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The Eternal Walk
Last night I attended the event at the Cajun Bucket, a
restaurant on Long Island, at an event hosted by the DYF
Entertainment Group.
We live in fractured times. The news cycle is short and
repetitive, mostly watched on small cell phone screens.
A revolving list of crises fill our eyes and minds from
morning till night. If we let it, the news can define who we
are.
Happily, there are much longer—and more important
—cycles underway.
From pre-history, people have moved from one place to
another. Along the way, they have gathered to remind
themselves of what they have in common, and why they seek
better lives. And after they have settled in that new place,
they celebrate the anniversaries, the dates, and the
locations that serve as cultural landmarks.
Reminders of who they are. The sacrifices made, the journeys
taken.
Last night I saw faces I recognized after an absence. Seeing
those familiar faces was a reassurance that a longer cycle
in our lives is underway, despite the news that can seem to
overwhelm the psyche. Families grow, cultural rituals
continue.
Most communities that have experienced hardship—and
triumphed through work and perseverance—they know who they
are.
They don’t forget to gather and celebrate, to remind future
generations that this is the way it works, and has worked,
for as long as anyone can remember.
The Cajun people were expelled from their home by the
British.
Some moved north, into Canada; some moved south, to
Louisiana. Despite the dislocation and hardship, their
essential culture remains unchanged.
When we look at the Pacific Railroad, we remember the tens
of thousands of anonymous Chinese who made that railroad
possible. The sacrifices are visible today. In many ways,
the railroad is a monument to their aspirations and dreams.
And if we think of a railway’s purpose is to travel and prosper, you can
see how a circle is completed.
The food they ate—we’ll find it in the hundreds of Chinese
restaurants today in New York City, including the Cajun
Bucket.
The journey is still here. It’s still happening.
The Family Film Awards’ golden touch is the quality and
endurance of the human story.
These stories don’t change.
They are also landmarks that can teach valuable pointers
about the journey ahead for all young people setting out on
a personal road through life.
In
a world filled with forgettable entertainment products, the
family classics offer education and lessons for the heart
and mind that won’t be out of date by tomorrow morning.
Last night was a ‘campfire gathering’ much like our
ancestors would have known.
A stop on the path.
The
purpose is to celebrate another year of effort, community,
and the power of art to truly inspire.
It was a joy to see.
Gerard Donovan, Author
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