*** I’m getting ready to move, and I’m watching a lot of Felicity re-runs (thanks, Netflix). Two days from flying away, and I’m not sad - yet. Anyway, Felicity moves for college, and it’s a bit of a rocky transition. I realized people love transition - moving, job changes, having kids, getting married or divorced, falling in love. Movies show us variations on change over and over again. This means, we must need the coaching, that lots of people have gone through these transitions and are interested in being entertained by versions of them.
*** We all make changes, and we all expect them to be hard, sometimes embarrassing and then ultimately good. For me, I think practice has helped. Forcing myself to make lots of changes has helped me believe this change will be good. Plus, I’ll have 4 more seasons of Felicity to distract me if it isn’t.
Dec 3
Transitions
Nov 28
‘You’re not an average girl.’
These words to one of our interviewees, by her husband, reminded us of the problem of qualitative research. In distilling themes, making comparisons and grouping responses, we are taking an approach that pushes our research toward the average - and these girls aren’t average! Narrative inquiry might hold a way for us to tell stories without over-summarizing. Or a graphic representation might do the trick: we talked about some way of visualizing the tone and/or laughter in our interviews. It could be tough to move away from average, and yet share legitimate ideas through our research - but we’ll try!
In my religious tradition, there’s a story of a man who was told he would have a child - despite old age, despite years left wanting and hoping. The man is told by an angel his wife will have a baby, and he, naturally, can’t believe it. So, he doesn’t believe it, and just to ensure that the man will not speak against the goodness that is promised, God shuts his mouth up. It un-shuts when the man names the baby (which, of course, happens after the baby is born). I love this. God would go to such extreme measures to protect the goodness He* has planned for His people.
An old yogi told me once that people who speak Sanskrit believe that the words, Sanskrit words, are literal living entities. What one speaks becomes a force as real as the wind, or I guess, as a punch in the face.
Words are vital instruments in Narrative approaches, Feminist approaches and in ACT. Thinking about weaving these three things (the man, Sanskrit and therapy), makes me weigh my words more carefully. It makes me hold and move them like fragile dough, heavy but easily broken.
*To me, God is a He. Hope that’s okay with you!
Nov 25
Man, Sanskrit and therapy
Nov 19
The last few days, I’ve been digesting material from this week’s Buddhist Pyschology & Narrative Therapy training at the Kenwood Center. I’m struck the most by the Buddhist concepts of “self and non-self.” You are you, and you are universal. In counseling, thinking about “non-self,” individuals are free to drop their gender, physicality and other filters at the door. They are invited to see themselves and others as essence, rather than appearance. I wonder how this would effect couples’ counseling and family work… I’ve got more learning to do!
(Image stolen from Spirituality & Health Magazine’s website, with thanks!)
Nov 8
Meditation-November (Medvember?) day 3! Today, I grabbed a tennis ball, a timer and I laid on the floor.
I stuck the tennis ball under my shoulder on a spot that’s been bugging me (switching shoulders halfway through), and put my legs in Baddha Konasana, arms out to the side. Like the photo, minus the pillows and such. If you try it, enjoy it!
- Advice when stuck, from a counseling professor of mine
Nov 8Nov 7
I’ll miss the beautiful (and plain) plains.
It’s so easy to complain about government, but this morning I’m wondering what we can each do about the things that concern us for our country. What can I do see that people in my community are healthy, educated, and have good job prospects?
I can encourage health in the people around me. I can encourage education and even help fund it for others. I can support local businesses, and vote with my dollar. It’s easy to complain, but there is so much that each one of us can do!
