The Collide is Hope

Life is full of moments We capture in our thoughts. But words display the beauty Of what we once forgot.

[collideishope]

When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower."

Alexander den Heijer

[tiavision]

today my anthro professor said something kindof really beautiful:

“you all have a little bit of ‘I want to save the world’ in you, that’s why you’re here, in college. I want you to know that it’s okay if you only save one person, and it’s okay if that person is you”

[collideishope]

True knowledge: the conquest of meaning

Ms. Popova: As a culture — you're right. We seem somehow bored with thinking. We want to instantly know.

Ms. Tippett: [laughs] Right, right.

Ms. Popova: And there's this epidemic of listicles. Why think about what constitutes a great work of art when you can skim the “20 Most Expensive Paintings in History?”

Ms. Tippett: Right.

Ms. Popova: And I'm very guided by this desire to counter that in myself because I am, like everybody else, a product of my time and my culture. And I remember, there's a really beautiful commencement address that Adrienne Rich gave in 1977 in which she said that an education is not something that you get but something that you claim. And I think that's very much true of knowledge itself. The reason we're so increasingly intolerant of long articles and why we skim them, why we skip forward even in a short video that reduces a 300-page book into a three-minute animation — even in that we skip forward — is that we've been infected with this kind of pathological impatience that makes us want to have the knowledge but not do the work of claiming it. I mean, the true material of knowledge is meaning. And the meaningful is the opposite of the trivial. And the only thing that we should have gleaned by skimming and skipping forward is really trivia. And the only way to glean knowledge is contemplation. And the road to that is time. There's nothing else. It's just time.

Ms. Tippett: Right, right.

Ms. Popova: There is no shortcut for the conquest of meaning. And ultimately, it is meaning that we seek to give to our lives.

http://onbeing.org/program/transcript/7584#main_content

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I FORGOT ABOUT THIS WEBSITE.

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Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?

Thornton Wilder, Our Town

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The Voice

“There is a voice inside of you That whispers all day long, ‘I feel this is right for me, I know that this is wrong.’ No teacher, preacher, parent, friend Or wise man can decide What’s right for you – just listen to The voice that speaks inside.”  

Shel Silverstein

[collideishope]

“But the reason that that email sabbatical is really important for me is it forces me to think about time. I don't just disappear. I go through all these steps to communicate with everybody that depends on me and make certain that they have what they need from me before I leave, rather than assuming I will always be in contact. Right? Which is — that's the danger of the “always-on” environment, is that when you're always assumed, then you never close things down. You never take care of your communication with people.“

-Danah Boyd, Excerpt from On Being

I love this. Technology is exhausting and I think this is a big reason why. It’s assumed you’re always available. You could talk to anybody anytime. But in reality we aren’t taking care of our communication with people.

[collideishope]

This makes me want to live better.

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Isn't that interesting? The past is just a story we tell ourselves."

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Yes.

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Now the war is not over Victory isn't won And we'll fight on to the finish Then when it's all done We'll cry glory, oh glory We'll cry glory, oh glory

#selmaisnow #oscars2015 #tears

[collideishope]

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Theodore Roosevelt

Words I needed to hear as the new year begins.

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THAT'S WHAT'S UP.

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As it breaks, the summer will wake But the winter will wash what is left of the taste As it breaks, the summer will warm But the winter will crave what is gone Will crave what has all... gone away.

[collideishope]

Single All the Way

I tend to become especially aware of how single I am over the holidays. This is for several reasons including, but not limited to, my cousins announcing pregnancies or bringing home a significant other for the first time, the umpteenth engagement photo on Facebook, getting together with old friends and announcing that “I am, indeed, still alone,” the Hallmark Channel (nuff said), New Year’s Eve kisses, yadda, yadda, yadda. Cuddle weather makes you long for somebody. Fact.

But as I’ve been pondering my lack of a love interest lately, and admittedly feeling sorry for myself, I got to thinking that as far as love goes, I’m doing alright. Not romantically, sure, but that’s not the only kind of fulfilling love there is. This is something we all know I suppose, but society sure would lead us to believe otherwise. Movie after movie, song after song, day after day, we’re bombarded with the idea that we’ll reach our ultimate contentment when we find “the one.” Conversations with my gal pals often revolve around who is in what relationship. All you need is love, amiright? Now I do agree with the Beatles here. Love is the best! But who says that this love is confined to your sweetheart?

For example, I have this friend I recently reunited with after a long year apart. She’s leaving again soon, and the thought of her being so far away once more is painful. Like, my chest literally aches when I think about this. Our friendship is something rare and wonderful. I love her so much. And she loves me. I feel incredibly lucky about that.

Another example: my sister. We don’t talk as much as I’d like, but when we’re both home for the holidays I’m reminded that there is no one on the planet who understands me as well as she does. I’m so proud of who she has become. Again, I love her. And she loves me. This is an amazing thing! My life is better because of it.

I could go on. But I think my point is this. The idea that there’s one single person out there who “completes” you is bullshit. Now I’m a total romantic, and I truly hope that I do find a fireworks and butterflies type of love with my hubbie someday. But I also hope to experience the indescribable love that a mother only has for her child. There are so many different relationships that make up a life, and so many types of love! We should celebrate all of them more often.

So all my single pals out there, if you’re feeling lonely this holiday season, I get you. It can really suck. But it’s okay if you don’t have that special somebody right now. They might come along in the new year and they might not, but life was never some big lead up to that moment anyhow. Enjoy all the special somebodies you already have. Love them. And let them love ya back. It’s a beautiful thing.

[collideishope]

YES. I have definitely had this realization, especially around the holidays. I think it's because when I see people rushing around and driving home I start to wonder who they're out buying gifts for and who they care about and who is waiting on them to get dinner started and that behind every pair of headlights is a person with an entire existence I'll never even know about. Crazy stuff.

[collideishope]

When I am inside writing, all I can think about is how I should be outside living.

When I am outside living, all I can do is notice all there is to write about.

-Sarah Kay