Take off
I have been planning this journey for a couple months--not that long when considering the magnitude of the transition. Admittedly, I have an impulsive streak. Planning, in my experience, does not always yield the results I seek. My first stop on this indefinite expedition is Watertown, CT. This land originally belonged to the Paugasuck tribe. After being introduced to small pox by European colonizers in the 1600s their population was decimated by disease, and then they were relegated to a reservation at Golden Hill, CT. Folks like myself, of European descent, take for granted that the land we inhabit, go to work, raise families, and, in my case, travel across the country on, is stolen. Our whitewashed history makes it easy to traverse the land and live our lives without guilt. And it is true, you and I did not steal this land--we did not rape and pillage, but pretending these realities did not happen is harmful to the soul. We are creatures of comfort and do not like to dwell on histories that make us question our privileges. On its face, this makes sense--it is easier to ignore your inherited advantages. However, ignoring others' legacies of pain and suffering only hinders our connection to each other and to the cosmos. The cosmos--that which is everything--is a universal energy that we can connect to if we find access. (Throughout these musings, I will use the cosmos as being interchangeable with the concept of a higher power). For coming in contact and appreciating others histories of oppression is tethering yourself to reality--that is where the soul rests. The soul also rests in acknowledgement of our own pain and suffering. The more we distance ourselves from awareness of our privileges and our own sufferings, the further we are from the truth. When I feel pain and suffering---whether my own or someone else's--I feel alive. This may seem paradoxical--but suffering is not catastrophic, rather an acknowledgement of the truth. The truth can be painful, but it grounds us. It may be painful to acknowledge that our ancestors participated in enslavement, genocides, and other atrocities. It may be painful to acknowledge our own misfortunes and struggles. However, these understanding ultimately brings us into a healing space. Being of and with the truth connects us to the cosmos in a way that allows us to heal, to grow, and to flourish.
