Maslow
Level One - to have air, food, shelter, sleep, correct body temperature
check
Level Two - to be free from danger, severe mental stress, bodily harm. To have access to health care. To have predictability in daily life.
check (at last)
Level Three - to belong to a family. To have a give-and-take affectionate relationship with people.
hmmm
Level Four - To be recognized as a worthwhile individual.
eeep
Level Five - To be allowed to develop to full potential.
Level Six - To know our world. To know our authentic selves.
------
Helen Keller wrote, in 1940 -
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
This is an amazing quotation from a woman blind and deaf. "Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run ...".
------
I know, this is a rather disjointed post. My daughter returned from Hawaii - she did not explode mid-air, land in Vancouver airport a ball of fire, the plane did not nick anything on its way in, sending it spinning off the runway. She did not disappear, she disembarked as planned. No one snatched her from beside the carosel as she waited for her suitcase. She did actually walk through the 'international arrivals' door, I didn't have to find my way down any long hallways to retrieve her. She did seem bigger, I think I was remembering her as very young.
"daughter in Hawaii" was strangely like "please return for a second pap test, results questionable" - both involve a kind of limbo period where one carries on with life, small flowers and river rock become very special, and time behaves like a rubber band. It stretches and stretches and no one wants to let go, even though oh how we want to let go, let it snap whatever it plans to snap at us and get it over with, get on with it.
The poetry sucks,
and sucks at this ridiculous air
corn syrup and egg yolk
I hold my girl and marvel that she has been returned - to these arms! What incredible things have I done in my life that this could have occurred. This is one of those miracles - why do I get miracle?
check
Level Two - to be free from danger, severe mental stress, bodily harm. To have access to health care. To have predictability in daily life.
check (at last)
Level Three - to belong to a family. To have a give-and-take affectionate relationship with people.
hmmm
Level Four - To be recognized as a worthwhile individual.
eeep
Level Five - To be allowed to develop to full potential.
Level Six - To know our world. To know our authentic selves.
------
Helen Keller wrote, in 1940 -
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
This is an amazing quotation from a woman blind and deaf. "Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run ...".
------
I know, this is a rather disjointed post. My daughter returned from Hawaii - she did not explode mid-air, land in Vancouver airport a ball of fire, the plane did not nick anything on its way in, sending it spinning off the runway. She did not disappear, she disembarked as planned. No one snatched her from beside the carosel as she waited for her suitcase. She did actually walk through the 'international arrivals' door, I didn't have to find my way down any long hallways to retrieve her. She did seem bigger, I think I was remembering her as very young.
"daughter in Hawaii" was strangely like "please return for a second pap test, results questionable" - both involve a kind of limbo period where one carries on with life, small flowers and river rock become very special, and time behaves like a rubber band. It stretches and stretches and no one wants to let go, even though oh how we want to let go, let it snap whatever it plans to snap at us and get it over with, get on with it.
The poetry sucks,
and sucks at this ridiculous air
corn syrup and egg yolk
I hold my girl and marvel that she has been returned - to these arms! What incredible things have I done in my life that this could have occurred. This is one of those miracles - why do I get miracle?
posted by Squamish Writers Group at 12:06 AM
1 Comments:
I read a book by Alan Watts called The Wisdom of Insecurity that speaks to what you're talking about. I don't know if it's in print anymore.
I know, for myself, having a daughter is a source of significance in my life when all else seems vaguely unsatisfying.
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