We often imagine storytelling as a grand act — a sweeping account or treatise of who we are, where we’ve been, what we’ve survived, and what we’ve learned. Something cohesive. Something definitive. Something that explains everything. But that kind of storytelling — the autobiographical, whole-of-life summary — is not only daunting; it’s also rarely where … Continue reading The Story Told Is the Story Known: On the Power of Small Stories
Life Learnings
The Seduction of Choice: Why life is more than the choices you make
A contemporary definition of freedom is the power to choose what we want to do. The more options, the more autonomy. Our societal interpretations are built on this premise: agency vs. structure. We champion and idolise the idea that agency is the highest good, the mark of a valid and flourishing life. Jobs we choose, … Continue reading The Seduction of Choice: Why life is more than the choices you make
Tradition: peer pressure from dead people?
The places you have walkedI consider holy groundAnd I will love the things you love despite my prior thoughts about – You in everything, Gang of Youths. In an album replete with songs reflecting his father’s passing, I was struck by David Le'aupepe's lyric. For me it speaks of a question that many of us … Continue reading Tradition: peer pressure from dead people?
On insulation: When compartmentalisation hurts as much as it helps
I was in a moment praying a while ago, asking for wisdom and guidance, and a weirdly specific and innocuous image came to mind: Insulation. Styrofoam peanuts. Bubble wrap. Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com Random, right? Perhaps not. For what does insulation do? Protects. Surrounds. Insulation keeps things safe. It stops breakage. It … Continue reading On insulation: When compartmentalisation hurts as much as it helps
I don’t know what to call this post: Or, on a life of chronic indecisiveness.
My friend Eleanor is one of the most decisive people I know. In the time I've had the pleasure of calling her friend, I don't think I've ever seen her doubt herself, once. She knows what she wants in life, in meals, in relationships, in fashion choices, in her faith, and in her tile choice … Continue reading I don’t know what to call this post: Or, on a life of chronic indecisiveness.
On controlling a narrative vs living a legacy: Maybe there are times to tell the full story
Travers: "Mary Poppins is the very enemy of whimsy and sentiment. She's truthful. She doesn't sugarcoat the darkness in the world that these children will eventually, inevitably, come to know - she prepares them for it. She deals in honesty. One must clean one's room. It won't magically do it by itself. This entire script … Continue reading On controlling a narrative vs living a legacy: Maybe there are times to tell the full story
A Jack of all trades, Master of none; On being a bridge between worlds when we’re left of centre
A few months back I finished a lecture in one of my Sociology of Gender classes. It was a great, dynamic exchange with students: the conversation was lively and engaged. But as I returned to my office, I felt the overwhelming need to burst into tears. I was wracked by doubt both in my status … Continue reading A Jack of all trades, Master of none; On being a bridge between worlds when we’re left of centre
What if I’m not special? The myth of individuality
(on creativity & contribution, Part 1) Mt Crawford Forest, Adelaide Hills My new favourite place is the Mt Crawford Forest. My family and I ‘discovered’ it during the recent lockdown and consequently found ourselves returning there every few days: It’s a beautiful place, stuff your Narnia-dreams are made of. Closed to traffic, it was so … Continue reading What if I’m not special? The myth of individuality
“I just can’t feel any more feels”; On emotional lethargy & trauma
In the summer of 2003, my sister and I travelled around the United States, spending a number of days in Washington D.C. Now what does one spend their time doing in Washington D.C.? Museums, of course. Museums, museums and more museums. It was an interesting, sometimes wonderful, and often-times somber trip. We saw monuments and … Continue reading “I just can’t feel any more feels”; On emotional lethargy & trauma
we the redeem-able, we the restor-able
2018 has not been an easy year for my family. There were job changes and losses and juggling. There was stress and sickness. There was the learning of how to parent a 2 year old that never forgets ANYTHING. And there was also the building of a house which seconded and underpinned all of our … Continue reading we the redeem-able, we the restor-able
Better With Pockets 