“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein
My journey seems a never-ending pursuit of mysteries and adventures around the next corner. I have, for the entirety of my life, been a curious soul, wondering, creating, imagining, and dreaming.
When I graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with my teaching certification, in 1997, and at the age of 30, I took a two-week trip with the Center for Global Education. We went to Guatemala and El Salvador to learn about sustainable development, particularly as it applies to women.
I often think of this trip as my before and after. Nothing was ever the same again.
This morning an image from Guatemala came to mind. It was that of a chicken tied to a little rope, which was tied to a stake in front of a small house.
The chickens (or pigs, or goats, or whatever else was tied in the yard) were fed and cared for. They were not pets, they were food. They were tied so that they would be safe, not get hit by a car, or wander off and get eaten. That small circle of dirt provided all that the chickens needed. There was no real need for them to go further. Of-course we know that beyond the length of the rope, there was a whole world for the chicken to discover … but its needs were being met right there.
So, as I pondered my dreams this morning, I thought about that small rope. I know, for certain, that a small circle of dirt isn’t big-enough for me. I know that I have always had the desire and the will to venture further. I wondered what my rope is made of, and whether I’m free to untie it, or simply cut myself free.
… and so I wonder what your rope is made of, dear one. I wonder whether you’re okay, in your circle. Are your needs being met? Do you have all the support you need in order to honor the person you’re created to be?
I went to Central America to learn about sustainability, how those impoverished villages were finding ways to thrive. I went to learn how women who have been traditionally suppressed, and who’ve survived long years of grief, violence, and war, are surviving and finding strength.
I thought my adventure in Central America was to learn about them … and it was. But through hearing their stories, I learn about me. This journey was, and continues to be, about me. It was about Jane, before she knew about chickens tied to little ropes … and after.
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” — Leonardo da Vinci
With biggest love, hugs, and all the courage we can muster,
Love,