What Stevie Wonder Wants

I woke up at 2:48 a.m. yesterday morning. I had been dreaming about Stevie Wonder!
Can I tell you about it?

O.K. then. Here it is.

Stevie is being introduced to the large crowd. The announcer goes over a litany of Stevie's accomplishments. He builds in intensity and energy until he implores us,"Everybody, let's give Stevie a face!"
(My commentary: I would have said,"Let's give Stevie a hand!" But the guy in my dream said "Let's give Stevie a face!" I don't know what that means.)

As the applause and cheering dies down, I see Stevie Wonder sitting at the keyboard.He's playing softly and he begins speaking. This is what Stevie Wonder says in my dream:" The hype is good and all that, but in the real world I want company. In the real world I want company."

Isn't that what we all want and need? In the real world we each want and need company.

Another word for company is companionship.

Both company and companionship come from 2 roots. The first is 'com',which means 'with'. The second is 'pano' which means 'bread'.

Thus company or companionship literally means 'one we share bread with'. This can be the material bread we need to sustain our physical bodies. It can also be the bread our souls and spirits need, baked with love and beauty;baked with relationship and connection;giving each of us meaning, support and space to be who we really are.

What the world needs now; what you need now; what I need now are 'faithful companions', or lots of 'good company'. When we have a circle of faithful companions or an abundance of good company we have something called 'community'. Community includes those we enjoy a relationship with and those with whom we have a connection. It implies the baking and sharing of the breads with one another.
If I were asked what makes for true wealth in the real world, I would put 'community' at the top of my list.
What's on your list?

Here's a postscript. Those who know me well, know that just about anything can become a song. Here's the start of one:

IN THE REAL WORLD

In the real world

I want some company.

In the real world

I just need somebody

To touch me;

One I can touch.

They don't need to be much

Cause it's the real world

And I'm not much myself

On this lonely pedestal.

This is my real world.

All this happy hype

is ok for awhile;

Ok for a smile.

But is it real?

I want to feel

That someone is here with me

And we are company

for each other.

Let's be a real world.