With enough digital distraction and mis/dis-informational campaigns people are living for the material world outside and do not reflect inwards. I knew I had to do something this year and so I started to research and write on LinkedIn until I learnt of Substack in March and started writing there. I follow my instincts with everything I do for Falastin. No one to tell me and no one to support me but I listen to my conscience and here we are. I pray everything I do and will do will aid my people’s liberation and educate/inspire those that read it.
Covid didn’t help the masses either. We want to digitize every service and reduce/eliminate human touch points. We will become more machine and lose the empathy if it was ever within us.
I wonder how many of us reflect and how many are willing to change. My life this year is different. My world never the same again.
I don't know how people stand it, Najwan. How people can be so cruel, to not see the 'me' that everyone experiences.
Substack, for me, was just a lark back in August, 2023, when I first started. I like blogging and noticed a number of writers I enjoy use this platform. So when I found out it was free, I thought, "Why not?"
And then October 7th happened, and it completely changed my direction.
Our biggest struggle is to make sure we don't lose touch with our humanity, and help others not to either.
Ameen. Otherwise what is the point of it all? I am not here to be a commodity or a puppet or a muppet. I am a soul that wants to love and care and help the lives around me (and that does not include my single dwelling or zip code)
Being Seen: Being seen is the same as someone who listens to you deeply. People never forget, as long as they live, even childhood memories of feeling completely seen and accepted. Nothing puts you more at peace; nothing in the world feels better. Even if there is only one such memory, we carry it in our hearts forever. We never forget it, it meant so much, honored so much. It was more of a gift than we could consciously know. But intuitively we knew. The soul knew. Seeing and being seen completes a mysterious circuit of reciprocity of presence that Thich Nhat Hanh calls ‘interbeing’ or interconnectedness. That presence reassures us that we can be who we actually are and we can remove the mask.
What is the force that binds the stars?
I wore this mask to hide my scars.
What is the power that pulls the tides?
I never found a place to hide
What moves the Earth around the sun
What could I do but run and run and run
Afraid to love: afraid to fail,
A mast without a sail. CM
Sadly, most of our memories are of never being seen; unaccepted, ridiculed, for being as we are. It is amazing though how few such memories exist, or never at all.
How strange that we should feel compelled to hide our wounds when we are all wounded. Community requires the ability to expose these wounds and weaknesses to our fellow creatures. It also requires the ability to be moved by the wounds of others… But even more important is the love that arises among us when we share, both ways, our woundedness. Be kind and supportive to one another and if we all pull together, we can end poverty and save our planet, and be there for the children.
I have just listened to Rachel McDonald's podcast on violence (Planet Critical) and you echo the comments I made there: that there is both individuals and the collective of humanity and while we have seen these as conflicting paths our true path is to integrate the two.
We have devolved into a "Me First" culture in the West where as long as I'm doing OK, everything and everyone else is OK, too. To a great extent, we have lost the ability to think outside of ourselves and to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, as if compassion and empathy were signs of weakness. You can see this breakdown in the often crude way people talk to each other, if they talk at all, and in their lack for common courtesy. You can see it in our culture's role models: celebrities, politicians and billionaire, all people who care only for their images and welfare. Technology has done a good job of separating and isolating people despite the claim that the Internet, social media and cell phones promote communication. The end result is emptiness that only healthy connections with other people can fill, but that involves hard work and commitment and an open heart.
How very sad. I think there are still some societies where people connect and empathy isn't a bad word, but we need so much more kindness and understanding and communication between people.
My sense is that the lack of these things is creating a lot of loneliness in many.
I don't think Netanyahu is concerned with anything except maintaining his power and control and maybe right now with staying out of jail. He isn't leading a genocide because he is afraid of the people he is having killed. He is committing genocide because he is a greedy, power hungry creep who cares about nothing and nobody but himself. If he ever thinks about what he might have in common with those he is killing, displacing and stealing from, he doesn't care.
I'm sure Netanyahu's 'me' is a shrivelled up little scrap of a thing, Susan. Even lying, which he does so regularly, disconnects us from others and their humanity. Never mind committing genocide.
I couldn’t agree more, Diane. We need bridges that bring us closer together, allowing us to embrace the profound beauty of our divinely woven diversity. It is this harmony within our differences that gives depth and meaning to our shared humanity.
With enough digital distraction and mis/dis-informational campaigns people are living for the material world outside and do not reflect inwards. I knew I had to do something this year and so I started to research and write on LinkedIn until I learnt of Substack in March and started writing there. I follow my instincts with everything I do for Falastin. No one to tell me and no one to support me but I listen to my conscience and here we are. I pray everything I do and will do will aid my people’s liberation and educate/inspire those that read it.
