Musings. A lot of depth but skimming the surface.
My blog has been quiet in part because I have been thinking about complex things. Writing out a thoroughly thought out argument or even opinion is a lot. Then deciding to put it online is another question.
I have also been working a lot. For someone who works 30 hours a week (or so) working 10 days in a row is a lot. I've felt very very pooped out on work and simultaneously behind on work. Then when I finally got a day with the kids I was packing for a trip, processing a bunch of social interactions...and as such I did not have a good experience with the kids.
Ick. Ick...so here are some of the things i could write a whole post about but probably wont:
Lately I have had some really distressing interactions with conservative Catholics. REALLY DISTRESSING! And am once again reminded that all of my education is meaningless if you disagree with me.
Some amazing experiences with students who were surprised by my perspective and freed to ask questions they had never considered before. Which, in light of the one above was really helpful..."by their fruits"...I am feeling affirmed that one of the fruits of my ministry is that young people ask more questions.
I had some vulnerable experiences with a colleague where I asked for them to share an area of expertise and they used parts of it to tell me how I wasn't doing my job well...
I have been thinking a lot about what my kiddos do that make me mad and how to work on that...why does them moving every single stuffed animal into the living room make me mad? Is it because I have more work to do? Is it because my space is disrupted etc. What is it exactly and how can I hold that lighter??
There is also life and death all around me right now. People living well and deeply and people dying or grieving. I have so many thoughts about this ONE GIFT! The only single gift we get in life- is life. I"ve been pondering it personally and pondering it in terms of social justice.
So this is is it. Where I am. In my scattered, messy life.
I have also been working a lot. For someone who works 30 hours a week (or so) working 10 days in a row is a lot. I've felt very very pooped out on work and simultaneously behind on work. Then when I finally got a day with the kids I was packing for a trip, processing a bunch of social interactions...and as such I did not have a good experience with the kids.
Ick. Ick...so here are some of the things i could write a whole post about but probably wont:
Lately I have had some really distressing interactions with conservative Catholics. REALLY DISTRESSING! And am once again reminded that all of my education is meaningless if you disagree with me.
I had some vulnerable experiences with a colleague where I asked for them to share an area of expertise and they used parts of it to tell me how I wasn't doing my job well...
There is also life and death all around me right now. People living well and deeply and people dying or grieving. I have so many thoughts about this ONE GIFT! The only single gift we get in life- is life. I"ve been pondering it personally and pondering it in terms of social justice.
So this is is it. Where I am. In my scattered, messy life.
I will say your witness as a Liberal Catholic was incredibly important for me in college! Before college... I literally did NOT know you could be liberal and catholic. I don't think i had really met people who self-identified as both. I thought that they were just opposite and it was impossible. Now I hear people use words like "liberal" to mean bad and "conservative" to mean good in the context of the Church, and I just cringe! (And yes I do sometimes call people out instead of just cringing).
ReplyDeleteAnyway for what its worth, thought you should know you could be making an impact that isn't visible yet :)
As always, I love reading your blog. You always give me something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI get the "stuffed animal" comment. I'm not sure who said it, quite some time ago in my life, but "will it matter in five years?" Will it matter in 5 years that the kid/grandkid/visiting kid spilled juice on the floor/took out all the toys and dumped them into chaos/threw food/got handprints on the window... I try to keep the "will it matter in 5 years" thought at hand, though I'm not always very good at it.
Much love.
I don't understand your sentence " all my education is meaningless if you disagree with me" Kathy
ReplyDeleteIn conservative Catholic circles people will commonly ignore common sense in favor of something a priest told them. Even if it is absolutely false. I have a common experience that more conservative catholic students will not give me even a single bit of pastoral authority because I am a (youngish) woman....despite my education and experience. It is a valuable but irritating experience.
DeleteThanks, Rachel. Now I understand what you meant. K
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