It makes sense that the unthinkable brutality this week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL would be a crystalizing moment, no? But the heart-wrenching truth is that since the massacre at Sandy Hook in 2012 there have been at least 138 people murdered in over 200 shootings in schools. Read that again and let it sink in… I’ll give you a moment… Like so many others, I am heartbroken, angry, disgusted, and bewildered. Even with an unimaginable number of mass shootings and deaths (my research to give you actual statistics led me down a rabbit hole of wretched oblivion), we continue to argue hatefully rather that to reasonably address the horrific realities that allow this to be happening. The fact that so much death is taking place in the place we freely send our children to learn, socialize, interact, express themselves, and discover the world and each other is utterly and deeply disorienting to my mind and heart. Are you afraid? You probably are and justifiably so. But, do we realize that for many of us, our very existence has come to be based in fear? Probably not. Our fears can overcome us to the point that we think they are the only truth. This leaves us only to argue, defend, react, and live from the pervading and all-consuming belief that we are all out to get one another. Self-preservation at all cost is crippling and, literally, killing us. So we pray and hope. Whatever you believe about life or God or the universe… there is no denying that we have free will. While we may pray or hope or wish for change for a better world for ourselves and our children and grandchildren, we must also realize that there is something else for us to do. And, whatever you believe about our right to bear arms, there is no denying that it is our responsibility to treat weapons with the same common sense caution as we do so many other (including far less lethal) of man’s astounding inventions. Lawn darts are outlawed but automatic rifles are not. We need training and a license to operate a car, but not to purchase an instrument of war. One man carried a bomb in his underwear and we have airport body scans. Not to mention fireworks and guard rails and glass containers and sealed packaging and having more that 5 cats… And there is this… After 58 people were murdered and 850 more wounded by a man at a concert in Las Vegas, House Resolution 367 – “The Hearing Protection Act” – is being proposed to make it easier to obtain the very type of “silencer” he used…. to preserve the shooters hearing. WAIT!!!! WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!! True. Have we lost our mind? Yes. Yes, I think collectively we have. But as I said, “there is something for us to do”. The doing, giving, saying, and acting may be different for each of us, but we must all DO SOMETHING. For me that something is Music in Common. As I hear the stories and visions and demands from the students who survived the shooting in Parkland, I think about MIC participants with whom we have worked over the past 8 years. Whether they live in the United States or the Middle East, they represent the generation that is about to inherit our rubbish. They have something to say. They have said it in over 40 songs that can been heard here. Like the teens in Parkland this week, they have questions and concerns and ideas and demands and perhaps even solutions. But do we hear them? Are we really listening and valuing and respecting their voices? They can’t vote, so do their voices matter? Let’s remember that teens sitting at lunch counters, riding buses, writing their stories, speaking out loud and marching in the streets have already altered our collective views of segregation, child labor, civil rights, and war. Do not underestimate the power of a generation whose inheritance is our collective madness. They are a generation who has more technology in the palm of their hand than the entire world had just 20 years ago. We use it to monitor them, sell to them, preach to them… let’s use it to hear them and to protect them. Music in Common gives young men and women a place to speak their minds, a place to listen to one another and to exchange ideas, empowering them with tools to collect their thoughts and put them to paper. We offer a platform to put creative energy to use, to use the power of music to express themselves and to share their values, questions, visions, hopes, dreams and yes, demands, widely. We give them a worldwide stage where they can be heard and feel valued. And, most inspiring to me is that from what I have seen, they are willing and eager to engage with open minds and they are far less divided and steadfastly opposed to one another than any government, community, culture, or religion. We can do better and be better by listening to them. Their collective mind is not lost, it is determined. This is me DOING SOMETHING. What are you DOING? In Peace ~ L Lynnette Najimy MIC Director of Outreach & Engagement
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by Alisa Eisenberg Healing takes many forms. In this contentious political climate we all need a little help navigating stress. Imagine being a young adult trying to find your way at this moment in time or the difficulty being a recent refugee and finding your voice. This article was written for those healing an injury but the concept of resilience serves all of us. Music in Common fosters resilience through social connection and empowerment by honoring all participants stories. Our voices are meant to be heard. It takes a moment to get an injury. Healing takes whatever time it requires. That’s the stark reality. And all the good stuff happens in the middle. The element of surprise seems a common thread throughout our lives. And yet we hate surprises, most of us. Change being the most difficult thing we manage. So how do we cope with life? We make meaning from the stories we tell ourselves. Consciously and unconsciously we strive to shape our stories around a general theme. The themes we choose say a lot about us as individuals. Bad luck, good luck, deeper spiritual messages, familial histories, whether we fall or rise is defined by our belief. In other words, our glass is half full or half empty of whatever interpretation we choose. So when it happens, life- I mean in the “man plans, God laughs” version- we each have a defining