THE YEAR OF THE OM

It is, according to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rabbit. But in Saunderstown, 2011 has also been decreed the Year of the OM, the year that the OMs will begin their quest in earnest, leaving Rhode Island far behind and heading to all corners of the globe to touch hearts, make connections and shine a light. It’s perhaps just as well because rarely can the world have seemed a darker place.
Has the television news ever been as tough to watch as it is at the moment? So many places, so much conflict, such strife and trauma. Night after night, so troubling and so needless.
It’s true that we believe in connections, but this is one we don’t welcome in our lives. Much unites us, much is shared but not all of it is good.
So we watch and we hope and we attempt to understand the bad things we see and the bad things we read and we hope that, somehow, we can help, somehow we can make a difference.
Can we? On the ground, in Libya and in Afghanistan, perhaps not – at least not yet.
But we can keep believing in the things we believe in, stick to our principles, make our connections, shine a light on the dark places in the world through our compassion and our love.
Our OMs are our messengers, our advocates and our friends. Our OMs come in peace.
The scouts are out – across the United States, in Europe and, of course, throughout Rhode Island – and the time has come for reinforcements. Operation OM. It’s time to go.
Nothing can stop the OMs, their minds are set. From sea to shining sea, over rivers deep and mountains high, this is their time.
It doesn’t matter where you are, they’re cOMing.
Because we are all connected.