage in a distant city
“Timisoara” becomes a rallying cry for liberation
Unexpectedly, dark and evil house of cards folds
Season of change witnesses rebirth of a nation
Originally published October, 2020.
Big Sky Buckeye 