I think ‘an ecosystem: sustained by reciprocity, built by interdependence, and oriented toward relationship rather than output’ would be a welcome shift. Composting is a great metaphor for bringing good nourishment out of that which is past its best. We can each be intentional about this following the example of this man, starting with gratitude and becoming the change we long to see. Let it ripple out across the fields.
Thank you, Sian. Yes to composting...trusting that even what’s no longer viable still holds nutrients for what’s next. Letting that ripple feels like the work.
While reading, I remembered how strange it was to listen to my mother describing her childhood in 1950s and 60s Algeria. When I was younger, it seemed as she was talking about some other world, some other time. In a way, she was.
People who choose to migrate always have reasons.
I know she misses her country. I know I won’t ever know it like she did. Because it’s gone.
I also know she traded a life for another in France. I know it wasn’t easy. I know it still is not.
I also know that I come from two very different places, and it has been a lifetime journey to understand who I was. Quite simply, I acknowledged that I was just me, with a balance of this and that, and that made me… well, just me.
I don’t like being put in a box. I resented people who put me in a box for a long time. Now I just don’t care.
Our ancestors choices had consequences, good and bad, like any of our own choices will.
Maybe we can, as you say, imagine a better world. No, not maybe. We have to. Because if we don’t, who will ?
Let’s forget about boxes. There are voices out there speaking of other possibilities. Contrarian takes against the dominant way of thinking. It is through these voices and these visions that a new path can form. A new metaphor.
Anyway, these are my tired thoughts on this slow Sunday morning.
Thank you for sharing, Nelian. There's a lot in your words...grief, inheritance, freedom. I think many of us are walking that edge between what was, what is, and what might still be possible.
Thank you for this. I feel like we can know these things intellectually - know people who’ve migrated, and understand the complexity in theory, but sometimes there’s a moment, or a meeting, that comes at just the right time. And suddenly something you’ve been sitting with gets rearranged. That’s what this felt like. Definitely a gift!
I really enjoyed following your thought process in this. Thank you for sharing!
I'm left pondering the idea of composting, which would include choosing what to throw into the bin and also trusting the process of change that ensues.
Thank you, Trish. I'm so glad it resonated. Yes, composting really does ask us to participate and let go. That balance feels especially alive for me right now.
I think ‘an ecosystem: sustained by reciprocity, built by interdependence, and oriented toward relationship rather than output’ would be a welcome shift. Composting is a great metaphor for bringing good nourishment out of that which is past its best. We can each be intentional about this following the example of this man, starting with gratitude and becoming the change we long to see. Let it ripple out across the fields.
Thank you, Sian. Yes to composting...trusting that even what’s no longer viable still holds nutrients for what’s next. Letting that ripple feels like the work.
While reading, I remembered how strange it was to listen to my mother describing her childhood in 1950s and 60s Algeria. When I was younger, it seemed as she was talking about some other world, some other time. In a way, she was.
People who choose to migrate always have reasons.
I know she misses her country. I know I won’t ever know it like she did. Because it’s gone.
I also know she traded a life for another in France. I know it wasn’t easy. I know it still is not.
I also know that I come from two very different places, and it has been a lifetime journey to understand who I was. Quite simply, I acknowledged that I was just me, with a balance of this and that, and that made me… well, just me.
I don’t like being put in a box. I resented people who put me in a box for a long time. Now I just don’t care.
Our ancestors choices had consequences, good and bad, like any of our own choices will.
Maybe we can, as you say, imagine a better world. No, not maybe. We have to. Because if we don’t, who will ?
Let’s forget about boxes. There are voices out there speaking of other possibilities. Contrarian takes against the dominant way of thinking. It is through these voices and these visions that a new path can form. A new metaphor.
Anyway, these are my tired thoughts on this slow Sunday morning.
Thank you for sharing, Nelian. There's a lot in your words...grief, inheritance, freedom. I think many of us are walking that edge between what was, what is, and what might still be possible.
It’s such a gift to gain another perspective in an unexpected moment like that. Thank you for sharing your experience and reflections.
Thank you for this. I feel like we can know these things intellectually - know people who’ve migrated, and understand the complexity in theory, but sometimes there’s a moment, or a meeting, that comes at just the right time. And suddenly something you’ve been sitting with gets rearranged. That’s what this felt like. Definitely a gift!
I really enjoyed following your thought process in this. Thank you for sharing!
I'm left pondering the idea of composting, which would include choosing what to throw into the bin and also trusting the process of change that ensues.
Thank you, Trish. I'm so glad it resonated. Yes, composting really does ask us to participate and let go. That balance feels especially alive for me right now.
Beautiful and introspective read. Thank you!