Hello Corina,
Your message struck a cord with me (made me think deeply). I was born
into poverty. The first memories I have of a bath tub are of a 44 gallon
oil drum cut in half length wise filled with water carted from a spring
many metres from our homstead by horse and sled and heated in a copper
container with firewood. We used to use lengths of timber to stop it from
tipping and spilling all the water onto the ground.
The extended family that helped nuture me were warm, loving and trusting,
they loved people and helped me to remain trusting with a love for people
in all their dimensions despite what some of those of our species have
done to to dissuade me. They taught me how to plant vegetable crops, they
taught me how to train dogs to hunt wild pig, and to hunt deer and birds,
they taught me how to harvest from the sea. I believe that they initially
instilled in me the values that enable me to trust people long after so
many have (in my opinion) let me down. The warmth of that extended family
who always "accepted" me remains a source of inspiration for me to face up
to life with it's many faces. Not all of us on the list have a PhD.
Why am a part of this list?
I am a training and development officer with a large (in New Zealand
terms) manufacturing company. I am constantly dealing with people far
more academically endowed than me yet with emotional quotients (EQ not IQ)
at a level so low that it drains me emotionally by the day to keep them
focussed on the objectives of the business. I am a part of this list to
be able to share academically and practically with people who deal with
people and to learn and hopefully ( when given the opportunity) to
contribute to the pool of "learning organisation" knowledge.
And how do I feel?
So far (2 years approx) a little intimidated by the "BIG" words (my
description of the abstract dialogue). Yet the themes and contributions
have helped me emmensely in clarifying my own thoughts or have prompted me
to research further and learn more.
You ask why we use this list for such cold things. I have my own
interpretation of your "cold things" and still I am able to find warmth in
the ice. Coming from my background I know in my own mind what you
describe as ".....constantly put yourselves on a superiority position".
I will be eternally greatful to my own father who at approximately 65
years of age and for the next decade, appeared to entrust his further
education to us, his 13 children, only interrupting when our
teaching/learning/probing/ wanderings strayed outside his terms of
reference for "wisdom" gained from providing for most of his then 65 years
for the physical and emothional needs of his own and his extended family.
My Dad was a Kaumatua, an elder of our tribe and thus looked to for
guidance by the tribe yet was humble enough to learn from us in the
servant leader role, a "mentor".
Corina I am soon to be 52 years old. In the summer learning semester of
2001-2002 I hope to graduate with a Bachelor of Business Studies with a
double major, and it's been a long an arduous task.
I have 4 of my own children and I'm trying to be to my children at 51 as
my Dad was to us at 65. If I winnow the "wheat from the char" on this
list I can still find some of those gems of wisdom, those threads of love
and caring for "man" that our father threw lovingly our way.
May you continue to learn and to contribute
Regards
Dennis.
--"Dennis Rolleston" <dennisr@ps.gen.nz>
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