The
Sacred Pause
“Enough.
These few words are enough.
If
not these words, this breath.
If
not this breath, this sitting here.
This
opening to life
we
have refused
again
and again
until
now.
Until
now.”
David Whyte
I
had a conversation with a friend of mine last night. We were sitting
in my living room, sharing a glass of wine, and catching up on each
others week the way that friends do. Since the Republican convention
has just ended, I asked whether he had watched any of it and what he
thought of the ticket and the platform. As if I had flipped the 'evil
switch', he went into attack mode. His face reddened, his volume
raised and he stabbed the air with his finger to punctuate his angry
words. He went from perfectly civil to furious in a nanosecond.
It
occurred to me as I watched this transformation, that this is where
we are when it comes to political opinions. Perhaps its because of
the model we see on attack ads, or with aggressive talk-show hosts.
We have a saying here in the South--'His mama didn't raise him
right!'--that covers a multitude of bad attitudes. Perhaps that's it.
When
I called my friend on his behavior, he seemed surprised and
embarrassed that I pointed out the change. When I asked what happened
that caused him to become so angry and aggressive, he was at a loss
for words—clearly, he didn't know either. It's like Rumpelstiltskin
has taken over our collective mind and is pitching a fit when he
doesn't get what he wants.
I'd
like to propose a truce to everyone who reads this blog. Between now
and election day, pause before you speak. A sacred pause. A breath.
And if you cannot speak with a civil tongue to your friends and loved
ones about politics, don't speak at all. Just breathe. It is not
worth losing a friend to have your angry rant. Words have power and
sometimes there is a breaking point at which we cannot withdraw our
venom. Do we really want to poison our relationships simply because
we disagree over this one subject?
In
the spirit,
Jane
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