Aretha Franklin: Amazing Grace

A year ago, we were on the final leg of a memorable two weeks in America’s northwest.  There were all sorts of high points.  We arrived home this date, the Saturday before Father’s Day.

Early in the journey I decided to observe something called “Servant Leadership” which my friend Judy Maghakian had asked me to speak about on my return.  I had not heard the term used before, and rather than look it up in an academic sense, I simply defined it for myself, watching for people doing good things, and then set about looking for examples along the way.

In 14 days, there were endless positive examples, everywhere we went.  Basically, it was simply people being nice to unknown neighbors – ourselves or others.  If you look for good, it is easy to find it, since it is all around…free for the taking.

It was a good exercise.  Try it…frequently.  You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised.

June 13, 2019, we boarded our flight enroute from Sacramento to Denver for  a short visit with son and family.  A day and a half later, the last leg took us from Denver to Minneapolis.  June 16, Father’s Day, was also with family.

Over the past few days I have tried to think of the single peak experience in those wonderful two weeks, and I have to say that it happened on the flight from Sacramento to Denver on June 13.

During the flight a free movie came on, Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace (photo).  I had never heard of the film (which was released in April, 2019), and I didn’t even have sound,  but oh, what a film to watch,  recorded live in 1972 in a church in Los Angeles, but not completed or released for many years.  (My ‘venue’ for the film was YouTube.)

Aretha Franklin June 13, 2019, on the in-flight TV.

These are days when Amazing Grace and looking for good are needed more than ever.  Check out the film, and watch it in context with today.

 

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