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I posted this under arfie's "IT" thread, and then thought it might deserve its own thread.
" "There's an African folk tale of the monkey and the banana. A monkey was sneaking into a village stealing, and they couldn't catch him. So they buried a narrow necked jar in the village square.
The jar's opening was big enough for a hand to go in and out, but no more. Then they put a banana in the jar as bait.
The monkey crept into the village that night again. He saw the banana hidden in the jar and reached in and grabbed it. The villagers came out of hiding to catch him. All he had to do to escape was LET GO of the banana, pull his hand back out of the jar, and run.
But no, he wanted the banana more than his own freedom, and kept trying to pull his hand out of the jar with the banana, refusing to escape without letting it go.
The monkey sits in a cage today in the village square, captured only because he would not let go of a banana for the sake of his own freedom.
Letting go can mean our own freedom. Don't just go bananas. "
" "There's an African folk tale of the monkey and the banana. A monkey was sneaking into a village stealing, and they couldn't catch him. So they buried a narrow necked jar in the village square.
The jar's opening was big enough for a hand to go in and out, but no more. Then they put a banana in the jar as bait.
The monkey crept into the village that night again. He saw the banana hidden in the jar and reached in and grabbed it. The villagers came out of hiding to catch him. All he had to do to escape was LET GO of the banana, pull his hand back out of the jar, and run.
But no, he wanted the banana more than his own freedom, and kept trying to pull his hand out of the jar with the banana, refusing to escape without letting it go.
The monkey sits in a cage today in the village square, captured only because he would not let go of a banana for the sake of his own freedom.
Letting go can mean our own freedom. Don't just go bananas. "
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I haven't written in my diary on my computer since May because I thought that my computer was dying. I got away from writing but my computer is hanging in there. I think that I will start writing in it again. It's so therapeutic.
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First, I hope everyone is doing well, and continuing to fight that good fight! Keep up the great work on yourselves; I'm rooting for all of you!So, I started doing therapy at the beginning of the year, when I was in my most depressed state, but with my therapist, I made big changes and steps in the right direction. But, over a month ago, she couldn't take my insurance anymore, and I had to stop...
From my current view from inside the gilded cage of a suburban housewife, that banana has a symbology my husband might not choose as the "IT" he wants me to let go of...
In that context, it was about learning let go of my male stereotypes to work well with my female colleagues as a young teacher joining the faculty back in 1980. Fortunately, I got the point young enough and have had good relationships with female colleagues ever since.
My immediate supervisor is an awesome woman boss, and my community college prez is a woman, too, and a great one. Glad I heard the parable young enough to make it count.
It is not the letting go which hurts. It is the holding on which hurts.
With all the good intentions in the world, if you help it, the chick's neck muscles, which are meant to develop muscle strength in the egg shell pecking exercise, will be too weak. The chick's neck muscles will be underdeveloped and unable to hold up the chick's head after it's hatched.
By helping too much, you'll kill the chick. Sometimes you have to let go and let someone do for themselves. It's not just nice. It's necessary for them, even life and death--for a chick anyway.
As a teacher it helped me remember not to over do for my students, even if I mean well. I have to let go and let them do.
Works in my life beyond teaching as well.