How many persons do you know who live life full out, with every fiber of their being engaged, totally present to the moment? It's a real gift when such a person enters your life. Well now, I have to qualify that. For many of us, such a person of passion can be unsettling, even threatening. If there are unlived parts within ourselves, parts we've tried to ignore, seeing someone who is ALL THERE can be not only disturbing, it can make us angry...or terribly sad. Their passion will be a constant reminder of our lack of passion. Besides, it could be that their commitment to a cause--and passionate people are always committed to something beyond themselves--might step on our economic toes, or feelings of privilege and power, or unthinking ways of living on the earth. But if we are open to change, a passionate person can be the key that unlocks the door.

When Carolyn McDade--who is pictured above--came into my life in 1993, I wept my way through almost every song we sang. At that time her most recent CD was "Sister Carry On." The song that just about did me in goes like this:

Woman to Woman

(Chorus) No woman is required to build the world
by destroying herself**

To act in fear increases fear
To act in trust increases trust
To act in delusion increases delusion
To act in truth increases truth

Chorus

To act in submission increases domination
To act with integrity increases equality
To know our anger frees our love
To free our love reveals our rage

To act in hate increases hate
To act in love increases love
To act in despair increases despair
To act in hope increases hope

Chorus

(Words by Rabbi Sofer**, 19th century, and Carolyn McDade)

Every line hammered at my unawakened woman-heart. It changed my life. As I got in touch with all that was unlived within myself, more came to light...and to life. My change in attitudes led to actions I could never have imagined. And bit by bit I became a person of passion too. I am no longer afraid to give it everything I've got, to rock the boat, to follow my own drummer. And I have passionate persons like Carolyn McDade to thank for showing me that life is meant to be an incredible adventure!