As I walked Town Neck Beach this morning I felt a peacefulness wash over me even though the churn of the sea was quite wild. There was far more seaweed than usual because of the waves and storms swirling out in the Atlantic. I started thinking about nature in its many forms.
NATURE: 1. natural scenery. 2. the external world in its entirety. 3. the inherent character or basic constitution 3. the physical constitution or drives of an organism (Merriam Webster)
I know what happens to my character & constitution when I’m too emerged into the artificial world. I feel less certain, more anxious, disconnected from my inherent nature, and my struggles feel all-consuming. Being in nature makes me realize…well, good grief, it ain’t all about me.
What if we received NATIONAL NATURE ALERTS?
THIS IS A NATIONAL NATURE ALERT: GET out into nature immediately! This warning is in effect EVERYWHERE for the next 10 minutes. Step away from everything artificial NOW without any form of communication and just breathe. If you have more time it is advised that you use it freely.
When I feel more grounded in nature my challenges seem like a teeny tiny portion of the hum of the whole universe and our shared human experience.
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.”
Yesterday morning I wondered what would happen if every time I was told something negative about my choices, behaviors, or words I reflexively answered, THAT’S FAKE NEWS or ALL A HOAX. Even if there were videos, tweets, or recorded phone calls of what I said, I continued to falsely proclaim these are lies fabricated to damage me personally. No accountability ever required.
I have a hunch if I behaved that way my marriage would be over. My children wouldn’t bother talking to me anymore. My friends would distance themselves and likely drop off entirely. My community involvement would be quite unwelcome.
My husband and children might schedule a full psychological evaluation and begin an investigation into the hopeful possibility that an underlying health concern may be at the root of it all…or coronavirus perhaps?
Next, I imagined what if I told people that only my blog and the words of a few people I’ve deemed credible tell the REAL TRUTH and no other source can ever be trusted? I would repeat this often and never let my followers forget.
Unable to sleep, I slipped out of bed in predawn America trying to understand the emotions I felt while watching yesterday’s events unfold in Washington DC, our nation’s capital, and also the city where my daughter attends college. I have to admit, I was and am currently all over the place.
While I edited yesterday’s post, I suddenly started thinking about Democracy as a woman who finally summoned her courage and decided enough is enough.
She chose to honor her beloved constitution after years of suffering. Democracy began the long process of leaving her abusive relationship by finally asking her parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and friends in Congress, The Press, and Law Enforcement for help to get her to a place she feels safe and valued once again.
My hope for Democracy and anyone else suffering to come out of the fog (fear, obligation & guilt) of abuse and begin the much-needed healing process.
Examples of Emotional Abuse
Alienation – The act of cutting off or interfering with an individual’s relationships with others.
Belittling – Condescending and Patronizing – This kind of speech is a passive-aggressive approach to giving someone a verbal put-down while maintaining a facade of reasonableness or friendliness.
Baiting – A provocative act used to solicit an angry, aggressive or emotional response from another individual.
Blaming – The practice of identifying a person or people responsible for creating a problem, rather than identifying ways of dealing with the problem.
Bullying – Any systematic action of hurting a person from a position of relative physical, social, economic or emotional strength.
