Sign of the Times

One of the many fun things to do in New York City this time of year is to see the window displays at big department stores such as Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor, Bloomingdale's and Barneys New York. The stores take this tradition very seriously and unveil extravagant, and sometimes magical, scenes in their enormous windows. People line up on the sidewalks and enjoy the free show and the good holiday vibes that you can really feel in the air.

Always inventive and on the cutting edge of culture, Barney's windows this year are a celebration of peace and love and the 50th anniversary of the peace sign. A quick check on wikipedia revealed that the peace sign originated in Britain by the Committee against Nuclear War as the badge for Nuclear Disarmament. It was fun to find out that it was imported into the United States 50 years ago by a student, Philip Altbach, a freshman at the University of Chicago. He traveled to England to meet with British peace groups as a delegate from the Student Peace Union and came back to Chicago with a bag full of peace symbol buttons. It didn't take long for it to catch on and become an international symbol of peace. Can you imagine how cool Philip Altbach must have felt?!

I love the paintings in this window done by middle school students at The East Harlem School:



Seeing this made me wonder about the hand gesture people use for peace, like David Crosby in this photo. Where did that come from? I couldn't find much information about it, but here's a little trivia for you: It is known as the "V sign" and was popularized by Winston Churchill as a sign for victory during World War II, then became popular in the United States during the peace movement of the 1960s. Be very careful using this gesture outside of the United States, especially if your palm is facing inward, it is considered in many countries to be obscene, offensive and insulting - basically like giving the finger.

Next I wondered - why, 50 years later, is the peace symbol still a sign of our times? Where's the peace? One thing I know for sure is that we won't see it in the world until we feel it within ourselves. Human intelligence and ingenuity would have led to the solution by now if peace was something that could be "done." Peace must be, well, be'ed.

Next (I am on a roll) I thought about the song "Let there be Peace on Earth" and listened to several versions that were quickly added to the top of my play list. My favorite is an incredible a capella version by Martin Sexton that I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to upload in this post with no luck. Instead, here are the lyrics that are now stuck in my head, my mantra, my prayer, my solemn vow :

let there be peace on earth
and let it begin with me

let there be peace on earth
the peace that was meant to be

with God as our father
brothers and sisters are we
let me walk with my brother
in perfect harmony

let peace begin with me
let this be the moment now
with every step I take
let this be my solemn vow
to take each moment
and live each moment
in peace eternally

let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me