The People, Process, & Progress Podcast - An Adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's "If" for 2020 America | PPP #37

Episode Date: July 3, 2020

I adapted Kipling's "If" again, focusing on 2020 America and our collective road back.

Kevin Pinnell, host of the People Process Progress podcast. Thank you so much for coming back. If this is your first time, thanks for hitting play. If you could, please subscribe, give me a rating, all this stuff, all the other podcasters and myself included ask you all to do. But today I'm going to do kind of a short episode and in the tradition of a couple other episodes that I've done, namely episodes four and five of this show. In episode four, I adapted Richard Kipling's If,

which is one of my favorite works, written works. I actually have it framed on the wall in my office slash podcast studio. So for episode four of the show, I did an adaptation of that for project managers. And then the next episode, episode five, I did that for planning section chiefs. As we approach July 4th, Independence Day for our nation, I think we are a nation of folks kind of looking at our reflection. And I have done that a bit more too lately, looking at, you know, again, good podcast topics, both entertaining, informative, relative. And I went down this road of history, and I found what to the slave is the 4th of July and it's a work by or a

speech actually given by Frederick Douglass on July 5th 1852 so he was asked to speak in Rochester of course slave himself got his freedom educated himself worked in many different places and so I read read through the speech, may do an episode on that, probably won't. I would just say, go look it up. It's called What to the Slave is the Fourth of July. And so think about it. Folks are asking him to speak. And this is before the Civil War, right? So slavery is still pretty rampant in the United States. Himself, a previous slave, himself now one of the great orators in the history of America and at the time. And so he, in his speech speaks very highly of the founding fathers, right? They did great things.

They put themselves before their personal interests. The, what they wrote the declaration and the constitution he emphasizes and their principles outstanding. Now they also had slaves and he does not shy away from it. Also, when he talks to the plight of the slaves currently, it's super descriptive, super powerful. Again, I highly suggest looking at that. It led me also down the road, because I have a strong Irish heritage,

to one of the links I went down, or one of the things I found, was Douglas actually visited Ireland quite a bit, compared his plight to those of the links I went down or one of the things I found was Douglas actually visited Ireland quite a bit, compared his plight to those of the Irish at the time and the potato famine and the million folks that died. A big difference being the Irish could leave, right? And there's a whole history there I started to go to and I definitely will research that a little bit more and suggest looking through that.

But again, Douglas's speech, what to the slave is the 4th of July, very powerful, very good perspective, right, of a horrible time. And so to me, one, I love If, right, because I've done a couple episodes of it. I've done a couple writings of it. And I thought, you know, for where we are now in America, looking back at slavery, looking at our police, looking at ourselves collectively, I wanted to express that in one of the ways that I enjoy, and that's looking at Kipling's if and saying, how can I make this kind of fit

something I do? So whether it was the project management version, the planning section chief version, or as an American in 2020. So here is if for 2020 Americans. If we can keep our heads when some about us are losing theirs and lashing out, if we can search our souls and do what's right, but be prepared to make change as well, if we can listen to others and not be quick to answer, or with falsehoods not fall prey to lies,

or in seeing the hatred not let hatred build within us, but yet be prepared to stand for one another's lives, if we can make change but not make politics the hatred, not let hatred build within us, but yet be prepared to stand for one another's lives. If we can make change, but not make politics the driver. If we can partner and not leave others out. If we can share the goodness, but not forget the horrors, and speak to those without looking away. If we can bear to hear the truth of our nation, built on the suffering and backs of many, or watch a profession many gave their lives to question, but also be part of the solution to build it back up. If we can gather the best of us from all sides and get them together on common ground,

and stumble and keep moving forward and not be quick to point fingers from the loss. If we can push forward through our emotions to serve our children long after we are gone. And so hold when we are low on mutual trust, but keep working and striving as a nation because we must. If we can join in groups but not be victims to groupthink, or work with politicians but not be pandered to, if neither prejudice nor rage will guide us, if our people can rebuild that human trust, if we can weather this time of pestilence and bloodlust with family and friends and faith and hope,

ours will be the example for the world over. And, which is more, we'll be America again. For all. I hope you all have a fantastic holiday. We're all going to remember it a little different. This country is still fantastic. We don't have a great history, and we do have a great history.

So, many variables, but we are still a leader in the world. I firmly believe that. We still have outstanding folks protecting us in the police departments. We have outstanding folks out there driving to make meaningful change. So I hope that work kind of spoke to some of that. I know it did to me. I wish you all the best. Going to be on a bit of a vacation next week. We'll be back after that.

Got some guests lined up, which will be cool. Again, stay safe out there. Be good to one another. Got to keep washing those hands and Godspeed.