I recently got to peek at young Dylan playing guitar in a tiny little nightclub and cafe in Greenwich Village. The small scale of these scenes made me smile. A reminder that welcomes the value of small things. Those little concerts in a small cafe shaped his skills, art and voice. The value wasn’t going forward, but what was going on in the moment, and to a small group that went through it with him.
Often, our busy everyday life feels like a full-fledged piece of work, everything is constantly moving. And when something big is happening in the world (beyond our control), it can make us feel like we’re on a big production movie set. Like the extras in busy city scenes where we are heading towards busy things in our busy lives like all the other extras, and the big story of the film is happening over us.
So I’m sitting in the theatre, watching Bob Dylan in that little cafe, and 15 people listen to his music. It reminds me that small things are even more important. The little encouraging smile that a mother gives with her crying child in a grocery store is more important than the effort that takes time to go to the grocery store. The little morning conversation you had with your retired mom is more important than the holidays your Facebook friends are on now. The time you spend in your small book club is more important than the big important things you might have done in that hour.
We need to live in the world – even when something big is happening. But we can fight back. We can finish the day thinking about the little things we did.
Because they are more important.
Until next time,
Roller
