Replying to LO27340 --
Fellow Learners,
For years now I have "listened" to the voices in this listserve. My
blindness to the world has diminished in many respects, while my inquiry
has expanded exponentially. On several occasions At has been kind enough
to respond, allowing me to ask more about and from myself.
Living just miles from the Pentagon, a place until recently, I passed each
day on my way to and from work, I find myself not so much fearful as
inquisitive. I won't learn from my fears, only from my questions.
Someone mentioned to me last week that change occurs the instant a
question is asked. The events of 11/09/01 didn't change me--the questions
I have asked since then have.
I am a spiritual person. I pray when my body, mind, or soul needs me
to--regardless of where I am. I became an adult orphan last year and I
couldn't pray for months. I didn't know what to say. I asked for help
from others, some whom I had never met. Soon I was able to cry. Soon I
was able to find the words, and pray. Due to recent events, I am certain
many others are now experiencing that same fate.
I'm not sure I can find any lessons in the events of 11/09/01. I feel the
lessons will come from what led up to that day, and the events that
followed. How did such hatred beget a network of fellow human beings?
How will choleric men and women within networks (terrorist or otherwise)
be defused? How will seemingly picayune values and beliefs be elevated to
levels that provide the appropriate attention and response?
I'll offer you my answer to all three of those questions: relationships.
It's easy to kill people, but extremely difficult, if not impossible, to
kill relationships. If all terrorists are killed today, will not some of
their hate transfer to their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters,
children, neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances, affiliates, etc.? Even
death cannot destroy a relationship; in a communicative world such as ours
today, ancestral relations are passed on from generation to generation.
Relationships are formed on various levels of love and respect. I see
love as the glue that bonds the relationship together, and respect as the
boundary that defines the relationship. The more love, the stronger the
bond and the weaker, less restrictive the boundary. The less love, the
weaker the bond and the stronger, more restrictive the boundary. We need
to work on creating and maintaining relationships that are nourished by
love.
May all your relationships be filled with love, grow, and prosper.
Namaste,
Bill
-- Bill Hancy SiloSmashers Vienna, VA 22180 whancy@silosmashers.comLearning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>
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