In preparing to write this blog I was thinking about Labor Day and specifically about the concept of dignity and work. I have come to believe that work on many levels recognizes or enhances dignity.
So I did a quick search of Labor Day and discovered that the holiday is not really about that idea. Rather, it is a celebration of the contributions of working men and women and their unions to the social and economic fabric of American society. Labor Day is really a parade and party day!
Yet work – performing a job or engage in a trade -- allows one to be productive, creative and support oneself and dependents. It as an essential element of identity. Sometimes who we are is what we do or it often seems that way.
It is strange how sometimes thinking about one thing leads you to something entirely differently. Until today and thinking about how work is a source of dignity I had not focused on the fact that The Actual Dance is also about dignity. I had not previously focused on the fact that I use the word “dignity” in the script. The line is:
So I did a quick search of Labor Day and discovered that the holiday is not really about that idea. Rather, it is a celebration of the contributions of working men and women and their unions to the social and economic fabric of American society. Labor Day is really a parade and party day!
Yet work – performing a job or engage in a trade -- allows one to be productive, creative and support oneself and dependents. It as an essential element of identity. Sometimes who we are is what we do or it often seems that way.
It is strange how sometimes thinking about one thing leads you to something entirely differently. Until today and thinking about how work is a source of dignity I had not focused on the fact that The Actual Dance is also about dignity. I had not previously focused on the fact that I use the word “dignity” in the script. The line is:
“The doctor’s words have a dramatic effect on me. ‘Beauty, Dignity’. Rather than fearing the inevitable Dance I think I am going to be able to get ready for the Dance. …”
Hmm. Why did I pick that word and what does it mean in this context? I confess, the word came to me as I was writing because it reflects how I remember feeling in that moment. It wasn’t the result of deep reflection, analysis or research. It is how I remember feeling as it became increasingly likely that I was going to have to be with Susan at her last breath.
“Dignity is our inherent value and worth as human beings; everyone is born with it” says Dr. Donna Hicks in an article in Psychology Today; “What is the Real Meaning of Dignity.”
This definition or perhaps vision of dignity I think equates the divine or “life force” in each human being with the dignity. The awesomeness of being.
The Actual Dance reflects on the role of a love partner in one of the two existential moments in that life process. The coming and the going.
Being present at the creation of life is a moment of dignity. Hearing the first sound of a baby, particular your own child or your grandchildren is a moment of “beauty and dignity.”
Holding the hand literally or figuratively of someone you love at the end of life is also a moment of “beauty and dignity” and is imagined in The Actual Dance.
I do believe as Dr. Hicks argues that Dignity is an inherent element of human existence. It is best experienced in those existential moments in our journey because it stems from a deep, almost primordial instinct and sense of our unique place in the universe.
“Dignity is our inherent value and worth as human beings; everyone is born with it” says Dr. Donna Hicks in an article in Psychology Today; “What is the Real Meaning of Dignity.”
This definition or perhaps vision of dignity I think equates the divine or “life force” in each human being with the dignity. The awesomeness of being.
The Actual Dance reflects on the role of a love partner in one of the two existential moments in that life process. The coming and the going.
Being present at the creation of life is a moment of dignity. Hearing the first sound of a baby, particular your own child or your grandchildren is a moment of “beauty and dignity.”
Holding the hand literally or figuratively of someone you love at the end of life is also a moment of “beauty and dignity” and is imagined in The Actual Dance.
I do believe as Dr. Hicks argues that Dignity is an inherent element of human existence. It is best experienced in those existential moments in our journey because it stems from a deep, almost primordial instinct and sense of our unique place in the universe.
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