Stop Singing and Start Flying: Escaping Cages of Your Own Design (“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”)5/16/2016 I read a LinkedIn post earlier today written by Kellye Whitney, who I did not know before seeing this. She’s a lot bigger deal than me, so when she wrote “I Know Why the Caged Employee Sings,” she garnered a fair response, some of it really negative. It’s happened to me a few times, and it surprises me because, like Kellye, I write about things that I hope will help the individual and, thereby, the society in which they live. Her article is an overt allusion to Maya Angelou’s poem and book of the same title “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” both very powerful pieces about the issues of race and gender, things I have referred to in earlier writings. Powder keg, right? Why bring it up? The fact that it is a powder keg says that such issues are still issues. And I want to address them because my basic reason for writing focuses on helping others to discover self. When issues like racism continue to be difficult, they tell me that very many folks have not awakened to self or listened to their hearts and that they have chosen heart over ego as their primary life filter. Some people would ask why consideration of something that is classified as metaphysical is even germane to a societal, political debate. I will tell you why, as far as I’m concerned. The solution of discovering self was an option 300 years ago or so when African slavery was being developed. When one knows and listens to her or his own heart, that person does not initiate death, destruction, or suffering. I don’t know and can’t judge if others are moving according to their own hearts and life purpose, except according to this one rule: initiate no harm. Societal problems begin with individual choice and individuals, especially a historically privileged majority, who use their egos to influence others to un-hearty ends. All of us are created equal, by virtue of our humanity. When that hasn’t fit some ruling elite’s definition, they reclassify humans as non-humans — beasts or property. God, that makes me gag to write it because that’s exactly what is done and then justified by those idiots using education, religion, and societal “norms.” And it is true that America and many other developed nations have officially ameliorated those horrific concepts; however, that spirit of elitism and ruling class mentality today carries the spiritual echo and energies of past times. How? In what ways are these past energies radiating the hatred and contempt of one group of human beings for others? I could point out the un-freakin’-believable number of hate groups active today or the stupid stereotyping that occurs or negative comments on social media. Or moronic politicians proposing some actions that are as heartless as those who encouraged and accepted slavery to begin with. The lack of freedom, though, is the ultimate proof that the negative energies of the past still influence the present. The lack of freedom — let’s go back to Maya Angelou’s poem: “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Just a few quick quotes. “A free bird leaps on the back / Of the wind and floats downstream…The free bird thinks of another breeze…” The freedom of the free bird allows it to follow its heart and claim his own domain. The caged bird? “His wings are clipped and his feet are tied / So he opens his throat to sing…A fearful trill of things unknown / But longed for still…For the caged bird sings of freedom.” The only thing left to a bird that is captive, kept for the pleasure of the owner, and handicapped so that it cannot escape — draw all the analogies you wish — the only thing left is to sing of that which it cannot know, dream of unknown joys. Please think about a few questions. Who imprisons the bird? What would the bird do if set free? If the birds whose wings are not clipped and whose feet are not tied willingly walked into the cage, would they really be free? Why do I ask these questions? In my humble but considered opinion, in this day and age whenever confrontations erupt as evoked by Kellye Whitney’s article and the comments in response to that, neither white birds nor black birds who engage in such responses are free. They are encaged by their own egos. For the formerly caged birds, the door has been opened, feet have been freed, and healing has been applied. For the ever-free birds who feel an ego-driven need to re-cage the now freed birds, they willingly cage themselves. Both stand around in the cage chattering at one another and going nowhere. Specific issues can be addressed, and they should be as Ms. Whitney did in a professional, kind way. And there are ways that wings of some minorities which had been clipped in the past still affects them. But to those who have awakened to self and hear and follow their hearts, no limits bar their flight any longer — black or white. Any birds who stay in the cage are bound by their own bars of ego, and that certainly creates rage. The plea here is this: Freedom exists for those who will seek and live core Self. And sometimes, in some areas, where conformity is not followed, where differences from the majority are not favored, and subsequent efforts are made to subdue the nonconformists, THEN enlightened society needs to take action. Members of the majority who oafishly say they are equal and had it just as hard are kidding themselves. African Americans and women, in many instances, have research and statistical proof that wings have been clipped. If you are white and male and claim that is not so, then wake up. But beyond that, I say again, the way and fellowship of the heart is open to all. Get there. Fly free. Don’t longingly sing of unknown freedoms, bound by your own bars of ego. Fly to freedom. Get out of the cage because the door is open. I f you have never read the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, you should. Maya Angelou flew free, you know, by unabashedly declaring and living her heart.
