A Manifesto – TheReflectivePen – Part Two
GOALS OF THE REFLECTIVE PEN
(What follows is the second of a three-part Manifesto, a listing of some of the goals of the writer)
To read Part One – Genesis of TheReflectivePen, click HERE)
1. TO REFLECT ON THE ORDINARY
Although wisdom is abundant in the writings of essential people across the ages, everything vital can be found in the contemplation of the ordinary.
—A robin yanking worms out of the ground reminds me that the struggle to find nourishment is universal and the uncomfortable truth that for one creature to survive, another must be sacrificed.
—A pile of dirty dishes on the counter leads me to reflect on gratitude, which is not limited to the food evidenced by a dirty plate, but includes the sacrifices of thousands of people who had a hand in providing it. I bow before a sink of soapy water with thanksgiving.
—Holes in socks and the taste of chocolate lingering on my tongue each have a story of a life well-lived, and wisdom for a continuing journey.
Reflecting on everyday observations and sensations is the path of TheReflectivePen, and the goal is to explore the Divine in ordinary life, especially the last half of it.
2. TO CONFRONT CHALLENGES OF AGING
Aging has often been a realm of negativity and despair that, at least in our society, has consumed billions of dollars in the attempted eradication or cover-up of its existence through surgery, make-up, fashion, and supplements.
It is little wonder that after a lifetime of hiding wrinkles, extra tires around the middle, and wearing hip huggers, we wake up one day to realize these things don’t run very deep.
The challenge of aging happens from the moment we are born. It is relentless. Sooner or later, we must acknowledge its presence.
How We Meet This Challenge
How we meet this challenge is an unanswered question.
This author believes that we can meet aging with the same excitement as exploring a foreign city or climbing Mt. Everest.
It doesn’t require advance reservations except for a few accommodations along the way.
If we plan to go forward into old age, it may be good to have a native guide to carry some of our excess baggage and a pair of binoculars to keep everything in focus.
Otherwise, it only demands healthy curiosity about what is lying around the next bend and a willingness to learn new languages and adapt to changing foods.
And perhaps some mobility assistance from a llama.
3. TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY
As we age, we don’t often think about creating like we did when we were young — when making a career, family and lifestyle was the primary focus.
Having time to create with paint, or trowel, or with the pen seems extravagant unless we are among the fortunate few who discovered early how to make creativity an integral part of daily life.
By the time we reach sixty-five, if we haven’t had the luxury of time and space and material to play like a 5-year-old in a sandbox, we may have forgotten how.
TheReflectivePen hopes to inspire a return to the sandbox of possibilities.
Some Ideas Need To Be Challenged
The idea that there is a door closing as we grow older needs challenging. This door is opening wider as we become less burdened by society’s expectations to over schedule, produce, and support ideologies we don’t necessarily believe.
The freedom in retirement is different from the freedoms we quested after from our youth —the freedom to choose, the freedom to drink, make our own decisions, decide where and how we are going to live, and who we will live with.
The freedoms of old age include wearing purple – or going braless, or sleeping late, or taking time to wander forest paths and write poetry.
4. TO DISCOVER NEW PATHS
If we have lived long enough, each one of us has a litany of wounds and scars from a lifetime of stumbling in the dark, from bumping into controversial personalities, from poor choices, and abuse at the hands of others.
We carry these scars and wounds without the honor of a badge or Purple Heart, hoping to rise above the pain and sorrow to find meaning in our lives.
TheReflectivePen seeks to discover new paths and be gentle guidance for others on the journey leading through a jungle of ideas and possibilities that may not have been available in earlier years.
5. TO EXAMINE RELATIONSHIPS WITH
ORGANIZED RELIGION AND THE DIVINE.
By the time we reach our seventh decade, or beyond, we have become pretty good mountain climbers.
We have weathered avalanches of unexpected difficulties, droughts of finances, and stormy relationships.
Some or all of these events may leave us weary and anxious about what might lie ahead, especially as our capacity to captain our ship comes into question.
We didn’t think much about setting out on high seas for adventure and discovery in our youth, but then the journey was often one of trial and error.
Our spiritual growth may or may not have been an intentional goal and often included some connection with an organized religion of our family’s tradition.
Then comes a day in which dogma becomes unpalatable, or we are wounded by how it was enacted, and we pull back.
Commonly this is followed by a season, either short or long, (or permanent) of avoiding religious services and disconnecting with congregations that were once like family.
Or the exact opposite may occur. Someone who never went to religious services as a youth reaches out and finds what they are looking for in a local congregation. Not often—but it happens.
Looking at Life’s Journey
TheReflectivePen looks at this journey back and forth to the places that feed our understanding and relationship with the Divine.
What are the things that feed a hungry soul after the age of 65 or 70?
How do we grow, and how do we allow ourselves to wither?
Where are the wells we can go to slake our thirst for inner growth? What do ordinary things and events in our lives have to teach us?
If any of these goals resonate with you, you may want to join in the conversation. If you have not yet subscribed, be sure to sign up today and join the many satisfied readers of TheReflectivePen
COMING SOON
Part three of the Manifest0 – More Goals
If you missed Part One – The Genesis of the Manifesto, click HERE.
