For July, I have been sitting with my word almost daily. A question that keeps surfacing: About what am I clear at this point in 2020? I thought I would take some time for a brain dump on my sorely neglected blog.
It is clear to me:
- that life is precious
- that talking about lives affected in terms of percentages is callous
- that the society I live in (United States) believes it is invincible
- that hypocrisy is rampant
- that we are all affected by COVID-19
- that public opinion changes on a dime
- that people can amass great amounts of power and have very little sense
- that schools and their teachers are vital to a well-running economy
- that children's sports are viewed as more important than protecting children's health
- that a large portion of US society gets an F in science
- that critical thinking and discussions are skills that must be instilled in our youth and retaught to our adults
- that I look through the world with the lens of a white female
- that I can always make it a priority to understand a different perspective
- that shutting my mouth and listening is not synonymous to agreeing, and it is helpful for the common good
- that sometimes people with good intentions make bad decisions
- that wide brushes need to be put away
- that I can't be surprised at how we treat people of all backgrounds when we abort unborn babies and neglect the aging
- that considering a person's intersectionality helps in understanding his/her view
- that I need to perpetually think and surround myself with minds that bring up differing perspectives
- that my definition of summer has non-negotiables
- that altering the rhythms and seasons of life can have a ripple effect in my emotional health
- that social media can build up as well as tear down
- that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have
- that we need to lean in to delayed gratification
- that I dislike feeling physically vulnerable because of the non-action of those in charge of my well-being
- that autism can be lonely when you are a teenager
- that hiring practices rely heavily on social communication skills that are created through a lens that excludes many
- that I need to open a school that has alternative "business" hours for kids whose circadian rhythm matches mine
- that powerful women can intimidate the weak
- that depression sucks the life out of its victims
- that the new "normal" stinks, but God has a reason for new pathways
- that my job as a human is to learn the lessons that this time in history is teaching
That's a whole lot of clarity!
JoLynn
