Living in the Hallway

To all the world living in the hallway these days,

I think all of my life up to this time has prepared me for this moment.  I think it is moments like this that I am most qualified for.  I have lived in the hallway for many days, if not years, of my life.  The hallway is a strange place to be in, but we must not forget that it too holds importance.

Just like any other room in the house of life, the hallway is in fact a place.  Many times when we are in-between things (a job, relationship, moments of certainty or clarity, etc.) it can be difficult to focus on the here and now.  I especially find this difficult.  I'm not completely certain as to why this is so often the case for me, but I believe it has something to do with my understanding (or perhaps view) of time.

Oftentimes, I find myself in a place of longing.  Longing to be be through with a situation, hoping to be in a better place, whether emotionally, mentally, physically, or otherwise, or perhaps it is reflecting back on a past version of myself with rose-colored glasses.  A number of years ago, someone shared with me her view of these moments as "living in the hallway of life" and it really resonated with me.

You see, when we are so intently focused nostalgias of the past or dreams of the future, we can often miss the present life that is occurring around us every moment.  I do not think that this feeling represents that of the minority, particularly in times of uncertainty such as the current international pandemic.

Professionals working in the helping field like myself will be very familiar with the term mindfulness.  In the last few years, mindfulness has been a buzz word that has been tossed around to refer to practices such as coloring mandalas, practicing meditation, and deep breathing, among countless others.  It is my view that there is a correlation between the recent emergence of mindful practices and much of society's "need" for distraction.

With all of this in mind (no pun intended), I would like to humbly offer my own brief suggestion.  Before doing so, I must confess that although my life has been composed of innumerable hallway moments, I do not always succeed in embracing the hallway.  So, to those of us finding ourselves living in one of life's hallway moments, may I offer a simple, though perhaps profound, piece of advice:

Look around you and recognize that life is happening today.

Yes, it is true that life happened yesterday, and of course, for many of us there will be life to live in 40 seconds, two hours, seven days, and maybe even 19 years.  However, life is happening today.  It's going on right now.  Whether we choose to admit it or not, life is every moment, and every moment we are breathing is life.  It could be argued that even when we hold our breath life continues, but I will not slide down that rabbit hole at this time.

In the end, all I am trying to say is that I hope that you (and I) can find ways to embrace the life going on at this very moment and resist the temptation to see it as something going on around us.  We are not Saturn with life as our rings waiting for us to jump on board.  Those rings are dusty, and so is a life lived waiting for the living to happen.  There are moments in life that will feel monotonous, boring, and perhaps a sense of being stuck, however let us choose to embrace those moments as they come to us and as they are.

Do We Need Politics?

Can there be law (and order) without politics?  It sure seems there could be some greater sense of order without it all.  By that I mean it's pretty easy to imagine people actually getting along instead of just sitting around arguing all the time if politics were somehow eliminated from the scene.  How could a republic function without politics?  Or is it even possible?

It seems like a place without politics would have to be a location free from opinion.  For aren't opinion and differences of perspective the parents of politics?  If everyone agreed on everything what would be the need for politics (if any)?  I feel that I grew up largely in a blind bubble when it comes politics.  Now, mind you, this bubble is not a place where politics was nonexistent.  Rather, my eyes were closed to politics and its effects both in my life and the community.  It is strange to consider that reality today, but at this moment I believe that it is true.

Yes, politics stem from differences of opinion and perspective, but why are politics necessary in this 21st Century world?  I understand the necessity and value of varied perspectives and a wide spectrum of tastes and interests, but politics, is that something we need?  Maybe there is a different system that could work more effectively and efficiently.  Perhaps something like a balanced system that swings like a pendulum when necessary.  Maybe I'm a romantic idealist in all of this or maybe this is none of my business to discuss.

On a someone tangential note, has anyone every truly considered the phrase (title?) "leader of the free world"?  I think it's rather interesting that we (the United States) consider the US President the "leader of the free world."  This has nothing to do with the current individual holding the office, but rather the sentiment behind a statement in which a supposedly democratically elected person is the leader of all free people.  I know it is a rather generalized statement, however has anyone considered that rather than the elected official being considered the leader of the free world, perhaps it is the constituents that ought to be considered the collective leader(s) of the free world?

With this thought in mind, I assert that the constituents in mind would be not only those of the United States of America, but all voting eligible people throughout the world.  After all, democracy is meant to be for the people and by the people, is it not?  I understand that the US is seen as the great democratic experiment, but it is not even the largest democratic nation.  I also grant that the United States exercises a profound amount of influence on the geopolitical stage, however how often do we consider why this is?  Is it because it is the present empire at the peak, the proverbial puppet master at this time in human history?

Who is to say that in 50 years time the president of China or its people won't be considered the new "leader of the free world"?  I recognize that the previous statement may hold a lot of weight for many people for numerous reasons.  To consider the leader of a Communist (or Socialist really) nation a leader of the free world may be big stretch for some when considering countless crimes against humanity the Chinese government is likely guilty of.  However, can't the same be said of the United States?  The US has climbed has not climbed the power ladder like an innocent child on the slide down at the local park.

Just some thoughts I had to release tonight as the new normal is baking behind the scenes, in the public eye, and quarantined with its family for who knows how many more days.