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Today marks the 100th post on medium.com. 500–800 word articles. 100! I confess that I question the time investment on writing at least semi-polished articles that take four to six hours of development from the time I do the Morning Pages post, which initiates my thoughts, to the final posting in the evening, at which point I have touched the draft three times, usually. I question the time involved because I have no income from this — trying to figure that out. I think I’m putting out quality content, but I continue to work through the business end of things. Because money is definitely part of our existence, I struggle at times. It makes writing hard — especially when I have done with this endeavor as I do with virtually anything to which I’ve ever really committed — takes the bulk of my energy, focus, and emotions. Sometimes I have had to power through and grind out the writing, forcing myself to shut out the distractions, the challenges to my passion. I think that one of the little techniques I use might be helpful to others. I call it my Small, Snickering Joys. These are little mental pics that I have frolicking in my mind, things that make me chuckle or produce just a wisp of a smile. What are these little thoughts? Dozens, maybe hundreds, of things like lines from movies — “Must go faster. Must go faster.” Images from nature like a dragonfly who showed off for me one day or planets shining extra bright in the night sky or hooting back and forth at an owl in my backyard. Favorite phrases from television shows — “You’re sitting in my spot.” Or quotes like the ones I shared from Albert Einstein the other day. Or starting sentences or paragraphs with a conjunction to make English teachers go “Tsk-tsk.” These are things that sit on the edges of my mind, waiting to jump into my conscious mind at the right second. Oh, wait, I almost forgot music; sometimes lyrics of favorite songs pop to the rescue. What good do these thoughts do? They create instant little positive vibes that in some way distract from the stress or challenge for just a second or so. I envision that this creates a momentary vacuum that allows positive thoughts relevant to the stress, task, or challenge to flood into that little area. That extra couple of seconds is enough to shift me to at least say something intelligent if not totally positive, either to myself if I’m dealing with an internal challenge or to someone else if it’s external. Maybe, it’s deeper than that, too. I think of this quote by Ralph Marston, a motivational writer: “Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.” Sometimes it’s the little things that require determination to stay positive, because the little things can create big problems if not attended to — “The little foxes spoil the vines.” My little Small, Snickering Joys provide one way to deal with the momentary challenges. It’s so vital to know yourself and help that self develop. We need to have tools at our disposal. I hope that the next time negativity confronts the mind, thoughts, and heart that some Small, Snickering Joy might help you to make a quick, positive shift. “But we’re too busy singing / To put anybody down.” A happy song for me. Yep, that’ll do it. Mindsets determine so much, don’t they? We decide how we view life and what actions that we take based on that view. We determine the how and why of what we do. I think that means a lot in life. We all think differently and, therefore, act differently. That makes life interesting and meaningful. However, when the mindset of leaders includes the idea that collateral damage is a given and acceptable and just part of the price, that can be a problem. I understand the evaluation that “It’s just realistic.” If you are talking about allowing a business to move into or out of a community and the statement is that it will cost some jobs but mean other opportunities, okay, it can be tough, but I get it. However, if you are referring to things like destruction of species, ecosystems, environments, and human life, then collateral damage is neither a realistic nor an acceptable mindset. Leaders are in their positions because they influence people. If that influence is political in nature and leaders arouse people to an energy tipping point that includes death, destruction, or non-sustainability, then two consequences attend that situation: (1). objective collateral damage — people, creatures, things are destroyed or severely damaged (2). subjective collateral damage — those who accept the destruction pathway are themselves damaged in their own conscience, soul, and heart, including the ego-driven leader. Yes, if destruction is a built-in part of the objective, then ego is the main part of the motivation. I want to be solution-focused here; however, my solutions are not very realistic. In education in my own classroom, my mindset and my practice proved immensely successful with the students I had. However, what I did never had any effect beyond that relatively insignificant number of students, even though I greatly value