Covid didn’t help the masses either. We want to digitize every service and reduce/eliminate human touch points. We will become more machine and lose the empathy if it was ever within us.
I wonder how many of us reflect and how many are willing to change. My life this year is different. My world never the same again.
Viva la 🇵🇸
I don't know how people stand it, Najwan. How people can be so cruel, to not see the 'me' that everyone experiences.
Substack, for me, was just a lark back in August, 2023, when I first started. I like blogging and noticed a number of writers I enjoy use this platform. So when I found out it was free, I thought, "Why not?"
And then October 7th happened, and it completely changed my direction.
Our biggest struggle is to make sure we don't lose touch with our humanity, and help others not to either.
Ameen. Otherwise what is the point of it all? I am not here to be a commodity or a puppet or a muppet. I am a soul that wants to love and care and help the lives around me (and that does not include my single dwelling or zip code)
Sigh
Me too, Najwan. We're all global citizens in this interconnected world.
Ameen habeebti ♥️
My keffiyeh is on the way! 🇵🇸
Holiday present to myself. I want to get one for the family as money permits🙏
Good for you! I love wearing mine.
🇵🇸
Being Seen: Being seen is the same as someone who listens to you deeply. People never forget, as long as they live, even childhood memories of feeling completely seen and accepted. Nothing puts you more at peace; nothing in the world feels better. Even if there is only one such memory, we carry it in our hearts forever. We never forget it, it meant so much, honored so much. It was more of a gift than we could consciously know. But intuitively we knew. The soul knew. Seeing and being seen completes a mysterious circuit of reciprocity of presence that Thich Nhat Hanh calls ‘interbeing’ or interconnectedness. That presence reassures us that we can be who we actually are and we can remove the mask.
What is the force that binds the stars?
I wore this mask to hide my scars.
What is the power that pulls the tides?
I never found a place to hide
What moves the Earth around the sun
What could I do but run and run and run
Afraid to love: afraid to fail,
A mast without a sail. CM
Sadly, most of our memories are of never being seen; unaccepted, ridiculed, for being as we are. It is amazing though how few such memories exist, or never at all.
How strange that we should feel compelled to hide our wounds when we are all wounded. Community requires the ability to expose these wounds and weaknesses to our fellow creatures. It also requires the ability to be moved by the wounds of others… But even more important is the love that arises among us when we share, both ways, our woundedness. Be kind and supportive to one another and if we all pull together, we can end poverty and save our planet, and be there for the children.
So true, Colin. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
I have just listened to Rachel McDonald's podcast on violence (Planet Critical) and you echo the comments I made there: that there is both individuals and the collective of humanity and while we have seen these as conflicting paths our true path is to integrate the two.
We have devolved into a "Me First" culture in the West where as long as I'm doing OK, everything and everyone else is OK, too. To a great extent, we have lost the ability to think outside of ourselves and to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, as if compassion and empathy were signs of weakness. You can see this breakdown in the often crude way people talk to each other, if they talk at all, and in their lack for common courtesy. You can see it in our culture's role models: celebrities, politicians and billionaire, all people who care only for their images and welfare. Technology has done a good job of separating and isolating people despite the claim that the Internet, social media and cell phones promote communication. The end result is emptiness that only healthy connections with other people can fill, but that involves hard work and commitment and an open heart.
How very sad. I think there are still some societies where people connect and empathy isn't a bad word, but we need so much more kindness and understanding and communication between people.
My sense is that the lack of these things is creating a lot of loneliness in many.
Absolutely!
I don't think Netanyahu is concerned with anything except maintaining his power and control and maybe right now with staying out of jail. He isn't leading a genocide because he is afraid of the people he is having killed. He is committing genocide because he is a greedy, power hungry creep who cares about nothing and nobody but himself. If he ever thinks about what he might have in common with those he is killing, displacing and stealing from, he doesn't care.
I'm sure Netanyahu's 'me' is a shrivelled up little scrap of a thing, Susan. Even lying, which he does so regularly, disconnects us from others and their humanity. Never mind committing genocide.
A very good post, Diane!
I'm glad you enjoyed it Mary.
"Love conquers all". The theme of Virgil's epic saga of Aeneas from The Aeneid.
I couldn’t agree more, Diane. We need bridges that bring us closer together, allowing us to embrace the profound beauty of our divinely woven diversity. It is this harmony within our differences that gives depth and meaning to our shared humanity.
Yes, I agree, with your beautifully worded observation.