Episode 98 - Getting Back to Normal?
Piano music - "Reverie" by Claude Debussy, arranged and performed by Jessica Roemischer
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts & Stitcher
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts & Stitcher
When I hear people say, "we have to get back to normal," I shudder. I find myself feeling anxious. I find myself hoping...no, please... I realize that this may sound strange to some, but over the last few days, I've contemplated the suffering that's been endemic to human life and ALL of life, BEFORE this pandemic. I've thought about the state of Planet Earth because of our presence.
In the past few days, I've meditated on nature--and particularly a magnificent tree in my neighborhood. I've listened for its messages. And what came to me was the suffering of all the trees, and shrubs and flowers that have made our human progress possible. And then later in the day, I encountered a video about life in a maximum security prison, (it's called "Step Into the Circle," highly recommended.) It reveals the early, childhood lives of the inmates, and how ALL of them experienced trauma, sometimes to extreme degrees. It showed how in human life, pain begets pain begets pain, through the decades, and through generations.
These are two examples of the invisible suffering that's the background hum of "normal."Amidst the global pandemic, there's a push to "get back to normal." But what is normal, REALLY? What are we actually trying to get back TO?
In this unprecedented interruption of daily life, I believe that we have a sacred opportunity: to reckon with what we've called "normal." And to reckon with what lies deep inside each of us - a hope, a longing, a vision. What kind of life do we want to create into the future. Now that we have a chance, what do we want "normal" to REALLY BE?
Stay safe...
Warmest wishes to all...
In the past few days, I've meditated on nature--and particularly a magnificent tree in my neighborhood. I've listened for its messages. And what came to me was the suffering of all the trees, and shrubs and flowers that have made our human progress possible. And then later in the day, I encountered a video about life in a maximum security prison, (it's called "Step Into the Circle," highly recommended.) It reveals the early, childhood lives of the inmates, and how ALL of them experienced trauma, sometimes to extreme degrees. It showed how in human life, pain begets pain begets pain, through the decades, and through generations.
These are two examples of the invisible suffering that's the background hum of "normal."Amidst the global pandemic, there's a push to "get back to normal." But what is normal, REALLY? What are we actually trying to get back TO?
In this unprecedented interruption of daily life, I believe that we have a sacred opportunity: to reckon with what we've called "normal." And to reckon with what lies deep inside each of us - a hope, a longing, a vision. What kind of life do we want to create into the future. Now that we have a chance, what do we want "normal" to REALLY BE?
Stay safe...
Warmest wishes to all...