NUDGINGS: a journey into the unknown

“We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.” ― John Dewey, [NOT responsible for the Dewey Decimal System, however] “When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction.” Proverbs 24:32e. These are two very similar sentiments, one from the book of Proverbs, some of which harks back to the third millennium B.C.E.,  and the other from an educator of  the late 19th, early 20th century. So one could be forgiven for thinking that we have all learn this lesson, couldn’t one? Apparently not! I found out recently, to my chagrin, that I was one of those who didn’t learn from experience. We were heading out on an overnight excursion, that began with my driving for just over two hours in the car. [Now the back story is that I have been dealing with a compressed muscle in my back for the past 3+ months that causes prolonged sitting in any position to be extremely painful]. I arrived at our destination having driven the la...

“Do you understand the sadness of geography?” I  have to admit that when I first read this quote by  Michael Ondaatje, a Sri Lankan-born Canadian writer, my immediate response was ‘What sadness?’ Geography is all about climate, geology, topography, the names of lakes, rivers, mountains and seas, isn’t it? It is about things, about memory work. It is not about emotions! At least no geography course I ever took was. But then I started to think….. What are those things that divide us? What are the causes of people being unhappy, persecuted, denied their basic human rights and freedoms, being ostracized in society? Those causes are the things that make people different; things like the colour of their skin, their customs and religion, how they dress, the language they speak. These things for the most part are decided not by who they really are, but by the geography of where they are born. And they persist ‘unto the fourth and fifth generations’ no ...

I love the old hymns, the well-known tunes, the words that almost sing themselves they are so familiar. That is... as long as I don’t pause to think too deeply about what the words are actually saying! A few weeks ago when we were at a concert given by Daniel O’ Donnell, one of the pieces he sang was ‘On the Wings of a Snow White Dove’. While I find the words usually to be usually annoying to me, this time he added a verse, that I was unfamiliar with, about the baptism of Jesus. ‘When Jesus went down to the river that day  He was baptized In the usual way  And when it was done God blessed His Son  He sent him His love  On the wings of a dove. On the wings of a snow-white dove  He sends His pure sweet love  A sign from above   On the wings of a dove.’ For the first time this hymn spoke to me in a non-literal sense, not of my own baptism, not of the baptism of my children or even of my grandchildren but rather my own re-...

‘Be the best version of yourself in anything you do. You don't have to live anybody else's story.’ - Stephen Curry, an American professional basketball player How often during our life have we heard the words “Why can’t you…”  followed by a comparison with someone else? “Why can’t you graduate from university with honours like your sister did?” ‘“Why can’t you be a better housekeeper like your mother?” Why can’t you forget about being a musician and study something worthwhile like your brother?” And the answer to most, if not all, of these questions would be [if we were truthful] “because I’m not my sister, my mother or my brother. I am myself!” However what is often said is response is: “I don’t know.” “I’ll try harder!” All the while we are feeling guilty for not living up to the expectations put on us by others.  Unfortunately it is only after years of experience, of trying to fulfil those expectations of what we should be like and who we should be measuring u...