moment. How do we tell our story? Here’s where science enters the scene. Scientists have measured various components of healing. Social scientists have measured components of resilience. Studies show people with resilient qualities physically heal faster and better. Lucky for us, resilience can be taught and learned. So what makes up resilience and how can you be more resilient during difficult times? For starters we’ll look at “cognitive hardiness” (staying mentally strong). When cognitive hardiness is present daily life changes and events are experienced as challenging rather than threatening. Kind of like looking at a wave and imagining bodysurfing it instead of being pummeled by it. This keeps you solution focused and open to trying new experiences, looking for possibilities even if they aren’t readily apparent. Here are two things you can do to boost your cognitive hardiness and improve your ability to deal with change: 1) Make a commitment to work, family, a hobby or projects on a day-to-day basis, giving you things to look forward to doing. This can include physical therapy and doing prescribed healing exercises on your own; 2) Nurture the belief that you have a strong influence over your life, that what you do has an effect on what you can achieve. This gives you a much needed feeling of control in a situation, like healing an injury, when you can feel powerless. It may even influence you to try an alternative solution, like acupuncture or reiki, to see if this adjunctive therapy can help? This positive mindset can help buffer the damaging impact of stress on well-being and directly generate more effective coping behaviors. Individuals who score high on cognitive hardiness tend to cope with stress by direct problem-solving rather than by avoiding or ignoring a situation. They also tend to interact with others by giving and getting assistance and encouragement rather than by striking out or being overprotective, all important factors in healing. During illness or injury we are confronted by our own coping style and this is the time and opportunity to make needed adjustments and grow. Social support is another well-studied and important factor in healing. We need each other in ways we don’t even understand. Our support systems directly and indirectly influence our longevity and well-being. Support can help manage stress by enabling us to see our situation through other eyes or by receiving empathy. This can be from our doctor, physical therapist, medical professionals, trusted friends, family and loved ones. Here are things you can do to effectively use your social support system: 1) Have frequent daily contact with others; 2) Express your feelings; 3) Have a confidant. These things directly enhance psychological well-being, mood, confidence and quality of life, especially in times of illness or injury. Merely having someone in the house is not enough. Proximity does not equal intimacy. Even small, focused amounts of time given to another can provide much needed connection, which speeds healing and helps to decrease perception of pain. Coping style is how you deal with work and life pressures and challenges. Your coping style determines whether you feel overwhelmed at each change coming your way or confidently feel “I got this,” knowing you can reach out for help if you need it. Positive appraisal (optimism) is defined as focusing on the positive to minimize what appear to be problems, pressures or challenges. You can do this by saying or thinking positive things about your situation. This can prove particularly challenging when you’re in pain or dealing with the unknowns of recovery. At these moments, I believe it is crucial to lead with a positive mental attitude if only for the reason that it boosts your immune system function; therefore, it can only help. Conversely, negative appraisal (pessimism) is well documented to decrease immune system function, increase perception of pain and leads to a more negative spiral of coping mechanisms, such as isolation. Many studies have shown that isolation and negativity interfere with healing. Furthermore, optimism has been shown to minimize perception of pain and lead to quicker healing. Biochemically speaking, you are releasing oxytocin and endorphins into the bloodstream, creating a feeling of well being. A strong negative response of feeling overwhelmed signals the release of cortisol and adrenaline, which creates anything from anxiety to depression to tense muscles and increased perception of pain. When you “make a molehill out of a mountain” you are using another factor of resiliencecalled threat minimization. Knowing you can find answers or asking for help allows you to have a little control over some element of your healing. Minimizing challenges through humor can assist with releasing endorphins, the body’s natural antidote to pain. Health habits are another element of recovery that cannot be overstated. Exercise, physical therapy, good sleep as well as daily relaxation, eating good nutrition, limiting alcohol and eliminating cigarettes are key. There are many varied challenges to healing an injury and to practicing resilience. They include caregivers, the medical system, insurance coverage and billing, transportation, doctors and lack of information. Depression is a biochemical response that can be a normal part of healing. Especially with the passage of time and little relief from symptoms, the body may naturally conserve energy normally going to brain function to nurture vital organs or heal the injury. The result can be a biochemical depression that will pass. Understanding this is a normal phase of recovery is vital. If the feeling of being overwhelmed or depressed lasts more than six months, you may want to seek professional help. When looking to make meaning from an injury, patients can be encouraged to “walk gracefully through the fire” by learning and practicing key elements of resilience. This enables them to participate in their recovery and to gain valuable life skills. Remembering to stay positive more often than not, to disengage conflict as quickly as possible and focus on solutions rather than challenges can offer much needed hope and a feeling of control. These factors lead to a more successful healing experience and recovery.
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