I have always believed this Earth journey is not a solo one. The Hadzabe of Tanzania are a tribe located in north-central Tanzania. The Hadzabe are an egalitarian group of people with no governing hierarchy or status difference. Children are raised cooperatively thus a child turns to any adult for parenting. It means a child is never alone but always valued.
All of us going through life at one point end up with some kind of a mentor who changes our life. Some are teachers, some are extended family members, some are strangers.
In my case, mine was a teacher in high school. I was at a point that no one really knew I was on the planet. My parents left us alone and I was getting more feedback at school about my life. I was going through the motions and starting to think about the steps to leave the planet. I had not planned the specifics of my leaving but was thinking about the process.
Then one day in my English class our homework was to write an essay - I don't even remember what the topic was about. I turned in the paper to the Catholic nun running the class and thought nothing more about it. The next week when English class was over the teacher asked me to stay behind. She told me my writing was very good and she wanted me to talk to the journalism teacher.
I went to the journalism room with hesitation and the place was filled with activity. The teacher had me sit next to her and asked a few questions. She then asked if I would be interested in joining the paper staff and writing articles. I asked her what that meant.
She said if I joined my first assignment would be to take a photographer the next day and go to interview the junior varsity cheerleaders. I confirmed with amazement that my 'job, my actual JOB' was to talk to the JV cheerleaders with someone who would take pictures. My mentor had shown up and I said yes. Midway through my junior year I became editor and was editor my entire senior year. It literally saved my life. Years later my brother and I made a special trip back to the convent where the nuns lived to thank those two nuns.
We need other people and it is so silly how much resistance we can foster because at some point someone hurt us or abused us. Don't minimize the work of healing from the process. But don't let that stop you from all the beautiful human beings around you. The brief time of hurt and abuse is in the past; heal and move forward.
During one of my sermons one of our deep thinkers shared a thought he had been thinking the night before. He was prone to getting up in the middle of the night. He realized how important it was to have someone he could call at 3 AM when his personal world was going through meltdown. We all need that. Please, please take some time and determine who your 3 AM call is to. If no one comes to mind, then dig for treasure and find your support.
Once or twice a month I go through my phone contact list and call a couple of my contacts. I need the support; I need the communication; I need the contact. It is the balance that reminds me of the Divine that is all around us. Who you gonna call? Love busters!
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