General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Baby boomers are killing themselves at an alarming rate, raising question: Why? [View all]felix_numinous
(5,198 posts)First :
I am 56, just last night I was thinking about how sad it is to watch a system fail. Truly, we are watching one era end and another begin.
Last night I was reading that change begins with death, then rebirth as something new. I think that sadness and grief must be embraced ( perhaps Kubler Ross 5 stages of death) --completely-- in order to make room for what is to come, for creativity, and to totally let go of what is not working.
Going through cancer here, and the hidden gift of this is being given permission to be sad and to acknowledge pain. In doing so I recognize how poor so many are in allowing ourselves to do this.
Our freaking country has changed-- profoundly-- > what would happen if we grieved it and let go of the illusion that a dying corrupted system would ever fix itself---grieve it, allow the sadness?
What would happen if this grief (which is powerful) was looked upon as a gateway to the future and not a disease?
What if we found ourselves free of old expectations enough to start creating something new? Planting forests, communities, making our own energy--the internal shift has to happen, but cannot while we are so emotionally invested in what has been ( and continues to be) lost.
Our society is too stoic-- we are human and we need to honor pain and death as well as the joy. What is not grieved is either projected outside ourself (as in 'why don't they____?') or buried deep within and allowed to just fester. Expecting a corrupt system to fix itself is like staying in an abusive relationship.
I have a tendency to be on the stoic side, so when I share my sadness with someone, I find great strength in vulnerability-- because underneath it all we need our authenticity. And many times, after tears comes some laughter.
Another