Earlier today I shared my story in an empty AVA studio with my work, Casey Carpenter and his cameras. It was raining & cold, but the light was lovely & the space welcoming, as always. I am here, I thought, in community. At last. The day began with a 6am Zoom call with Natalie Isaacs, the founder of 1 Million Women. With 1000 people from around the globe I joined the conversation. We shared joy in each other's company & inspired each other to feel the collective power of our individual actions. It was the perfect way to close out Earth Month 2020, as was this summary of actions completed by the Upper Valley Climate Action 2020 team in this year's Earth Day Ecochallenge. 34 of us showed up and did a bunch of cool stuff. We were among more than 10,000 people & were 1 of 818 teams. Yay us! But now I'm struggling with a sense of inadequacy I've felt all month, a feeling that emerged, I think, because I was being measured. What am I to do, I wonder, with the joy of being in community making a difference for people & the planet and the simultaneous strange anxiety that that participation creates? For me, it means it's time to go to the compost, and see if, once again, it can help me make sense of our world. On Earth Day it was fresh snow & a few days later it was a bunch of flying insects among the shredded COVID-19 behavior guidelines sent by our President. Hot and cold; Inspired & anxious. Is that what I will remember about Earth Month 2020? Measurable data, whether from an ecochallenge or a global health crisis, is real & understandable. When it comes to climate, I feel good that I have done something to increase biodiversity or decrease waste; When it comes to health, I feel proud that I have helped flatten the curve. But it feels like that objectivity actually denies me the visceral realities of being human... ...like the joy of arranging silky colorful fabrics into a 'collage' or the deliciousness of these treats from Umpleby's, where I collected compost earlier today & purchased this weekly "Stay-At-Home" 'pick-me-up.' As I ate these treats, I reflected on this collective need to 'be counted,' whether in the economy, in an Ecochallenge, or in this global crisis. Might this slowing down invite us to think more deeply about this connection between individuals and the collective, whether on Zoom or in our kitchens? And in the process, might we also consider the differences between what is actually counted and what actually matters? If I counted everything that mattered, I would no longer be living - - I would be a counter, not a person. It would be weird. I fumbled my way through the EcoChallenge, just as I feel like I am fumbling through this COVID-19 situation. Flexibility and forgiveness of self and others seem vital, especially when dealing with variable weather and emotional fluctuations during a global pandemic! But as the story I told this morning reveals (you'll have to stay tuned for the actual video), powerful things happen when we honor moments of tension & discord. I'm coming to understand not just in my head, but deep in my heart, that reconciliation with self in relation to climate is possible, but only when in community, whether that community is a bunch of plants or garbage or really cool people at a place like AVA. To learn more about this cool storytelling stuff, check out Casey Carpenter's work and stay tuned for whatever comes next. Please
be vigilant, stay safe & be well. You and I are not alone and we are definitely in this together.
4 Comments
Leslie Potter
5/4/2020 09:21:25 am
Wonderful what you wrote Lyn. Inspiring and thought provoking. A reminder that each of us, is going through this in our own way and its helpful to hear others perspectives. Thank you for all that you share.
Reply
Judith Colla
5/4/2020 11:50:12 am
Lyn,
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Evelyn R. Swett
reframing the narrative in community and with myself, finding transformation and joy in the mess of it all Let's ReFrame!
is a somewhat regular 'viewsletter' that hopefully inspires joy & transformation. It will include links to recent blog posts & updates about my work. Oh, and I promise I won't share your information (that would be so uncool) and I don't actually do promotions, but that text is required. Archives
December 2020
Categories
All
|