Venerable Vulnerability
So, this morning I made an announcement to the office that I lost my access card [much to my chagrin].
I had to ring the doorbell to get in today. Ann-Marie had a look of surprise on her face when she answered the door and saw me standing there. She said she thought it would have been Curtis. Ha!
I retraced my steps to the mall yesterday, visited the security desk, called lost and found, talked to the food court workers, and alas, no one has seen my access card.
Interestingly enough, my boss just laughed and said, "We'll get you a new one."
Huh. Good thing I'm not my boss. I'd have given myself a hard time.
On a completely different note, I was at Alanna's house last night, with Shelley, Jenna, Dale, Roland and Dave. We were talking about what it means to be vulnerable, and I was saying how we tend to live in a society that's very "safe". We don't really get in each others' faces about things, even when it could be helpful. I'm envious of people/communities/cultures that have the openness with one another to challenge each other in an atmosphere of genuine love or concern for the other's wellbeing. [Sounds so clinical, eh?]
One of the years I grew the most as a person was the year I spent at the Urban Harvest leadership school.
It was brutal.
People crossed into my "safe zones" all over the place, and as much as I have said that I want to be challenged in my life, it was really hard. I wasn't used to people calling me on my crap. [Why is there so much?!] My anthem for the year was "It's gonna be worth it....."!
The flip side is, I also need people in my life to help me see what's good. And I don't mean just fluffy flattery, either. Often I get caught up in trying to "fix" all of my problems, and forget that there's a heck of a lot that I have going for me, and I am incredibly blessed. [That would be "lucky" if you don't speak Christianese.] There's something invaluable in having someone to give you perspective when you're lost in the woe-is-me woods. :-)
Perspective, butt-kicking, encouragement, wisdom, vulnerability, letting down walls, giving, receiving...
Do you think this would be the true meaning of "community"?
I had to ring the doorbell to get in today. Ann-Marie had a look of surprise on her face when she answered the door and saw me standing there. She said she thought it would have been Curtis. Ha!
I retraced my steps to the mall yesterday, visited the security desk, called lost and found, talked to the food court workers, and alas, no one has seen my access card.
Interestingly enough, my boss just laughed and said, "We'll get you a new one."
Huh. Good thing I'm not my boss. I'd have given myself a hard time.
On a completely different note, I was at Alanna's house last night, with Shelley, Jenna, Dale, Roland and Dave. We were talking about what it means to be vulnerable, and I was saying how we tend to live in a society that's very "safe". We don't really get in each others' faces about things, even when it could be helpful. I'm envious of people/communities/cultures that have the openness with one another to challenge each other in an atmosphere of genuine love or concern for the other's wellbeing. [Sounds so clinical, eh?]
One of the years I grew the most as a person was the year I spent at the Urban Harvest leadership school.
It was brutal.
People crossed into my "safe zones" all over the place, and as much as I have said that I want to be challenged in my life, it was really hard. I wasn't used to people calling me on my crap. [Why is there so much?!] My anthem for the year was "It's gonna be worth it....."!
The flip side is, I also need people in my life to help me see what's good. And I don't mean just fluffy flattery, either. Often I get caught up in trying to "fix" all of my problems, and forget that there's a heck of a lot that I have going for me, and I am incredibly blessed. [That would be "lucky" if you don't speak Christianese.] There's something invaluable in having someone to give you perspective when you're lost in the woe-is-me woods. :-)
Perspective, butt-kicking, encouragement, wisdom, vulnerability, letting down walls, giving, receiving...
Do you think this would be the true meaning of "community"?
posted by jacelyn at
8:26 p.m.
2 Comments:
It could be the ideal community...
...except that I am cautious of the culture of "Butt-Kicking" when it arises more out of the kicker's need to kick butt rather than kickee's real need to be kicked.
If someone were get in my face and challenge me forcefully about something it would likely have the opposite effect. I would want to ask exactly they feel they need to do that to me when a simple suggestion would have been sufficient.
If done it should be undertaken with a tremendous amount of humility because I have seen several scenarios where the one initiating the challenge is dead wrong in their assumptions and wouldn't take no for an answer.
It can become something religious.
By
Anonymous, at Tue Jul 26, 10:56:00 a.m. 2005
I equate community with support. Community is quickly becoming an abused word. It's what we call ourselves when we want to feel like everything is 'tight' between everyone.
There has to be a deposit of love and grace before there is too much in-your-face butt-kicking. Without a deep committed relationship on both sides, the advice will fall on deaf ears.
Too often we use telling the 'Truth' as an outlet for our uninformed, unjustified opinions. Things we need to get off our chest, more than the other person needs to hear them.
By
Anonymous, at Tue Jul 26, 02:12:00 p.m. 2005
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