2023.10.12 Words with Rupi – Time, part one of four, Trauma – The Crack In The fragile, false self-perception I hold so dear regarding “my” time
2023.10.12 Words with Rupi – Time, part one of four, Trauma – The Crack In The fragile, false self-perception I hold so dear regarding “my” time
“…free write 4 paragraphs or stanzas using the 4 words/phrases you selected above, in chronological order. Each paragraph/stanza must include a word/phrase from the above list, in their numbered order,” (5).
I’m going to take “chronological” to be in the order in which these particular phrases/words came to me during the initial exercise. In my case, I wrote these into the prior post in chronological order, so, 1-4 shall 1-4.
“Your piece begins with the prompt “The crack in the.” These opening words are meant to spark creativity. Complete this phrase and continue writing.” (Kaur, 2022, p. 6).
Time – The Crack In The fragile, false self-perception I hold so dear regarding my time
#1 – The crack in the fragile, false, self-perception I hold so dear is seen by everyone, including me; but, I willingly pretend it doesn’t exist. I see my own time in a number of mistaken ways: my own (it’s a gift; and I share my time), should unfold the way I foresee (I don’t control the things, large and small, which actually take/order/shift my time), is resilient (my schedule is actually as fragile as yours – constantly shifting and shiftable by family, unexpected, a car accident, wifi disruption, good news, etc.) Some would simply say: ego.
Back to the exercise at hand:
I literally thought, and somewhat also mentally just thought – I don’t have time for this. Then thought the adage about prayer, reframed onto this exercise – reframed into this exercise: “no, Ben, you don’t have time to NOT consider trauma.”
Then, I tried to get out of my own skin and think: also, not taking this time would be selfish and continuing any bullying/domineering over those to whom I have/am causing trauma.
[simultaneously (ish?) with this first/initial thought that I had upon the original prompt, I was quickly trying to think of trauma done to me (the word always seems so clinical and therefore inapplicable, but I know that we all have had “trauma” done to/upon us, in some sense) and, also trauma I have/am done/caused to others.