Too Much
Today marks the opening of the World Cup and I don't know any scores. If I am lucky I will make this post before midnight but the thoughts of this day and week remain so abundantly rich that a cogent narrative escapes each kernel of an idea. I seem unable to find a beginning that wouldn't take days to relate until I reached a natural end.
Should I start with the girl who sprained her ankle at the midway point of our 6.3 mile five-mile-hike? If I do, is the story her persistence and endurance to finish the hike even though it took twice the time to descend or her friend who stayed with her with unquestioning devotion? The fact that I gave her a piggy-back ride for 3/4 of a mile becomes a footnote to the courage of this young teen.
Should I tell the story of how simple exercises when practiced away from the hustle and bustle of city life turns kids who were strangers into best friends forever? And how could I convey the strength of sisterhood after a lifetime of living in a patriarchal society? I am still grappling with egalitarian concepts that I thought I knew and believed. Four days with almost no men has awakened my eyes to a world that is beautiful and promising and gives me a clearer path to promote equality.
I cannot tell the stories of personal strength as girls shared intimate thoughts of their core beliefs. Those stories do not belong to me. When these girls shared what they believe to be true, when they publicly declare to their peers and leaders the intense battles for personal identity, self-worth, and teach each other how to escape the pressures of a saturated advertising marketplace, I must respect the power of that space and leave those truths there. I will let them tell those stories more publicly at a time if their choosing.
Maybe I should focus on the power of slowing down and taking the time to replenish reserves in moments of quiet contemplation. A wise and fortunate leader had the foresight to schedule DEAR time. These were 15 minute blocks where everyone dropped everything and read. When you escape the world of information overload, those few minutes provide the necessary space to evaluate your day, your general life direction and serious life matters. Perhaps those are better thoughts for sharing.
What's crazy is that with all of these possibilities, tomorrow I will go home. Spain will be playing Holland in the World Cup and on Monday I'll return to work. Will I really learn anything from all that I have discovered? Will I have the will to make anything change? Alone I will not, but with the help of good friends and family I think I have better odds of improving than Spain has to repeat as World Cup Champions, but I'll be cheering for us both.
Should I start with the girl who sprained her ankle at the midway point of our 6.3 mile five-mile-hike? If I do, is the story her persistence and endurance to finish the hike even though it took twice the time to descend or her friend who stayed with her with unquestioning devotion? The fact that I gave her a piggy-back ride for 3/4 of a mile becomes a footnote to the courage of this young teen.
Should I tell the story of how simple exercises when practiced away from the hustle and bustle of city life turns kids who were strangers into best friends forever? And how could I convey the strength of sisterhood after a lifetime of living in a patriarchal society? I am still grappling with egalitarian concepts that I thought I knew and believed. Four days with almost no men has awakened my eyes to a world that is beautiful and promising and gives me a clearer path to promote equality.
I cannot tell the stories of personal strength as girls shared intimate thoughts of their core beliefs. Those stories do not belong to me. When these girls shared what they believe to be true, when they publicly declare to their peers and leaders the intense battles for personal identity, self-worth, and teach each other how to escape the pressures of a saturated advertising marketplace, I must respect the power of that space and leave those truths there. I will let them tell those stories more publicly at a time if their choosing.
Maybe I should focus on the power of slowing down and taking the time to replenish reserves in moments of quiet contemplation. A wise and fortunate leader had the foresight to schedule DEAR time. These were 15 minute blocks where everyone dropped everything and read. When you escape the world of information overload, those few minutes provide the necessary space to evaluate your day, your general life direction and serious life matters. Perhaps those are better thoughts for sharing.
What's crazy is that with all of these possibilities, tomorrow I will go home. Spain will be playing Holland in the World Cup and on Monday I'll return to work. Will I really learn anything from all that I have discovered? Will I have the will to make anything change? Alone I will not, but with the help of good friends and family I think I have better odds of improving than Spain has to repeat as World Cup Champions, but I'll be cheering for us both.
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