Seek to Understand

How do we do this world? When all the systems we’ve been told are permanent seem to be failing but few reliable replacements have made themselves known? When looking at everything causes a system overwhelm in a mind not evolved to see it all, but looking away feeds a numbness generations deep? When addiction is in your pocket at all times and comparison is a glance away, how do we stay grounded in reality? How do we see reality? Can we ever really? There is so much in the zeitgeist. It’s too much to try to process the pendulum swinging between the poles as the schizophrenic gods of our time battle it out in our minds.

Enter composting. I know, it seems unconnected and, at best, a poor metaphor. But to me it feels like the closest I can get to truth. By this I mean, we cannot cast off all the past sins and triumphs of our predecessors, but we also can’t fit them into the changing world we see before us. The best we can do is to take them in and allow them to break down in our mind. Patience is key here. It is the first step towards love. To me, this means taking it all, but not attaching to any of it. We are a natural creature, a keystone species even. It is our responsibility to uphold the hoop of creation, and it seems we’ve failed. The only way through I can see, is to let the laws of nature that govern us play out. What is nourishing will stay, what is not will be transformed, but only if we can hold it unflinching.

Resist the comfort of judgement that comes so easily to soothe our aching hearts that know we have a part to play. If I can do this, I live a paradoxical life. One where I see all the rage in the world and weep for the tremendous loss, while still seeing the hurting children behind those responsible. To be clear, I am not saying to gorge yourself on the tragedies. We can’t process them all. But don’t for a second let them turn you away from the world you ACTUALLY live in. Make eye contact with strangers and hold them there for a glimmer with a smile. See what it feels like to see those around you, not just your initial assessment of them. Take note of how the world responds

I don’t have answers. I don’t know if anyone does or is really supposed to. But I do believe with my whole soul, that humans are fundamentally good. And by allowing my tendencies of throwing something or someone away at first glance to run free, I lose so much nourishment that could be had if I just let them sit in my mind for long enough to see the parts that feed me. To seek understanding Everyone is interesting, I’m the one who’s boring, rude, offensive, or ignorant when I fail to see the soul within all things. And it is I who starves because of it.