No Reason

A few years ago I was lucky enough to take one course at my dream school.  It was bliss.  The other students, all women,  were so hungry for knowledge that it was an honor to sit in the classroom with them.  They were all so young and were obviously relishing flexing their wings.  I think it was our professor's first full time, tenure track position.  I certainly got my money's worth.

She showed me a new way to think.  That's only happened two other times in college level courses and it is, without a doubt, the BEST experience of an academic career.  In a nutshell she taught me to stop looking at the world through western eyes.  She showed me how to see circumstances as "freedom from" or "freedom to"  while keeping in mind that life is not always so tidily split into halves.

One of the lessons I'm trying to "get" for myself is that now I have loads of the "freedom from" and am desperately trying to incorporate all the "freedom to."  Hard to do when financial resources are so limited and my day is parcelled out by pain endurance.  No matter.  Forge ahead, eh Marjorie?

Another aspect of the lesson is that the western, patriarchal, christian ethic is so deeply inscribed that I am often unaware.  Coming to terms with the revelations that most of the stuff learned as a child, adolescent, and young adult was, at worst, crap and at best well intentioned lies is a continuing process for me.  One that I am now navigating on my own.  Very difficult.  Often misinterpreted.  For example, when I hinted that not all was as it seemed on the (at the time) home front I was accused of plotting a "vendetta."  So much for an even semi-intellectual discussion.  Big sigh. 

I really miss the opportunity to exchange ideas with those incredibly bright young women.  Disagreement was seen as a catalyst for discussion, not as personal attack.  Now that I've got an abundance of "freedom from" there isn't anyone to share.  I will keep looking.  Fingers crossed.  Mind open.