Different Ways #23, Early Life East of West, Part One
Our young life experiences are a lot like what used to be referred to in computing when trying out new programs for their effectiveness as "in the sandbox". These stories are from my sandbox. I was trying on what I learned from those around me as I tried to add to the mix. This is what childhood was in the 50's for me. There was not a lot of guidance and plenty of mystery for a curious child such as myself. I had a lot of rope to lasso and attach myself to misunderstandings with. I picked these little memories because I think they explain the clearest what kind of value system I was born into socially; and with my family, how I was personally valued by them, as well. The stories are cherry picked, of course. The book would be 800 pages if I shared all that I remember.
It should be noted that I'm hard wired to say things to people they do not want to hear; say things better left unsaid; or say what people are thinking and not ready themselves to report. I would learn that not everyone wants or needs to hear what I see and say. Let me just put it this way; I was not an easy child. I only wanted to be easy and like everyone else. My family reacted accordingly. How I would eventually figure all of this out and choose how to navigate or avoid and later confront or embrace these characteristics is a foundational part of my story.
Thank you for listening.
Different Ways, Chapter 3, Early Life East of West, Part One, pp. 25-30
Music: I want to wax poetic, here. I stumbled upon this amazing song by Naomi Wachira a long time ago and I was guided to post it here. It makes me tear up watching it. I think of the potential in all human beings and all of what we need to leave off of to just to allow ourselves and others to stand with dignity in our own beautiful human mess. My is heart open to it; my heart waits. Also, there be dancing here...
...I wish we didn’t have to prove our worth,
And the world could finally see us as equals,
No we are not accidents; no we are not,
We are not the sons and daughters of damned...
Thank you for joining me here. The memoir Different Ways: Revealing the Feminine can be purchased through my website using a link to Village Books at AlltheDifferentWays.com. There will soon be an eBook version available with an independent retailer. The e-book on Amazon is a bit of a mess but free if you are a Kindle member.
The BlogCast that outlines my intentions for this series of readings from my book, Different Ways, Revealing the Feminine can be found here in the post, Between the Lines.
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