"Because the truth is, it’s entirely possible to hold space for awe, curiosity, sadness, anger, and humility, while still feeling both anchored and liberated. We can honor what came before us, even as we step freely into whatever comes next."
So well said Dr. Lowell, both possible and essential, if only this was taught more often in school, like breathing, it's a life skill.
Beautiful essay. It was poignant to read. I similarly find myself scouring museums and historical sites for the stories of "innovators and dreamers who overcame unimaginable hurdles to build what we now consider ordinary." They didn't know it was all going to work out, or how much others would in the end benefit from their courage and creativity. Thanks for making my day more interesting and beautiful.
Thank you, Emily, for taking the time to both read and also respond with such a thoughtful comment. I couldn’t be a “historian”, but I enjoy being what I call an experiential dreamer. I want to experience the historical site so I can simply dream about them. Haha!
Alex, I think this is one of my favorite essays you've written. Masterful prose. Powerful reflections. Even the word "relic" got me thinking deeper about the metaphor of relics, about their religious significance in my personal history, about people calling middle-aged humans like me "relics." So many implications about ancestry, artifacts, and the past.
You got me thinking about excavation, about mining and unearthing - what all these mean for a person who is trying to understand their place in the world, trying to make meaning of their existence, trying to make sense of where they've been and how it's all shaped who they are and who they are becoming.
Absolutely stunning. Well done. Thank you for the tenderness with which you write, too.
Jeannie, thank you for sharing! I appreciate your reflection and your vulnerability in sharing 🩵. I wrote this one a little differently.
“Relic” came to mind as I was sitting on the side of the road, and I was trying to think about why something held so much power over me. And just as you say - religious significance and relics were almost the perfect fit… they also hold some significant in my personal history.
I love that last line you mentioned here @Alexander Lovell, PhD - “They also hold some significance in my personal history.” That sounds like a conversation you and I could have one day. :)
Such much truth in your words. Yoga teaches us to be compassionate witnesses and create the space between us and what we observe. Fragments from the past inform and may have impacted us, but as you say, they are not us. What we are is so much greater than that.
Reading your thoughts and experiences you have been through invokes my compassionate side so strongly that my reaction is an immediate need to give you a motherly hug. The connections you make to the past from seeing objects from it provide a different way to appreciate them. Once again I was drawn in by your written words and visionary photos thank you for sharing them.
"Because the truth is, it’s entirely possible to hold space for awe, curiosity, sadness, anger, and humility, while still feeling both anchored and liberated. We can honor what came before us, even as we step freely into whatever comes next."
So well said Dr. Lowell, both possible and essential, if only this was taught more often in school, like breathing, it's a life skill.
Thank you for sharing! I SO agree - I wish we taught a healthier relationship with our emotions right from the very beginning.
Beautiful essay. It was poignant to read. I similarly find myself scouring museums and historical sites for the stories of "innovators and dreamers who overcame unimaginable hurdles to build what we now consider ordinary." They didn't know it was all going to work out, or how much others would in the end benefit from their courage and creativity. Thanks for making my day more interesting and beautiful.
Thank you, Emily, for taking the time to both read and also respond with such a thoughtful comment. I couldn’t be a “historian”, but I enjoy being what I call an experiential dreamer. I want to experience the historical site so I can simply dream about them. Haha!
Alex, I think this is one of my favorite essays you've written. Masterful prose. Powerful reflections. Even the word "relic" got me thinking deeper about the metaphor of relics, about their religious significance in my personal history, about people calling middle-aged humans like me "relics." So many implications about ancestry, artifacts, and the past.
You got me thinking about excavation, about mining and unearthing - what all these mean for a person who is trying to understand their place in the world, trying to make meaning of their existence, trying to make sense of where they've been and how it's all shaped who they are and who they are becoming.
Absolutely stunning. Well done. Thank you for the tenderness with which you write, too.
Jeannie, thank you for sharing! I appreciate your reflection and your vulnerability in sharing 🩵. I wrote this one a little differently.
“Relic” came to mind as I was sitting on the side of the road, and I was trying to think about why something held so much power over me. And just as you say - religious significance and relics were almost the perfect fit… they also hold some significant in my personal history.
I love that last line you mentioned here @Alexander Lovell, PhD - “They also hold some significance in my personal history.” That sounds like a conversation you and I could have one day. :)
Such much truth in your words. Yoga teaches us to be compassionate witnesses and create the space between us and what we observe. Fragments from the past inform and may have impacted us, but as you say, they are not us. What we are is so much greater than that.
Reading your thoughts and experiences you have been through invokes my compassionate side so strongly that my reaction is an immediate need to give you a motherly hug. The connections you make to the past from seeing objects from it provide a different way to appreciate them. Once again I was drawn in by your written words and visionary photos thank you for sharing them.