I’ve recently been working in a short term local government communications role where I helped the Mayor make awesome speeches.
Now, there are some speeches that are a bit ho-hum – anything to do with the ‘turning of a sod’, for instance – but then there are others that are given to people who are passionate contributors to a community.
Like volunteers. I am one, I love them and everyone should be a volunteer at every point in their lives.
And, because I’m an incurable creative, and am sick of famous quotes by old or dead white men, I wanted something different for the Mayor to say…something a room full of lovely volunteers would remember and maybe even quote to people.
I found this.
“One day an elephant saw a hummingbird lying on its back with its tiny feet up in the air.
“What are you doing?” asked the elephant. The hummingbird replied, “I heard that the sky might fall today, and so I am ready to help hold it up, should it fall.”
The elephant laughed cruelly. “Do you really think,” he said, “that those tiny feet could help hold up the sky?” The hummingbird kept his feet up in the air, intent on his purpose as he replied, “Not alone. But each must do what he can. And this is what I can do.”
Beautiful, yes?
But would the Mayor – a lovely man, but not known for Chinese proverbs or verbosity – be willing to say it?
When I gently presented the idea to him, it was a positive response. Obviously, the nature of the event he was speaking at, and his own passion for the dedication of grassroots volunteers meant a verbal flourish of this kind would be well received.
Personally, I just like the idea that, just maybe, there are now some within that community who will look at each other and say ‘How can we be a hummingbird?’
emmasword.com 