May I deal with honour...

May I deal with honour,
May I act with courage,
May I achieve humility.
                            Dick Francis in Straight

The motto above, which novelist Dick Francis created for one of his characters, is simple to understand, important to aspire to, and difficult to attain. Every time I've read it, I ask myself how I stack up against those three lines. The answer to that question can be hard to swallow. 

I recently read a blog by Steve Haskin on the Blood Horse in which he wrote about one woman's crusade to save racehorses in danger of being sold for slaughter, and asking why so many who could, do so little. He said that he couldn't do his first Derby Dozen of the year without getting that off his chest.

There's been a lot written and spoken about issues of gender, race, sexual harassment, sexual orientation/identification, natural disasters, genocides, the environment, wars, and immigration to name a few. At times, it feels overwhelming trying to figure out how to respond, and where to put your energies and/or financial support. How do you even speak or write about it without causing offense, even unwittingly?

There have been times in my life when I've spoken up, and there have been times when I've hung back. For me, it's always been easier to stand up for someone else than it has been to stand up for myself. There have also been times when I simply blundered ahead, too blind, too naïve to understand what was really at stake. Sometimes that has been effective, just as often, it's been hurtful or offensive.

Dina, the woman Steve wrote about, has found a solution that I've also seen succeed in working with the homeless, with at-risk youth, and with those who feel separate. One being at a time. One step at a time. There are times when focusing on one person, one situation, makes it possible to find a resolution.

That's not to say the larger issues don't need to be addressed on a larger stage. They do. But for most of us, trying to figure out what the heck to do or say, we could do a lot worse than follow Dina's example, and follow the words of Dick Francis.

May I deal with honour,
May I act with courage,
May I achieve humility...

Take care,
Doc