Words and beyond
With the magic of the internet, all of us who spend much time plugged in are daily assaulted with words which, if not careful, become synonymous with people.
By the time I was headed for the gym at 6 a.m. this morning the words communist, socialist, democrat, republican, zealot, conspiracy theorist, thief, American, patriot, and a host of others had already assaulted me as each was delivered with passion and often in an angry us-them format. There was seldom a hint of human beings who live with fear, joy, pain, disappointment, love, and yearning for meaningful connection.
While at the gym I listened to an interview on Fresh Air. Dave Davies interviewed the journalist and author, Kai Strittmatter about his new book Life in China’s Surveillance State. I heard more words and faced the danger of forgetting that the words attempted to describe the emotions and actions of mothers, fathers, siblings, children, friends, and neighbors. Please don’t misunderstand. The interview, and I am sure the book which I have yet to read, tells an important story which all of us need to know. Yet, at the same time, one does not want to forget the people costumed with these words. Whether it is the President of China, Xi Jinping or all those given important power positions in the bureaucracy, it is important to remember how in in Mr. Strittmatter’s home country Hitler succeeded by giving those whose had been assigned words indicating they were unworthy of love and respect uniforms and power which allowed them to feel powerful and important.
Every reader of this blog knows, all too well, of my fondness for words. I love words. I love language. Yet, the power of words and language is both exciting and frightening.
I love the internet and the fact that I can easily listen to authors and others who offer opinions. Rather than searching my bookcase or that of the local library (post covid reopening) I can google my favorite poems.
In my profession there is a lexicon of words to describe the illness or the group of people who seem to have the symptoms of those illnesses. This lexicon is so familiar to many it is not unusual for someone to call me and say I am a bipolar or a schizophrenic or…. They are a person whose symptoms may or may not describe an underlying illness. One needs to know their history and even the history of their ancestors to begin to know them as a person before assigning a label.
Many years ago, I was at a men’s retreat with other men I had not previously met. The challenge presented was to get to know each other without any mention of job/profession, education, marital status, sexual orientation, race or other labels. For some sessions we were blindfolded and for others naked or given the exact same costume/clothing to wear. The challenge was to get to know each other as people with whom we shared much.
Palestinians and Israeli people have been meeting in small groups as people for years and finding that they have the same range of emotions, desires and hopes. An Irish friend of mine shares the brotherhood he shares with people born and raised in the Middle East,
I will function as a therapist remotely today. Sometimes we will be able to see each other and other times there is only the voice or the words in a text or an email. The challenge for me will be to “see” the person who uses the words; to touch and share their pain as well as their joy; to access our common humanness; to use the words as porous shells which hold my twin. I will face the same challenge while listening to or reading the words of the news or meeting a neighbor in the elevator.
Written January 6, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
With the magic of the internet, all of us who spend much time plugged in are daily assaulted with words which, if not careful, become synonymous with people.
By the time I was headed for the gym at 6 a.m. this morning the words communist, socialist, democrat, republican, zealot, conspiracy theorist, thief, American, patriot, and a host of others had already assaulted me as each was delivered with passion and often in an angry us-them format. There was seldom a hint of human beings who live with fear, joy, pain, disappointment, love, and yearning for meaningful connection.
While at the gym I listened to an interview on Fresh Air. Dave Davies interviewed the journalist and author, Kai Strittmatter about his new book Life in China’s Surveillance State. I heard more words and faced the danger of forgetting that the words attempted to describe the emotions and actions of mothers, fathers, siblings, children, friends, and neighbors. Please don’t misunderstand. The interview, and I am sure the book which I have yet to read, tells an important story which all of us need to know. Yet, at the same time, one does not want to forget the people costumed with these words. Whether it is the President of China, Xi Jinping or all those given important power positions in the bureaucracy, it is important to remember how in in Mr. Strittmatter’s home country Hitler succeeded by giving those whose had been assigned words indicating they were unworthy of love and respect uniforms and power which allowed them to feel powerful and important.
Every reader of this blog knows, all too well, of my fondness for words. I love words. I love language. Yet, the power of words and language is both exciting and frightening.
I love the internet and the fact that I can easily listen to authors and others who offer opinions. Rather than searching my bookcase or that of the local library (post covid reopening) I can google my favorite poems.
In my profession there is a lexicon of words to describe the illness or the group of people who seem to have the symptoms of those illnesses. This lexicon is so familiar to many it is not unusual for someone to call me and say I am a bipolar or a schizophrenic or…. They are a person whose symptoms may or may not describe an underlying illness. One needs to know their history and even the history of their ancestors to begin to know them as a person before assigning a label.
Many years ago, I was at a men’s retreat with other men I had not previously met. The challenge presented was to get to know each other without any mention of job/profession, education, marital status, sexual orientation, race or other labels. For some sessions we were blindfolded and for others naked or given the exact same costume/clothing to wear. The challenge was to get to know each other as people with whom we shared much.
Palestinians and Israeli people have been meeting in small groups as people for years and finding that they have the same range of emotions, desires and hopes. An Irish friend of mine shares the brotherhood he shares with people born and raised in the Middle East,
I will function as a therapist remotely today. Sometimes we will be able to see each other and other times there is only the voice or the words in a text or an email. The challenge for me will be to “see” the person who uses the words; to touch and share their pain as well as their joy; to access our common humanness; to use the words as porous shells which hold my twin. I will face the same challenge while listening to or reading the words of the news or meeting a neighbor in the elevator.
Written January 6, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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