Sunday Musings – May 26, 2019
The weather here in Wheeling, West Virginia is a metaphor for the week. A few minutes ago, it was raining and now the sun is shining. Earlier it was foggy. The forecast calls for more rain. The week has included magical moments of being present with others; of individuals completing a residential treatment program while family and friends, including counselors offered words of congratulations and dared to hope that they will hold on and use the use tools for living that they have been gathering. Daily there were also magical moments of joy with store clerks, others at the gym, and friends near and far. On many levels it is easy to know that one is blessed.
There were also moments of being reminded that citizenship and friendship often requires wrestling with tough decisions; decisions such as if and when to attempt to intervene when a friend has symptoms of dementia but is legally competent to decide to continue to live on their own; decision such as how to respond to some community, national and international issues. Thankfully I do not have any political or other authority to make decisions. Yet, to do nothing is also to act. Are we, as a nation in the United States, in the midst of a Constitutional Crisis? Are we, as a nation, deliberately playing chicken little with the leaders of Iran? Is it ethical for the United States president to publicly join forces with the leader of North Korea in insulting one of the 2020 presidential candidates? It is practical, ethical or moral to build more jails to warehouse people whose primary diagnosis is a mental illness? It is true that we as health care professionals have to allow insurance companies to dictate how we interact and treat clients. Once school loans are paid off how much money does one need to live decently? Once again, who are the least of these?
In short it has been a week during which I have been acutely aware of being challenged to respectfully and openly listen to the “truths” which other posit while not allowing myself to be bullied in agreeing to an opinion when said opinion does not make sense to me. Daily my version of the truth or my understanding or perception (for this moment) is being challenged. At times, if honest, I must admit that I contemplate selling my house and living in a cabin on a lake where my most important decision is to fish or not fish that day. Yet, for today, that does not seem to be a moral choice for me. Perhaps tomorrow it will be. In the meantime, I will have to remind myself not to take this “truth” business or myself so seriously while taking the business of lovingly listening to the truths of others and doing my best to be a responsible family and community member very seriously.
Written May 26, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
The weather here in Wheeling, West Virginia is a metaphor for the week. A few minutes ago, it was raining and now the sun is shining. Earlier it was foggy. The forecast calls for more rain. The week has included magical moments of being present with others; of individuals completing a residential treatment program while family and friends, including counselors offered words of congratulations and dared to hope that they will hold on and use the use tools for living that they have been gathering. Daily there were also magical moments of joy with store clerks, others at the gym, and friends near and far. On many levels it is easy to know that one is blessed.
There were also moments of being reminded that citizenship and friendship often requires wrestling with tough decisions; decisions such as if and when to attempt to intervene when a friend has symptoms of dementia but is legally competent to decide to continue to live on their own; decision such as how to respond to some community, national and international issues. Thankfully I do not have any political or other authority to make decisions. Yet, to do nothing is also to act. Are we, as a nation in the United States, in the midst of a Constitutional Crisis? Are we, as a nation, deliberately playing chicken little with the leaders of Iran? Is it ethical for the United States president to publicly join forces with the leader of North Korea in insulting one of the 2020 presidential candidates? It is practical, ethical or moral to build more jails to warehouse people whose primary diagnosis is a mental illness? It is true that we as health care professionals have to allow insurance companies to dictate how we interact and treat clients. Once school loans are paid off how much money does one need to live decently? Once again, who are the least of these?
In short it has been a week during which I have been acutely aware of being challenged to respectfully and openly listen to the “truths” which other posit while not allowing myself to be bullied in agreeing to an opinion when said opinion does not make sense to me. Daily my version of the truth or my understanding or perception (for this moment) is being challenged. At times, if honest, I must admit that I contemplate selling my house and living in a cabin on a lake where my most important decision is to fish or not fish that day. Yet, for today, that does not seem to be a moral choice for me. Perhaps tomorrow it will be. In the meantime, I will have to remind myself not to take this “truth” business or myself so seriously while taking the business of lovingly listening to the truths of others and doing my best to be a responsible family and community member very seriously.
Written May 26, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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