Feel It

The flow
Ripples through the air
Brushing up against your ankles
Licking at the skin of your fingertips

If you feel panic
It's from the world of nonsense
Plastered over the real rhythms of the universe
If tension yanks at your neck tendons
Don't trust the pull
Listen--feel--for the calm
Surrender to the peace
That comes with surrender

Pick through the stresses
And you'll find the path
Aligned with who you truly are
Waiting

Be you
Walk the path
Feel the flow
And we will meet
One day.

Which Way the Wind Blows

The world says now's the time
To plan
But plans
Are limiting
Or far too broad

Write a list of
Resolutions
And you might find
Your resolve falters with the
Coming days and
Months

Instead
Resolve only to listen to the
Way the wind blows
The direction
It takes

And follow

The Way

Stop

Rest your angry mind

A moment

Hushing thoughts that swirl within

And burst through every facet of your life

The tension will kill you

Breathe the air

It might not be as fresh as it once was

But it still feeds you

After all these years

Change has not destroyed all

There is still time

And you need to breathe, after all

No more talking

Ranting

Whining

Cursing

Invectives churn inside your mind,

So just release them

Set them free

For saying them only gives them power

Over you

Hush

Listen

Feel the inner workings of the earth

Beneath your feet

And know that even the worms

Have a purpose

And so do you

Do you know what your purpose is?

No? Not yet?

Then keep silent so that you can hear

If you listen long enough

You will feel the pull

Your own unique link to the universe

And then you will know

What you must do.

The Comfort Zone of Learning

I've been working outside my comfort zone lately. My research writing classes are focusing on several different mythic systems, and while I started with Greek myth (a system I've had several classes in and have loved since I was very little), the class has now moved into Native American myth (a far more diverse system, since it covers millions of square acres of geography alone), will soon move into African folk myth (ditto), and finally Chinese myth (ditto).

With each one, I need to find a balance. Believe it or not, very few of my students have studied a single story from Greek myth (most were stunned to find out that Disney's Hercules had little resemblance to the original story, since that was their only previous encounter with Greek myth), and while more of them have experience with some Native American stories (since we live in the Northwest), virtually none have read any stories from Africa or China.

And I find myself researching each system to the nth degree, reading reams of books on geography, typical community values, beliefs, monetary systems, and other associated elements, but I don't want to overload the students with too much information so that they end up drowning in it instead of digesting any of it. I also don't want to stereotype cultural assumptions, especially since different tribal and geographical communities had different ideals and accepted precepts.

At the same time, an understanding of major belief or cultural systems is necessary for deciphering some of the tales. In fact, the stories themselves serve as good examples for illustrating some major ideas. For instance, several stories in our Chinese myth text explain and contrast Confucianism with Taoism, allowing students to see both major tenets of each belief system and how the two philosophies compare and in some ways argue with each other. I only have a few weeks to let students explore all of this, however, so I have to balance dealing with the stories fully and giving background so that students can see each story's cultural significance.

Perhaps, at this point, my goal should be meaningful exposure. Let the students read, research, and find what they can, while (hopefully) encouraging them to continue their reading once class is over. I find, with each set, though, that I wish I could spend the whole semester on it. I love each one, for different reasons, and I am always sorry when a particular section must come to an end.

I only hope this dabbling into myth inspires students to examine their own mythic system, examining it for its sources and influences... and even assumptions. That might be the most meaningful exploration of all.

What "Living in the Moment" Isn't

I posted a few days ago on living in the present--not regretting or glorifying what happened in the past, nor fixating on how things will be different in the future--so as to seek happiness in the ever-present NOW. 

To clarify this a bit, I'd like to take a leaf from the book of Taoism to describe my approach to this form of living. I am by no means an expert, but Taoism, from my reading and experience, suggests a life in which one remains "receptively passive" to the movement or flow of life, and when one acts, it is in accordance with the flow of one's life, and is thus effortless. When one fights against the flow, one finds difficulty, suffering, unhappiness, etc. 

Let me put it in terms of relationships. To live in the ever-present now, one would exist in a way that is most calm and harmonious to one's nature and the nature of others. That does not mean never disagreeing. If, for instance, one's partner is a creep, it may seem more harmonious to shut up about it and take it--whether it be abuse, derision, abandonment, etc. However, it is damaging to oneself, and doesn't go with one's personal needs. Resentment and anger will build until you can't take it anymore, and then the flow of need will cause you to act out eventually.

Living in the moment, in this case, means not resisting the urge to speak up. Resisting the urge is hard, and it hurts the current moment. Instead, one should speak up and say, directly, "When you say this/do this/etc. I feel hurt and ashamed." At the same time, it does not mean bringing up all sorts of past hurts--those are past, and the reason one might be bringing them up is because one has held onto them instead of expressing them when they occur. It's the same with positive elements. When one is happy, one should express so, and share the joy of one's life with others. If another's actions hurt one's flow, by all means one should act to change that flow, even it means leaving. The release I've heard described from this kind of action (leaving a creep) is caused because a major obstruction has been removed.

In terms of money, living in the moment does not mean racking up credit card balances so that one can go on a vacation "now," without consideration for the future debt or insolvency. In fact, I would contend that purchases on credit are actually living in the future, and not the present, for one's subconscious reasoning is that a larger TV, a new dining room set, or a McMansion will make one happier, and it suggests that one is dissatisfied with one's life as it is. Living within one's means is one way of existing within the flow of one's life. Seeking to purchase items one cannot yet afford goes against one's flow. Buying a house and having payments one cannot afford is a gaping example of this, and it does not increase one's happiness (as many thousands of homeowners will attest to). 

Even in terms of food and exercise, living in the moment means paying attention to right now--not one's future goals, but one's eating right at this moment. If I truly live in the now, I eat only when I'm hungry--and I enjoy every tasty morsel of food while I eat it, not working on the computer or watching television while I do it, but savoring everything. It means enjoying my activity--whether walking with a friend or doing zumba or bellydancing--and it means living in that moment happily, without constantly looking in the mirror or stepping on the scale to see whether it's doing any good. If I am only living in the future ("I want to lose 10 pounds") or living in the past ("I don't ever want to be that fat again") I will not be happy now. 

And now is what counts. Past is past, future is future. We can't live in either one. I don't write because I want to get published some day. I write because I love it, and when I do it, I am happy. 

Thoughts? Bones of contention?