“The smallest indivisible human unit is two people, not one; one is a fiction. From such nets of souls societies, the social world, human life springs.”
―Tony Kushner
To what “ nets of souls” do you belong?
Tag: community
Not Like the Other
“One of these things is not like the other,” they used to sing on Sesame Street, “one of these things just doesn’t belong.” The game was to guess what item didn’t fit as part of a set. But they sing the song differently now. The good folks of Sesame Street have figured out that being different from those around you doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t belong.
Is there anywhere in your life where you are obviously different from others in your “set,” yet you still feel that you belong?
Be-Longing
Many times, what we experience in life is less a sense of belonging than a sense of “be-longing.” We long for that one person, that true home, that genuine community, where we will be completely known, completely accepted, completely at one with those around us. But once we leave the womb there is no way to escape the longing for perfect union, which we can experience only in fleeting moments before the reality of living as an individual amongst other individuals, each with our own needs and perspectives, takes over.
When have you experienced a sense of perfect communion?
A Different Apple
One bad apple might spoil the bunch, but an apple of a different color never hurt anybody. Belonging to a group is not the same as being indistinguishable from those you associate with.
How will you support non-conformity today?
In Community with the Land
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
—Aldo Leopold
How do you experience yourself as being in community with the non-human world?