them, and as individuals, they are super-significant. But I do believe that when prevailing educational policy pushes all of the organization towards uniformity and marketability, the collateral damages are curiosity, innovation, creativity, and exuberant joy in learning that should continue for a lifetime. Despite the good-sounding words of districts and “leaders,” they don’t equip students for any of those things. The good news is that human beings are natural learning machines, and that salvages a good part of humanity and make poor policy look good, in some cases. The way to realize change is through grassroots’ movements, some of which are currently operative. If any are motivated to follow their hearts in their realms, whatever those might be, I hope you are a better leader than I was and can inspire followers, followers of their hearts. To meet ego-driven agendas and leaders on their own turf will result in loss, because ego response is the only practical direct confrontation to ego stimulus. The best action is to live your hearts. Do it wisely. Do it in love. Do it in joy and peace. Work with those who are like-minded, and enjoy life. I think those attitudes can initiate grassroots heart movements to create a positive life and more enlightened world, not to mention a whole lot safer one. This mindset presents the antithetical one to those who accept, anticipate, and create collateral damage. This idealistic heart mindset expects blessing to all. When problems occur for these folks, they deal in what I term realistic compassion, which means pain and difficulties may be experienced, but are neither accounted for nor purposed, but they are dealt with in compassion. I wish you the best, always. Sometimes, we need to get in the right frame of mind to perform tasks that must be done. For me, today was that kind of day. Whenever I need to regroup, mentally, emotionally speaking, I know that getting outside and paying attention to nature helps me to put ideas, plans, and actions into perspective. Prioritize and move! As I sat and listened and started noticing nature all around me, even here in the ‘burbs, I thought of a chapter of a book I read many years ago, “A List of Nothing in Particular” from the book Blue Highways: A Journey into America by William Least Heat Moon. In an expanse of desert in Texas, Least Heat Moon sat and sought to make sense of his surroundings, an area that, according to him, people referred to as “there’s nothing out there.” He stopped his van near a mesa and just started listing. That’s what I did today, trying to make sense of where I am heading with my writing — well, really with how anyone is ever going to know that I write or what I write. After not feeling anything in particular, I got outside and just started recording the following passage. I liked it. It ended up…well, I will tell you after you read what I gleaned from outside: Sitting outside because I just had to — not because it’s a gorgeous, golden-sunned, azure blue sky swept with wispy cirrus clouds; not because the cardinals call along with the sparrows and wrens as they all busily flit from tree to tree —two sparrows sparring with one another; not because the green of this mid-spring day is so fresh against the sky, houses, and brown wooden privacy fence; not because the chiding squirrels make me smile; not because my magnificent white puppies bask in this outside; not because the robins chat at me about the new growth spreading all around; not because the busy brown and white chipmunk comically dashes from cover to cover, avoiding the dogs; not because the mourning dove, my muse, occasionally coos or flits helter-skelter from the oak to the pear. No, I’m here, outside, because I simply need to escape the confines of inside, the rising panic I sometimes feel when I’m not sure — of things, some things, everything, maybe nothing. Okay, maybe I am here, outside for all these things. This has made me think of William Least Heat Moon and his “A List of Nothing in Particular” from Blue Highways. I pause to read that chapter. Sometimes nothing in particular leads to SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC! I’LL GO IN NOW! My outside time with Nature led to appreciation of life and the messages we can perceive, the clarity we can gain, the inspiration to motivate us to action. What did I do? I achieved a significant amount of revision work on my novel, The Fellowship of the Heart. I was energized by it. I also meditated, prayed significantly. Ultimately, that time of just absorbing, observing, and recording nothing in particular resulted in a very productive day, including this post. Most importantly, such personal Nature encounters allow us to commune more easily with our own hearts. In order to do that, our egos have to be shut down or bypassed, and zoning out on nature effectively does that. Then, we can whisper in inner dialog or softly aloud, “What do I need to be focused on? Where should I go from here? What action do I take the moment I rise from this chair?” Or any of a hundred different questions. Feel the breeze brush