the speaking tree - We Are In The `Space Between Stories'
Marguerite Theophil
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Every individual and every culture has a story that we hold on to in order to make sense of our world.But things are definitely changing. All over, young and not-so-young people no longer believe so resolutely in old paradigms.Our givers or maintainers of the story used to be religious heads, elders, and often, our politicians. But now most people no longer believe them; often with reason. Most of them imply that they know, they have the right answers, that everything is under control; we know that it is not so. We are, as things indicate, in that `space between stories'.
But what is this space between stories? Broadly speaking, it is the time when our familiar ways of understanding and behaving are no longer applicable. The old story of who i amwe are, what is real, what is true, whom to believe and how to navigate life, is breaking down. What had seemed so un derstandable, permanent and reliable is revealed now as being just an illusion.
Very simply put, it is a state of `I don't know'. Our world is entering it, and so are many of us as individuals, and we don't do `I don't know ...' well at all! Sometimes the new story and its related new ways of thinking, being, and doing emerges gradually; short cycles of change, with success and elation interspersed with disappointments and setbacks.At other times, it plunges us into a different world so swiftly that it is a while before we even know it has happened.
At a time of any longstanding, familiar story nearing its end, it goes through death throes. We know that normal isn't coming back again, and as a consequence, we experience a desperate clinging on to life no matter what. In this scenario, there comes fierce opposition, domination, conquest, violence, blame and separation taken to absurd extremes. But this need not be so.
The breakdown of the old story is actually a kind of a healing process; yet one that is very hard for us to fathom. In its worst moments, it uncovers old, unhealed wounds and false assumptions that had been hidden just under the surface of a `business as usual' or `all is well, really' attitude. When we comprehend that the old story does not suffice but that the new one isn't quite here, many people, especially those in authority , rush to make sense with their own limited version of Truth. We go on pretending that everything is still normal, or rush into heightened expectations of change, impatient for results we crave. So the question becomes: How can we prepare for this? Actually, we cannot fully prepare. But we are being prepared by the space between the stories. Here, we will be challenged to hold on to our positive and healthy values, else succumb to the negative exhortations of others and give them up. We will be pushed to condemn, suspect, hate and punish rather than to listen and understand the root cause of the frustration and pain of `the other', whoever that might be.
It is in such moments of paradox, tension and yes, creative energy that we can discover our humanity or our lack of it. We don't simply speak of compassion, justice or peace we strive and struggle to manifest them, moment by moment. We face each other, help each other, and take care of one other, human to human. This we commit to do at both the individual and collective levels. The new story will never be easy, but it can be good. It is up to us.
But what is this space between stories? Broadly speaking, it is the time when our familiar ways of understanding and behaving are no longer applicable. The old story of who i amwe are, what is real, what is true, whom to believe and how to navigate life, is breaking down. What had seemed so un derstandable, permanent and reliable is revealed now as being just an illusion.
Very simply put, it is a state of `I don't know'. Our world is entering it, and so are many of us as individuals, and we don't do `I don't know ...' well at all! Sometimes the new story and its related new ways of thinking, being, and doing emerges gradually; short cycles of change, with success and elation interspersed with disappointments and setbacks.At other times, it plunges us into a different world so swiftly that it is a while before we even know it has happened.
At a time of any longstanding, familiar story nearing its end, it goes through death throes. We know that normal isn't coming back again, and as a consequence, we experience a desperate clinging on to life no matter what. In this scenario, there comes fierce opposition, domination, conquest, violence, blame and separation taken to absurd extremes. But this need not be so.
The breakdown of the old story is actually a kind of a healing process; yet one that is very hard for us to fathom. In its worst moments, it uncovers old, unhealed wounds and false assumptions that had been hidden just under the surface of a `business as usual' or `all is well, really' attitude. When we comprehend that the old story does not suffice but that the new one isn't quite here, many people, especially those in authority , rush to make sense with their own limited version of Truth. We go on pretending that everything is still normal, or rush into heightened expectations of change, impatient for results we crave. So the question becomes: How can we prepare for this? Actually, we cannot fully prepare. But we are being prepared by the space between the stories. Here, we will be challenged to hold on to our positive and healthy values, else succumb to the negative exhortations of others and give them up. We will be pushed to condemn, suspect, hate and punish rather than to listen and understand the root cause of the frustration and pain of `the other', whoever that might be.
It is in such moments of paradox, tension and yes, creative energy that we can discover our humanity or our lack of it. We don't simply speak of compassion, justice or peace we strive and struggle to manifest them, moment by moment. We face each other, help each other, and take care of one other, human to human. This we commit to do at both the individual and collective levels. The new story will never be easy, but it can be good. It is up to us.
