Everything Else, a Poem from Peru May 9, 2008
Posted by Yvonne in Continuity of Source, Dynamics of Resistance, Evolution of We, Indirect Approach.add a comment
Recipe for a Curdled Family March 27, 2008
Posted by Yvonne in Evolution of We.Tags: family
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I heard back from both mom and one sister that they didn’t know where to start with the mathematical formua for a life, so I’m offering this option: You could also try it as a recipe, vis:
1 mom + 1 dad
1. Mix mom and dad liberally early, often, and with love and enthusiasm. This will begin to produce some of the brothers and sisters you will need for the step 3.
2. Continue the previous step as you can, but probably only on Sunday mornings for two hours while the first batch of kids are off to church and mom and dad have a bit of time to themselves. This will produce the rest of the brothers and sisters until you get a good amount.
Then several years later, when the youngest have grown to a not-easily breakable size and spirit:
1 empty refrigerator box
4 sisters + 3-4 brothers
3. Take all ingredients to the top of your nearest backyard hill. Open the ends of the box.
4. Place in box the largest of the brothers and sisters, then gently fit in the smaller ones around the edges. Make sure all limbs are mostly inside the ends of the box.
5. On a synchronized signal, mix the brothers and sisters well by starting the box rolling down the hill.
6. When the whole mess gets to the bottom, if there have been any sisters or brothers or body parts that have fallen out, collect them all, go back to the top of the hill and begin again.
Repeat from step 3. until laughter subsids or someone has a better idea. This could take most of a Saturday afternoon, but will produce a lovely curdled, if slightly bruised, family.
A Limited Life: A Purpose for a Living Literature October 11, 2007
Posted by Yvonne in Evolution of We, Power of Dialogue.1 comment so far
Interesting to me that in my most recent post, I left out a key learning:
Just a day after I’d heard about Mea’s death, and before I’d gone back east to be with the family, I was at home, just in the kitchen doing some mindless domestic chore - cooking or doing the dishes - and this mild sort of beautiful sadness of an ache came over me. There was emotion, and it was the first time I regreted not being a mom. Odd really, that the reason I should have that regret is because I’d never be able to experience having my heart broken by my child. Most people regret not having the joys of a parent, but for me - I missed the sorrow. Very odd.
Then I realized: as I have a spiritual teacher and when he passed I had a particular human experience of what the loss of that kind of relationship is. Anyone who didn’t have that kind of relationship in life would never experience that kind of human experience.
A human life is so limited. We can only experience what we setup and provide for ourselves. We can only get the kind of surprises and joys and sorrows that we put ourselves in the way of.
So I do sometimes envy those who have the possibility of experiencing the surprises and joys and sorrows that I haven’t set my life up for, and may never be able to experience.
So please everyone, would you have those experiences really, really fully? And then share with others how it is? Because if you don’t, we are going to miss them completely … and we really only have you to give us a glimpse …
“Lost My Voice for Love”: An Inquiry Into Intentional Inauthenticity April 22, 2006
Posted by Yvonne in Distinctions, Dynamics of Resistance, Evolution of We.3 comments
This post is in further response to Rod's comment about losing one's VOICE. He's a family therapist and he's concerned about having folks, especially women, recover their VOICE. I like that, and it sounds like an interesting and useful pursuit. So I'm looking into it to see what I can discover about this dynamic of "losing one's VOICE for love".
First, let's get what he's saying about VOICE. Since he's using the all caps version of the word, I'm thinking this is really important. And although he complimented the VOICE in my blog, presumably pointing to what was written — the words and all that, here is what I think he's actually referring to:
One's VOICE is the natural expression of the essential Self.
(Let me know if I'm wrong, Rod, or if I missed the point completely, be gentle - I've got the whole rest of the post to share with you! YMB)
Such authentic expression might come out through your mouth in voice (lower case), as in speaking or singing.
Or it might come into the world through the use of other body parts, hands, feet, etc. How you move, where you go, if you dance or applaud, make art, clean grandstands, fly airplanes - that's all your VOICE too, I think. (more…)
What To Do in an Earthquake: Lessons from 1989 April 20, 2006
Posted by Yvonne in Evolution of We.1 comment so far
… or in any disaster - the main thing is that most of the work will be done by volunteers and whoever happens to be around … so check this out from Stewart Brand.
The Life of a Human: Blogging in Public February 12, 2006
Posted by Yvonne in Evolution of We, beginner blogger.2 comments
I have no clue what a blog is really for. I’m thinking it’s just a bunch of drivvel. Folks carrying on and commenting on one another’s drivvel and carrying on, ad infinitum. A house of mirrors of commentary, conversation, exposition and expressions of, as Barlow says, the Holy Who Knows. A pure and brilliant explosion of humanity unleashed …
There’s a curious sense of immortality or omnipresence one senses as one enters the blogosphere. Are there really 101 million bloggers out there … in only WordPress land? Where are they? Can I see them? Can (will) they see me?
So spurred by camdenlady, I’m back … again … and then I saw chris’ post about my posts. Who are these people? Where did they come from? Why should I care? Do they know me? Apparently. Yikes! How is this world so darn connected while we (I!) haven’t a whiff of a clue?!?
Yes, I’ve been absent again for a bit. A few things have happened in this life. (more…)
You’re Happy, What’s Wrong With You? January 27, 2006
Posted by Yvonne in Evolution of We, Power of Dialogue.3 comments
It was only a few minutes conversation. I was sitting in a coffee joint last evening, reviewing some papers submitted for the upcoming Conference for Global Transformation.
The young woman a seat away, was fumbling in her backpack. She’d spilled something and needed to wash it out. “Would you watch this stuff for me? I’ll be right back.” “Sure,” I said, “Will it do anything interesting?” We laughed. When she returned, there was a bit more banter in fun, then she said, “You’re happy, what’s wrong with you?”
That Dead blog that hasn’t let me alone since I wrote it, and I replied, quite deliberately and with a big smile, “I’m alive.”
She stopped cold.
“Right. You’re alive.” she replied. Then, after a bit, said, “I’ll never forget that. ‘I’m alive.’” Then, while gathering her things to go, confided, ”You know, I wasn’t feeling so well today, but I’m feeling better now. I think I’ll go home and take a bath.” “And it will be good for you, and you’ll enjoy it.” I said quietly. She didn’t say more, and left the place surrounded in her own thoughts.
I was astounded. Another gal who had witnessed this, and I looked at each other. The young woman told us: “I’ll never forget that: ‘I’m alive.’” And we wondered together for a moment: Who will she be?
One connection, one comment. A life transformed. Wow.
As a dear friend has said:
“One conversation can transform a life. A transformed life will transform the world.” - B. Regnier, CGT 2005
Pratice: Lift someone with your words or smile today. See someone.