across your arms and through your hair, hear the voices of the birds, see the colors of life — let it wash over you and listen for that heart response. Yes, I highly recommend Personal Nature Encounters for stepping back and taking stock of the big picture and determining what little steps you can take a minute later to paint that heart picture on the canvas of your life. My post that I wrote yesterday — couldn’t publish till this morning because of storms creating connectivity problems — reminded me of how much I used quotes from Albert Einstein when I taught in the classroom. I think that most folks don’t realize that in addition to his 300+ scientific papers, he wrote over 150 non-scientific papers, not to mention his records which are classified as his papers. These were released in 2014 and comprise 30,000 unique documents — according to a Wikipedia entry. Another thing that many people don’t know is that Isaac Newton also wrote much beyond the bounds of math and physics, including much biblical commentary and spiritual writing. I make the point that exceptional minds think beyond their areas of expertise, extending their concerns to the spiritual condition of men and all creation. Who cares? I don’t know, but I do know why I care. A number of people who are considered “greats” were those who followed their hearts and were marked by intensely spiritual interests; they were acutely aware of core Self, and I am quite sure held fellowship with their own hearts regularly. Were they perfect? No, none are, but that awakened Self was responsible for their greatness. I am not making claims for any who I have not mentioned by name in my writings, but those who I have provide great inspiration for me. Einstein is widely quoted for good reason: he had keen insight into life that did not require super intelligence or any scientific knowledge. Anyone who knows the fellowship of her or his own heart values such expressions; they encourage, confirm, and extend our thinking. And that is why I value quotes from Einstein. All the following sentences in quotation marks are Albert Einstein’s. The not-so-inspiring commentary is mine. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Einstein had a deep intuitive sense of how desperately we need nature; the greatest thinkers always have known that. “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” This is the spark of intrinsic motivation and key to the way I learn and the way I offer learning to others. Passionate curiosity initiates the power of imagination and gives a reason to engage in collecting information, connecting it to produce knowledge, and creating even further bodies of knowledge and ways to express that. “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” In my opinion, and Einstein indicates nothing different, he is not speaking of a few exceptional teachers. This is the rule. If a law, district, curriculum, or administrator actively interferes or seeks to eliminate this, then the true teacher defies it in any way possible — overtly and covertly. I did. “All that is valuable in human society is dependent upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.” And herein lies the value of education and the dangers of continuing in current mainstream philosophy that does not actively, constantly, and consistently engender curiosity — at all levels and not just on some occasional fun project. That is what begins the “opportunity for development” of the individual. And embedded in this concept is the focus of education on evoking the core Self of children and young people, of not stifling that individuality, of not insisting on everyone learning the same things at the same time from the same dunderheads who somehow know what is right for every student. Not acceptable to play god with others lives. Do it with your own and that’s great! I could keep going, but before I end today, I want to say that I would not agree with everyone who follows their heart in terms of all issues, but we would have common sympathies. I simply want every individual to have unobstructed opportunity from societal institutions to hear the call of their own hearts, to know Self, to know peace, and to live lives of significance and fulfillment. This is not done in isolation, and life purpose is always in reference to our expression of core Self to fellow creatures in this world and to the Universe. Education should be key in that development. It can be. “Never lose a holy curiosity.” |
Questions to consider:How many times have you asked yourself or simply thought about the following questions?
Who am I, really? What is my truth? How do my actions reveal what I really feel and believe? What would I do with my life if I could do anything? What is my passion? Why am I here? How can I discover answers to any of these questions? If you have considered any of these questions, I hope that my experiences and writing will give you some guidance. Please read my blog and comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you! Archives
December 2019
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