Commentary

Have You Ever Wondered?
By John Vasconcellos

Have you ever wondered
What kind of a world
We human beings could create

If we were to find out
That in fact,
We are good-natured?

Instead of our being
Burdened & done in by
Our original sin

We are by nature
Blessed & called into
Our original grace

Such may well have the most precious
Of all the many discoveries
Of our recent 20th century

The discovery of the person
The birthright + the destiny
Of each & every one of us human beings

Led by noted pioneers
Carl Rogers, Abe Maslow, Rollo May, Virginia Satir
James Bugental, Sidney Jourard, Stanley Keleman

That we are innately inclined
Toward becoming
Life-affirming

Constructive
Responsible
Trustworthy
(Carl Rogers)

That we can afford to probe
The further reaches of our human nature
Our hierarchy of needs, peak experiences & self-actualization
(Abraham Maslow)

That the utterly free human being
Will be/come
Spontaneously responsible
(Rollo May)

That we are encouraged
To searrch for our selves
(Rollo May)
And to search for meaning
(Viktor Frankl)

And to search for authenticity
(James Bugental)

We can afford to become transparent
(Sidney Jourard)

We are possessed & deserving of self esteem
(Virginia Satir & Bob Reasoner)

Far more than only
' I Think therefore I am'
(Rene Descartes)

We feel therefore we are
(Franklin Murphy)

We are our bodies
(Stanley Keleman)

That our bodies
Instead of being objects to be controlled
Become the subjects of our experiencing
(Thomas Hanna)

That the person
Who has liberated & integrated
Each & all of her/his intellect + emotions + body

Into his/her becoming a whole person
Will be possessed of
A democratic character structure
(Abraham Maslow)

How deeply & profoundly
Our most basic choice of visions
Regarding our selves

Our human nature & potential
Leads to our living & becoming
A self-fulfilling prophecy

During the 1960's we recognized that every body
Of whatever age, gender, race, orientation, dis/ability
Is worth-while

Now we are recognizing that every body
Of whatever age, gender, race, orientation, dis/ability
Is trust-worthy

What a truly radical & revolutionary
Vision that provides each/all of us

Truly subversive & inspiring, healing & hopeful

Altogether leading each of us
Out of the depths of cynicism & darkness
Shame & guilt & fear & repression

Altogether leading each of us
Into the light & hope of faithfulness
Liberation & healing & integration & loving

Wherein trust becomes
The order of the day
Partnership & collaboration our way of operating

Trusting our selves
Leading each of us into our healthy self esteem
On into our personal & social responsibility

Trusting each other
Leading all of us into inclusion & diversity
No matter our age, gender, race, nationality, orientation, dis/ability

Trusting ourselves together
Leading all of us into our partnerships
Collaborating in effective problem-solving efforts

Trusting ourselves altogether
Instead of waging endless war
Engaging each other, our innate peace-ability

Ah, yes, after (before) all,
We have the power within us
To create a vastly different world

Far more peaceful & generous & sustaining
If/when we grow to realize
That we are in fact basically good-natured

For once the truth is recognized,
As taught us by the women’s movement,
'The personal and the political are one!'

We owe it to ourselves & to our grand/children
To create right now a whole new politics
Befitting who we are becoming as healthy whole persons

Challenging cynicism
Developing a sense of our own innate trustworthiness
Creating a whole new politics

So let us now move to outgrow our inhibitions
Turn loose our passions & our actions
And make our world conducive for growing healthy human beings

Now that we come to know
We can create such a world
We have no time or energy or persons to waste

So now we owe it to ourselves
And to our grand/children as well
To bring that kind of world to life for all our future well-being

We have not
Another moment nor another child
To lose