Comments on: OUR STORY

By: Jon Husband

Jon Husband — Fri, 02 Jan 2004 02:52:32 +0000

I’ve had the same tussle with myself, which is why I’ve had to quit working as a management consultant (for “name” firms) twice in the last ten years. I couldn’t justify myself mainly trying to find ways to agree with clients about some method or technique they wanted to use, to “improve performance”, when inside I was telling myself over and over again that this action was mainly reinforcing the status quo. So, I quit (second time, recently) – and it’s scary because I have little money. But, I feel better every day while getting clearer about not lying to myself.Next … taking more positive, constructive action for issues I truly and deepy believe in. What and how not clear yet, but at least I’m not wasting my time and energy in a pointless and energy-sapping wrestling match with denial.It’s hard and sometimes lonely, though. That “other world”, the one that’s starting to seem so very unbalanced, is so big and so everywhere.

By: Karen Armstead

Karen Armstead — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:34:17 +0000

Dave: Old Lang Syne to you. You’re “The King of Links,” now, aren’t you? You helped me recently with my sidebar links, on the User Land discussion board. I touted that resource today in my blog as the miracle it is. When I have the chance soon, I look forward to reading your tips on time-savers for bloggers.

By: judith

judith — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 20:03:49 +0000

a sonnet for my friend dave pollard…(btw dave, i loved your holiday morph of ’twas the night before…’)and so it is of stories that we’re formed,of air and dirt and water loosely held.we struggle with our ‘oneness’ and are warmedwhen with a ‘group’ we sometimes find we meld.your story or my story – which is true,why neither you might claim in soft, sad tone.but if we walk this earth forever bluehow will we show the honor due this home.this planet is a living entity,upon its back we carve horrendous scars.but heave us off it will, and then we’ll see,how hard it is to breathe among the stars.i don’t pretend to know a better waybut choose my actions carefully each day.best wishes for 2004…

By: Rob Paterson

Rob Paterson — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 18:53:03 +0000

Chris – Thanks RobOn a less serious note, I recommend reading MoneyBall by Muchael Lewis Dave. It is all about the lies of baseball and how attached everyone in baseball is to them. What is good is that Lewis’ telling of another story may give this new story lifeHappy new year to you and yours Dave

By: Chris Corrigan

Chris Corrigan — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 15:19:04 +0000

Dave:Cheri Huber, the Zen Buddhist teacher has a neat exercise that she teaches in order to cultivate acceptance. She asks people to make a list of 10 things that they find unacceptable. Then she asks people to choose the five most unacceptable things on that list, then pare it down to three and then one and finally to let that one go. It’s NOT about saying that things like child slavery are alright, it’s about addresseing our own suffering attached to the story of it. When Thomas King says “stories are all we are” he means this too. One of the things that resonated with me about King’s work, as an Aboriginal person very much in his mold (pale-skinned, mixed ancestry, middle class) is that our stories about who we are as Aboriginal people are loaded with suffering, but in fact if stories is all we are then that suffering is stories too. Once we get beyond that suffering, then we get free, and that means addressing our stories. My great great grandmother went to residential school and as a result never lived in her community again. She raised her children as if they were white even though they were darkskinned right down to my grnadfather’s generation. It is a common story in our communities that as people tried to do this, great suffering took place, in various forms of abuse so that eventually the whole notion of Aboriginal ancestry was tarnished with the story of suffering. It is only in my generation that we, as a family, are able to reclaim that story for what it is: messy and complicated, but no more full of suffering than it is full of joy.We choose our stories, the one’s that stick. If war is wrong, and we think it shouldn’t happen, we will create all kinds of suffering for ourselves because war DOES happen. When our stories don;t equate with reality, we suffer. If we can say “War happens” and truly accept that then we can finally find a place that also says “I’m going to bring peace to this world.” But, as Thich Nhat Hahn would say, youcan make peace until you can be peace. So best wishes for being at peace with your stories in 2004. And keep it up here. I love it.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 13:21:14 +0000

Excellent post, Dave!