As a student, I learned that to write a good story, a reporter must ask - and answer - the five questions in his or her piece: who, what, when, where and why.
We are clearly living in an era of many questions, with not enough definitive answers. Who should we listen to? What should we do or not do? When will this be over? Where did it come from, where can we go? Why is this happening to us?
Since these questions will probably remain unanswered for some time, we just have to look to questions that can be answered. What do we know? I know that I am a different person than I was in February. For the most part, that’s a positive thing. Sometimes I am surprised at how fragile I am, and just as surprised at how strong I am. I know that in the midst of all this death and hopelessness, I also see compassion and kindness. I know that we will find a new way of living, because we must.
My favorite musical since I was five years old has always been “West Side Story.” The story is a “remake” of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” set in a gang-divided New York City’s west side - book by Arthur Laurents, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and incredible music by my hero, Leonard Bernstein.
Tony, a “Jet” and Maria, whose brother is a “Shark,” are in love, and imagine a place and time when there is no fighting, no racism, no division. Somewhere. “We’ll find a new way of living. We’ll find a way of forgiving.” Yes, we will all find a new way of living. I just hope, for our country, that we will find a way of forgiving, too, and come out on the other side less vitriolic and less divided as a nation.
As we look to the future, think on this: It’s a matter of where you are now, not where you were. In essence, it’s a matter of who you are now, not who you were. Today, it’s a matter of when you are. And we are here. These are dark times. Kierkegaard wrote: “Faith sees best in the dark.”
Keep the faith, my friends.
Original Soundtrack:
Barbra Streisand - a wonderful arrangement by Marvin Hamlisch:
There's a place for us
Somewhere a place for us
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us somewhere
There's a time for us
Someday there'll be a time for us
Time together with time to spare
Time to learn
Time to care
Someday
Somewhere
We'll find a new way of living
We'll find a way of forgiving
Somewhere
There's a place for us
A time and a place for us
Hold my hand and we're half way there
Hold my hand and I'll take you there
Somehow
Someday
Somewhere