In the Middle of History

Logistics:

Man – family first, work second, blogging third. Sorry, folks.

We need a lot. It’s so hard to actually purchase something with such massive implications. But we need a lot. Hopefully we can find a way to press purchase sometime in the next month or so. If not, feel free to start yelling at us about it.

In the Middle of History

I’ve been thinking about the evolution of people… of how it takes time to learn… wisdom comes with age – that sort of thing. I feel at 34 yrs. old, I have finally reached my first point of clarity. It’s a weird feeling to explain, but I’m starting to see a layer deeper than I saw to this date. And it’s intriguing. It’s like seeing a new dimension for the first time… You actually start to wonder how many more dimensions you are yet to discover.

I found it so weird that in high school history class we talked about topics like they were ancient history when people were still alive that lived it. In reality, we are in the middle of history. Our decisions today are a part of the story. Brexit is part of the story. Trump is part of the story. Racism is part of the story. Sexism is part of the story.

I then think how powerful it would have been if I would have gotten to this point of clarity (the “new dimension”) well before I was 34 years old. How much more learning there is to do from this point…

So, I wonder how to introduce these concepts to Vivianne. About telling her that she was not born in an era where everything was good, pure, and simple. We have a complicated ‘history,’ and it impacts our decisions and biases today. The sooner that’s realized, the more productive and intense learning can start.

I loved This American Life’s The Birds and The Bees episode about the topic of how (and when) to introduce tough topics to youngsters. I hope Dave and I can help Vivianne reach this clarity quicker than we did. I hope we make the right decision about when and how to introduce these topics. I hope she enjoys the constant quest of learning like her mama does. I hope she reaches a dimension or two of further understanding than I’m able to reach in my lifetime.