A horse farmer kept the manure from his animals in a barn stall for fertilizer. One day he entered the barn and found the boy next door knee deep in manure and digging through it. “What are you doing?”, the farmer yelled. “There must be a pony in here somewhere!”, the boy smiled.
When we are faced with dire times, when it all looks like shit, the tendency is to go small, sink into fear, lose hope, and hoard toilet paper. But what if there is a pony in it for you? What if you miss your pony and all experience is a pile of poop?
When World War II happened, the allies were prepared for Winston Churchill to lose, and even conveyed that likelihood to him. To make matters worse King Edward VIII, in secrecy, was in contact with Hitler advising him on the probable fall of England (depicted in the recent series, The Crown).
Churchill was outraged with the lack of support from allies and gave a speech stating, “...the Battle of Britain is about to begin...Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be freed and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands...if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour.” In the end Churchill found a pretty big pony.
During the AIDS epidemic, the government, lost in homophobia, failed to address the issue and turned away from its dying citizens. Grass roots organizations like ACT UP, AIDS Project Los Angeles, and others rose from the ranks of civilians, relying on small donations and major benefactors like David Geffen to fund the effort, Marianne Williamson held her first weekly lectures and founded Project Angel Food - to deliver meals and comfort to homebound patients. Volunteers rushed into the breach of the disaster. Many people found their inner warrior, their hero, their “pony”, in the most dire of circumstances.
Now we are faced with another virus. Some have sunk into fear - grocery store shelves are empty, one man hoarded 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer and started to price gauge the public - selling it for over a hundred dollars a bottle (he later donated it all after the backlash), toilet paper is being pillaged (huh?), gun shops report long lines.
Still, others have shown up in hazmat suits to sanitize public areas, reported to work at hospitals and supermarkets, kept gas stations open. One friend said he was driving and had an urge to pull over and pray - the prayer session lasted an hour. Others have deepened their meditations. Many make outreach calls to members of their twelve step program, church, synagogue, or community. Another friend is rediscovering her love of art while social distancing.
On a societal level we are seeing the beginnings of major shifts. The virus has driven home the reality that the pathology of homelessness in the wealthiest country in the world has to end or we are all in jeopardy. Yesterday Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, reported plans to house all homeless to protect them and protect society from the pandemic. The argument for universal health care has gained major ground. In the end the obvious truth that was there all along is being shoved at us - we do have to take care of each other to take care of ourselves.
The daily news is less about what country is threatening another country with nuclear weapons and more about how we are doing as a world, and how we need to work together to stem a global crisis. Dare I say, compassion could be on the rise? An environmental expert said to me, “For the first time in years, the air in China isn’t polluted.”
Where’s your pony? Do you need to reach out to someone in need, even if it be virtually? Are you a medical professional who can both protect yourself and show up for work? Are you ready to stop procrastinating on a major life project while needing to spend more time at home? Is there someone to forgive and release from your resentment list? Is there anyone you can reach out to support? Can you share a roll of toilet paper with the old lady next door?
Your inner hero needs a great challenge to be actualized in your life. Don’t look now, but there’s one right in front of your face. If you ask the simple question, “How can I serve during this time?”, the thing you need to do will come to your awareness, your pony will show up - get on it, take a ride.
Click below to see Marianne Williamson’s take on how to approach true success: