After reading your piece...Prisoners Of Higher Ed: Part2, I had the realization that I have always been and will always be a non-conformist. Uh huh, that's a big fat statement to make. Was it going to "Senior Dress Up Day" in female clothes at my High School in Cloverdale California, population 3,200 in 1976, when that was scandalous? Was it going against my vehement Fathers marching orders to go get a job and "do something, even if it's wrong", by going to Art school as a first generation college student? Was it my continual attraction to folks that didn't fit into the correct social boxes? Maybe all of the many ways that I have been an outlaw in relation to laws, strictures, social mandates and agreements that seemed ludicrous to me? I prefer circles to boxes anyway.
I don't know the answer to that, other than the fact that I seem to have this thing called "critical thinking", that I cannot escape and colors my relationship to status quo, and the everyone's doing it bit, so... Somehow my brain will always send me an alert when everyone seems to be "doing it", that says hey!! WAIT A MINUTE!!
Maybe I was a lemming in a past life?
This has mostly never been easy, even though I seem to be compelled again and again toward the same investigations of something like "What's behind that curtain", or "The Emperors got no clothes", or, "That can't be right".
Maybe I am just a skeptic? I do know that there have been plenty of times that it cost me greatly; being the outsider that I never wanted to be. I am grateful that finally all that conformity shit that I had to endure is being raked through the coals in these uncomfortable times we are in.
Your writings and musings on these topics are timely. Your inquiries pull back the curtain so that this sneaky seductive social unconscious brainwashing can be seen in the naked light of day. Your courage to question in the face of overwhelming political manipulation, shunning, shaming, damnation, ostracizing, and all of the repellent ugliness that can arise out of this investigation is heartening to me. Maybe more so even because of your honesty in seeing where you were co-opted
I most certainly have a visceral need to be liked and loved and held by my peers. At this point in my life.......in human relating.....I am choosing my people carefully and consciously. I find that it's not that I have a need to be with people that think just as I do, moreover, the people that I want to be surrounded by are the ones that will use there critical thinking brains, their gut!! I am interested in questioning, inquiry, and curiosity.
I choose you Mary. I am so grateful to be the recipient of your lovely inquiring mind.
Your luminous writing deeply touches me. I am reminded of the Native American "give away" ceremony on this Indigenous Peoples day. I'm gearing up for my own Potlatch - inspired by your shared process (and possessed by way too much stuff). Don't suppose you need anything? 💞
I loved hearing you read this! I read the poem first to myself but then wanted to hear it in your voice and was glad I had the chance to. It's a beautiful poem and you deliver it so wonderfully. Thank you!
Hi Mary, I love this poem, the photo, and your voice. It's kind and calming. I think it's good to hear you read your pieces. We can tell the intention behind what you write. It makes it all that much more meaningful. Thank you for that. Now I'm inspired to get a hammock. We have lovely property here in NM, and the beautiful big blue sky to go with it.
I related to the line "forget who you are and why you're here, be still, silent, useless,". Well, I've got the "useless" part down, but I'm still wondering why I'm here, and even at my age I'm still not sure who I am.
But if I had a hammock to swing on, I might just not care.
After reading your piece...Prisoners Of Higher Ed: Part2, I had the realization that I have always been and will always be a non-conformist. Uh huh, that's a big fat statement to make. Was it going to "Senior Dress Up Day" in female clothes at my High School in Cloverdale California, population 3,200 in 1976, when that was scandalous? Was it going against my vehement Fathers marching orders to go get a job and "do something, even if it's wrong", by going to Art school as a first generation college student? Was it my continual attraction to folks that didn't fit into the correct social boxes? Maybe all of the many ways that I have been an outlaw in relation to laws, strictures, social mandates and agreements that seemed ludicrous to me? I prefer circles to boxes anyway.
I don't know the answer to that, other than the fact that I seem to have this thing called "critical thinking", that I cannot escape and colors my relationship to status quo, and the everyone's doing it bit, so... Somehow my brain will always send me an alert when everyone seems to be "doing it", that says hey!! WAIT A MINUTE!!
Maybe I was a lemming in a past life?
This has mostly never been easy, even though I seem to be compelled again and again toward the same investigations of something like "What's behind that curtain", or "The Emperors got no clothes", or, "That can't be right".
Maybe I am just a skeptic? I do know that there have been plenty of times that it cost me greatly; being the outsider that I never wanted to be. I am grateful that finally all that conformity shit that I had to endure is being raked through the coals in these uncomfortable times we are in.
Your writings and musings on these topics are timely. Your inquiries pull back the curtain so that this sneaky seductive social unconscious brainwashing can be seen in the naked light of day. Your courage to question in the face of overwhelming political manipulation, shunning, shaming, damnation, ostracizing, and all of the repellent ugliness that can arise out of this investigation is heartening to me. Maybe more so even because of your honesty in seeing where you were co-opted
I most certainly have a visceral need to be liked and loved and held by my peers. At this point in my life.......in human relating.....I am choosing my people carefully and consciously. I find that it's not that I have a need to be with people that think just as I do, moreover, the people that I want to be surrounded by are the ones that will use there critical thinking brains, their gut!! I am interested in questioning, inquiry, and curiosity.
I choose you Mary. I am so grateful to be the recipient of your lovely inquiring mind.
Thank you......Namaste'
Denni
Your luminous writing deeply touches me. I am reminded of the Native American "give away" ceremony on this Indigenous Peoples day. I'm gearing up for my own Potlatch - inspired by your shared process (and possessed by way too much stuff). Don't suppose you need anything? 💞
Thank you for taking us all with you! I am so inspired by your words Mary! Rock on sister.
I loved hearing you read this! I read the poem first to myself but then wanted to hear it in your voice and was glad I had the chance to. It's a beautiful poem and you deliver it so wonderfully. Thank you!
Hi Mary, I love this poem, the photo, and your voice. It's kind and calming. I think it's good to hear you read your pieces. We can tell the intention behind what you write. It makes it all that much more meaningful. Thank you for that. Now I'm inspired to get a hammock. We have lovely property here in NM, and the beautiful big blue sky to go with it.
I related to the line "forget who you are and why you're here, be still, silent, useless,". Well, I've got the "useless" part down, but I'm still wondering why I'm here, and even at my age I'm still not sure who I am.
But if I had a hammock to swing on, I might just not care.
Love this new audio component!!! Xxoo