Allie Beckmann is a RedLine volunteer who has been studying and working in the creative and performing arts for more than a decade. She received her formal education in Theater Arts with an emphasis in performance, directing, and sociological research. She has been studying, practicing, and teaching yoga and meditation all while traveling the country and the world as an explorer and a facilitator. She also loves dogs. The following piece is motivated by the current state of our nation and the author's wish for a more kind and loving nation.

hey, America

be kind.

hey, America

don’t hate.

hey, America

slow down.

hey, America.

take a break.

take a listen.

take a breath.

and choose love

over hate.

compassion

over envy

forgiveness

over blame.

Because in our hearts

We are all the same

we all feel love

and we all feel shame

we all laugh and cry and fart and scream

and we all suffer brain freeze after too much ice cream.

But from our common denominators

We have strayed far too far

We’ve let our differences divide us –

They hold hostage our hearts

And it’s the lack of love that’s keeping us apart

So let us start to mend these broken parts

by lending our hearts

to ourselves

to each other

lend a hand

lend an ear

lend a smile

lend a year

give your Self

and share your heart

because we are all

taking part

in this wonderful maze

that we call life

So let’s learn to listen to one another’s strife

No one is right

No one is wrong

We are all right

We are all wrong

And no matter who the president may be

Our hearts will always and forever be free

and we can choose to stay kind

and we can choose to live love

and we can choose

to stand together

and rise above

so one more time,

bear with me,

I must plea

to be kind to one another

and don’t wreck one another

don't correct one another

and don't reject one another

because i am interjecting with the utmost respect

and pleading with my open heart,

bleeding from my open heart

in joyous exertion

ever full

and beckoning

that you open yours, too,

that we delight in the shared-ness

of this life long experience

the collective journey

of the individual experiment

feeling pleasure,

feeling pain

feeling all,

and knowing all,

supporting all,

accepting all

and choosing to live in love

in love

…

with love,

your humble citizen.