Healing Humpty

Picking Up The Pieces & Cultivating Human Resource

Humpty Dumpty fell apart. The accident report reveals nothing about who he was or what caused the great fall. So why should anyone care about his unhappy fate? Perhaps because in many ways we are broken, too. His story is our story. It is no secret that humans have made a big mess, our debris scattered all over the face of the planet. As a result, earth and its inhabitants are in serious jeopardy.

Mr. Dumpty’s case speaks directly to the challenges we face at this critical crossroad in history. We have been selfish, immature, irresponsible custodians. Some grown-up steps are now being taken to address the deteriorating health of the land, the water, and the air we breathe. Stricter laws are being passed to help protect plants and animals who share our home. But what about us? Human beings are also vital natural resources. Indeed, the future is in our hands and there is no time to lose!

A long, unflinching look in the mirror is the first step toward maximizing human resources and restoring Humpty’s health. Next, summon the courage to set hopes and fears on the table and ask difficult questions about what kind of future we want to build together. Steep listening skill upgrades will be required. Our challenge is to gain wisdom from serious lapses in judgment that caused our downfall. Then, negotiate the groundwork for a more humane foundation based on mutual respect. This is our common ground. It must be cultivated wisely, an arduous task demanding rigorous discipline and unwavering commitment to the cause. Abraham Lincoln’s eloquent words at the close of his First Inaugural Address still resonate today, “We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature”.

As we move to enact our vision, let’s invite those better angels to serve as guides. We can choose to invest in a more inclusive social network that provides food, clothing, shelter, life-skills, and educational opportunities for everyone. By recognizing that we are only as strong as our weakest link, critical bonds of affection can be strengthened and restored. Leadership kits will be mandatory. Imagination and empathy, key tools in the kit, ignite creative fires and build confidence in the process. These creative tools make us more fully human. They help us to recognize ourselves in each other. When used responsibly, they can inspire new ideas, spark powerful conversations, sharpen minds, and enrich hearts. They provide the glue that all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could never find.

Creativity is the fruit of the imagination. It makes us more fully human and must be fully engaged as we seek healthy, productive ways to work together, play together, care for each other, resolve urgent conflicts peacefully, and celebrate the bounty of all earth’s resources. We are in this together. E Pluribus Unum.

Luanne Stovall