I was reading this last week about the great fire of London, which began September 2, 1666, and burned for three days, destroying most of the City of London, inside the old Roman wall. What really intrigued me about the story was the way in which people were so eager to find someone to blame for the fire. Victims of the fire blamed immigrant groups and Roman Catholics for starting it, and there were lynchings and violence against them in the streets.
I couldn’t help but note the similar way in which we as a nation have reacted to 9-11. Gotta have someone to blame, and then use violence against them. I grew up seeing the United States as a Separate and Different nation than the England from which we sprang. Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve had a kind of re-education, and I’ve realized how very much we are culturally descended from England.
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Trissa posted some really insightful thoughts as part of the ongoing conversation in another thread. I wanted to repost them at the start of a new thread
I guess what I was trying to say is that most of us who are in a serving profession got there because of idealism. A soldiers idealism is patriotism or wanting to spread freedom (I’m somewhat assuming, somewhat going on what I know from my brother who is in the Airforce). A social worker’s ideal is to help people who are less fortunate. A teacher wants to open their students up the opportunities around them (my mom and sister are teachers). So we run on idealism, but it only gets us so far. A soldier sees death, pain, suffering and sees no positive outcomes. A social worker sees one client after another who’s unwilling to change their life circumstances. The teacher has to deal with unmotivated students and absent parents. Slowly the idealism erodes and one day your ideals seem far away and naive. I think as one sees suffering and pain without relief it’s hard to believe in anything.
So often people in my profession push it aside and don’t think about how what they see affects them. I assume it’s the same as a soldier. If you think about it you might find the last of your idealism slip away and the foundation that once brought about all decisions is gone.
Posted in Blogging, Compassion to Self, What can we do? | 8 Comments »
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Compassion to Self–A Healing Rite with Hot Stones
Thursday, May 10th, 2007So one thing I’ve never been super good at has been taking good care of myself, being gentle/kind to myself, etc. Rachelle posted this Healing Rite with Hot Stones last week, and it struck me as beautiful and gentle and, well, healing. I wish I had been at the meeting of Monkfish when she did it. I want to try it out with my lovely wife Megan quite soon.
I realize that some proportion of our readers, like me, are not Christians, but it seemed to me that this Rite could be fairly simply adapted to anyone’s spirituality.
I’d love to hear how you practice compassion to self.
Healing Rite with Hot Stones
Note: I used special “facial massage stones” which I paid a ridiculous amount for at a migraine-inducing essential oil and massage supply shop. What a scam! Just find some small flat stones in your local river-ish type place, wash them, line your crock pot with a few washcloths, pour in some water, and heat away. Do test them before you hand them out so no one gets burned.
Healing Meditation
Getting Settled
Posted in Compassion to Self, Healing | 6 Comments »
Get in a comfortable position, sitting of lying down. If you are seated, let your spine be grounded and centered. You can do this by aligning your sitting bones with the earth, shifting back and forth slightly to find your most grounded seat, and then allowing your weight to sink in to the earth. If you are lying down, let your body sink into the ground, allowing the earth to support your head and shoulders, your upper back, your lower back, your hips, your legs, your ankles, your feet, your arms, and your wrists.Read the rest of this news item »
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