Ripple Across Time Awareness

Some of the Trombone Section

I had just arrived at my high school band reunion. It had been over 33 years since I had graduated high school and I was reconnecting with friends at a new bar that had just opened on Main Street. I hadn’t seen nearly 100 of my musical brothers and sisters since the days when our high school bands—marching, concert and jazz—ranked consistently among the best of the best in Illinois. We were the Marching Streaks, hailing from Galesburg, Illinois—a downstate farm town of 33,000 (and shrinking). We had to compete against Chicago schools that were often four times our size in population, and significantly better funded. 

As we sipped our beer, my friends from the trombone section and I began the weekend of celebration. We were there to celebrate the impact of our always beloved (and sometimes feared) band director. She had shaped the lives of thousands of our peers over her fifteen years as the high school band director, and grand Pooh Bah of the musical ecosystem for Galesburg. 

I had just received my drink when my smartphone buzzed. I looked down at the message. It was from Karen, a former girlfriend from almost as far in the past as my band days. It had been over 20 years since I’d seen her. 

Karen’s student

 “You need to watch this video,” the message said. I looked. The video appeared to be of a young girl, perhaps 12 years old who was at a recital, sitting with a guitar in front of an audience of obviously family members…hers and those of other young music students. 

I had more pressing concerns. I closed my phone and returned to reconnecting with old friends.

We spent the weekend recalling how we won the state marching competition. The first time—and to my knowledge only—that one band won both the parade and field competitions at the same time. We were Grand Champions. I still own the celebratory t-shirt.

And we toasted the time when we won gold in an international concert band competition in Hawaii. We marveled at how many had returned…hundreds. Some of us had traveled from as far away as Sweden and Japan…to pay tribute to our band director. It was obvious she had impacted so many of us.

Sally Rynott was tireless. She was relentless. She never—absolutely never—expected less than 110% from us in all situations. We always arrived to gigs 15 minutes earlier than asked on SRT: Standard Rynott Time.

But we learned the most important lessons of all. Lessons beyond any of the other classes I took. There is no substitute for doing the work. Practice and preparation are essential. We learned our scales—so that music became part of our muscle memory. We could pass an 8-to-5 marching test…multiple times…without looking down. And could do it each of our high school years. We practiced every day…sometimes arriving hours before school started…sometimes every dog day of August during the searing Illinois heat. We mentally simulated performances days and hours before taking the field or stage. 

And most importantly, we learned to work together. We learned that we had to bring our best to teamwork. And only then could we succeed. To sacrifice our individual comfort for the common good. And, of course, we learned a love of music. A love that persisted through several bands I’ve played in since.

Ripple in Time Thinking

All actions have consequences. Some may be intended. Many are unintended. How we bring ourselves to act…and the values we bring to our actions…determine how positive or negative those actions ripple out.

Our actions—and how we engage with others—ripple out across the universe in ways we can’t predict or anticipate. Some consequences loop around and impact us later. Decisions to put off fitness, healthy eating, and good sleep may show up years later as chronic disease. Ignoring our children for work now will come back around and lead to our being alone in old age—when The Cat’s in the Cradle comes true and our kids are too damn busy to see us.

Not vaccinating the population…especially the youth…increases medical costs later. James Heckman, a Nobel Prize winning economist from the University of Chicago, declares that the US investing in early childhood education now is without question the biggest investment we can make to ensure that today’s generation will make our nation competitive in the decades ahead.

All actions leave traces. Some happen in the immediate here and now.

Some feedback over longer periods. Others fade off into the ether…but they all have impacts.

Sometime our actions impact others in ways that don’t feedback, and we don’t ever see the implications. The actions of John Wilkes Booth may still be playing out today. We can’t conceive of what the world would have been like had Lincoln led Reconstruction instead of his inept successor. Or if the assassin of Archduke Ferdinand hadn’t succeeded…which almost didn’t happen except for an unfortunate happenstance…would WWI have happened? And WWII?

Our band director—who flew back for this celebration—was fortunate to see how she had impacted all those who’d gone through her band programs. Millions of actions taken by each of us daily will impact others…and we will never know how.

Systems Being Lesson

Our actions ripple out into the universe. That’s undeniable, whether we intend them to or not. What may matter most is the intent we bring to our actions.

The intent can fall along a continuum from necrophilic to biophilic. Erich Fromm described these two ends of a continuum. We can be more necrophilic by choosing and wallowing in death and devolution. We can be more biophilic by embracing love and seeking evolution. The most affirmative way to life is by being as biophilic as possible—all the time.

When the goal is to cause pain and suffering…or when our actions occur through a lack of awareness and compassion…the long term ripple impacts will likely amplify the intent. But when the intent, like that of our band director’s, is biophilic—seeking the best of us at all times—the long term impacts will improve the lives of others. Of many. And can improve the planet.

Conclusion

I later watched the video from Karen. The young girl played one of my favorite songs: All I Want Is You by U2. The guitar playing was very good for a beginner. But the singing was amazing. As I watched her, I could imagine seeing her in ten to twenty years becoming another Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga. Mesmerizing. 

Through tears I texted Karen back. “She’s amazing. Thanks for sending!” I texted.

“But I’m curious. Why did you so badly want me to watch that video.”

“Don’t you remember?” she asked. “When you used to come over to my apartment and play that song. You would get lost in the music and I could feel it. That inspired me to play guitar. It was why I traded my acoustic guitar for your classical. Remember? And it’s why I teach that song to all my students now.”

That young girl never met my band director. But she was impacted just the same.

Systems Being Principle: Ripple Across Time Awareness

“All actions ripple outward across time and space. They all leave traces. The intent behind our actions significantly determines the impact. Whether we know it or not.”

Systems Being was a concept I first heard from my friend and colleague, Barry Richmond. This series on Systems Being will rely heavily on concepts he and I discussed, concepts he intended to publish. I will attempt to honor his innovation and appreciation for the concepts of Systems Being, while also adding lessons learned with others…in the time since his untimely passing.