This touched a nerve for me - it's a process our toes have dangled in over the years, but It's a slow one. And a painful one. And a lonely one. Weighing up whether the doing of things is valuable in itself, in its service to others, ditto the life of a teacher. Wondering whether grief needs to be talked about or pushed away. Wondering if trying to live in the world you are in, exhausting though it is, is the best bet if that is where your close ones live. It is all confusing and saddening. Enjoyed the writing Dan xx
Thanks for taking the time to read it Helen! I really hear what you are sharing. I don't want to underplay the doing of things as invaluable at all. We still need to do what we can, where we are and in relation to what's going on around us. I just feel that so much of what we end up doing either normalises what's not so helpful or nourishing in our society or serves to maintain the illusion of this industrial culture being the only "real" option to us. Your work as a teacher is so valuable in whatever context you find yourself teaching, or whatever context the school finds itself in relating to government dictates etc. Just showing up every day to give something of yourself to children is a huge act of service especially under such trying circumstances as the current state education system. I also hear what you say about living in the same world your close ones live in. We feel that so strongly at the moment with our boys and their pulls towards a Tik-Tok worldview. I think this can be a This/And scenario though in which we maintain the status quo in some areas of our lives and heed the call in others, slowly shifting the balance towards the meaning we seek and the world we wish to inhabit. That's why it's so important to find ways to stay sane and to thrive psychologically as we try to navigate this crazy world! It is slow and it can be super painful! Love to you all! xx
This touched a nerve for me - it's a process our toes have dangled in over the years, but It's a slow one. And a painful one. And a lonely one. Weighing up whether the doing of things is valuable in itself, in its service to others, ditto the life of a teacher. Wondering whether grief needs to be talked about or pushed away. Wondering if trying to live in the world you are in, exhausting though it is, is the best bet if that is where your close ones live. It is all confusing and saddening. Enjoyed the writing Dan xx
Thanks for taking the time to read it Helen! I really hear what you are sharing. I don't want to underplay the doing of things as invaluable at all. We still need to do what we can, where we are and in relation to what's going on around us. I just feel that so much of what we end up doing either normalises what's not so helpful or nourishing in our society or serves to maintain the illusion of this industrial culture being the only "real" option to us. Your work as a teacher is so valuable in whatever context you find yourself teaching, or whatever context the school finds itself in relating to government dictates etc. Just showing up every day to give something of yourself to children is a huge act of service especially under such trying circumstances as the current state education system. I also hear what you say about living in the same world your close ones live in. We feel that so strongly at the moment with our boys and their pulls towards a Tik-Tok worldview. I think this can be a This/And scenario though in which we maintain the status quo in some areas of our lives and heed the call in others, slowly shifting the balance towards the meaning we seek and the world we wish to inhabit. That's why it's so important to find ways to stay sane and to thrive psychologically as we try to navigate this crazy world! It is slow and it can be super painful! Love to you all! xx