January 29th, 2017
Word of the Day: parergon (n):
____
For Whom the Bell Tolls.
The Bell Jar.
The concept of bells and angst-ridden protagonists seem to go hand-in-hand in literature. The act of "sounding a bell" is an alarm. Staying within the "bell curve" is seen as "safe" and "normal." But when is it OK - indeed preferable - to shatter this casing? And when is it better to stay within?
I don't have absolute answer, but I want to share a concept I thought of myself with you: the idea of ordinary vs. "odd-inary."
I believe that we are all, at our core, united yet unique - hence both ordinary and odd. When we are fully "being ourselves" and true to ourselves, we are therefore odd-inary.
Enough has been written on social media and in countless books about being unabashedly, spontaneously, creatively, and playfully ourselves, so I do not want to belabor the point.
On the other end, when does it behove us to be ordinary and fall within the bell curve? It comes as no surprise that having a fifth of vodka or a fifth pint of ice cream with dinner or no dinner at all certainly isn't where we want to fall. When it comes to when we should fall within the bell curve, our instincts are usually spot on.
But I do want to emphasize usually. Many people are so out of touch with their intuition that it can sometimes be worse to trust what you think your body/ Self is telling you. These are times when you can rely on your "tribe," on trusted sources, on well wishers, on what has worked for other people, and on the bell curve.
This line is blurry at best and knowing when to be odd versus ordinary is a life-long process. I don't think that it is an exact science nor do I believe that there exists any rule of thumb for knowing where to land.
I think that is where the frustration and growth and learning and journey of actually living comes in, in all its messy, confusing, redeeming, glorious wonder.
Word of the Day: parergon (n):
1.something that is
an accessory to a main work or subject; embellishment.
2. work undertaken
in addition to one’s principal work.
Uthman’s Silence
The story is told of
Uthman, who when he became caliph
mounted quickly the steps of Muhammad’s pulpit,
whereas Abu Bakr, out of respect for the prophet,
seated himself on the second step.
mounted quickly the steps of Muhammad’s pulpit,
whereas Abu Bakr, out of respect for the prophet,
seated himself on the second step.
There were three steps.
Omar sat on the third step.
Uthman climbed to the top. When asked why, he replied,
If I sat on the third step, people would say
I was like Omar. If on the second step,
He’s like Abu Bakr.
Uthman climbed to the top. When asked why, he replied,
If I sat on the third step, people would say
I was like Omar. If on the second step,
He’s like Abu Bakr.
But up here where the
chosen one sat, no one will think
to compare me with that king of the
spirit.
And sometimes when he had
climbed
to the preaching place, that sweet one Uthman,
would not say anything. He stayed silent
until midafternoon. No one asked him
for a sermon, and no one left the mosque.
to the preaching place, that sweet one Uthman,
would not say anything. He stayed silent
until midafternoon. No one asked him
for a sermon, and no one left the mosque.
In the silence many began
to see with Uthman’s light.
This is how a living master opens the inner eye.
This is how a living master opens the inner eye.
____
For Whom the Bell Tolls.
The Bell Jar.
The concept of bells and angst-ridden protagonists seem to go hand-in-hand in literature. The act of "sounding a bell" is an alarm. Staying within the "bell curve" is seen as "safe" and "normal." But when is it OK - indeed preferable - to shatter this casing? And when is it better to stay within?
I don't have absolute answer, but I want to share a concept I thought of myself with you: the idea of ordinary vs. "odd-inary."
I believe that we are all, at our core, united yet unique - hence both ordinary and odd. When we are fully "being ourselves" and true to ourselves, we are therefore odd-inary.
Enough has been written on social media and in countless books about being unabashedly, spontaneously, creatively, and playfully ourselves, so I do not want to belabor the point.
On the other end, when does it behove us to be ordinary and fall within the bell curve? It comes as no surprise that having a fifth of vodka or a fifth pint of ice cream with dinner or no dinner at all certainly isn't where we want to fall. When it comes to when we should fall within the bell curve, our instincts are usually spot on.
But I do want to emphasize usually. Many people are so out of touch with their intuition that it can sometimes be worse to trust what you think your body/ Self is telling you. These are times when you can rely on your "tribe," on trusted sources, on well wishers, on what has worked for other people, and on the bell curve.
This line is blurry at best and knowing when to be odd versus ordinary is a life-long process. I don't think that it is an exact science nor do I believe that there exists any rule of thumb for knowing where to land.
I think that is where the frustration and growth and learning and journey of actually living comes in, in all its messy, confusing, redeeming, glorious wonder.
Great writing.
ReplyDeleteThe answers are in the still space where Uthman chose to dwell every morning. Odd is with reference to 'the other'. The reality is 'Aham Eva Idam Sarvam'. My view is that ordinary and odd are purely labels and judgments.
I see your point. I use those "labels" simply to give structure to the context in which we live not as judgments. Also, "aham brahmasmi"!
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