Health knowledge made personal
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Patchi at the Middle Years is hosting Scientiae this month. Her theme is "Mirror, mirror on the wall" which almost served as the title to this post, but I thought I might try for something original.
The last year or so has involved rediscovering my dreams. I have some dreams where people consistently told me that I had no business having them. These dreams are too directly personal to blog, but they shape what I do. These dreams shape my understanding of myself and my understanding of my work. In a word, my dreams are missional. And they're back. It is interesting to watch in the mirror when people tell you have no business dreaming your dreams. The spark once in your eyes fades, and you collapse into a sea of dullness, a sea of apathy. It is uncomfortable to be in your own skin as you think you're a freak for wanting the things that you want. The mirror becomes a painful place as you know that you're selling yourself out in the interest of keeping the peace with the important players around you. But occasionally, major players in your life start asking you what you want. Sometimes these people even care about how you answer. And what is even rarer is when these people pledge their support. Perhaps you have gotten better at describing your dream to someone else, or perhaps the people looking at you see the spark return to your eyes when they ask their first question. Going after one's dreams is different than simply following one's heart. A true dream provides an energy of its own and invites you to run, to run for all your worth and try to pursue the dream as closely as possible. A true dream gets you out of bed in the morning and invites you to live your life just a little bit differently than everyone else. A true dream allows you to be yourself. A dream has a crazy power of its own. Connecting with a dream seems to connect you with the divine. Dreaming dreams like these is hard work. All around us we find people who would rather we live according to the status quo. And a dream does not have to be wackily non-traditional in order to be a true dream. One of my best friends is living her dream right now as she raises her family (she had her first child in February). I know she is living her dream because I see the spark behind her eyes. And who am I to try to extinguish that spark? When I look in the mirror and see the own spark in my eyes, I know I am on the right track. |
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