Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Compassionate curiosity, Minnewaska State Park


A lovely afternoon at Minnewask lake with family..you are NOT taking that way from us!!!

"posed in a tone of compassionate curiosity, “why?” is transformed from rigid accusation to an open-minded, even scientific question. instead of hurling an accusatory brick at your own head (e.g., “i’m so stupid, when will i ever learn,” etc.), the question “why did i do this again, knowing full well the consequences?” can become the subject of a fruitful inquiry, a gentle investigation." a quote from gabor mate’s in the realm of hungry ghosts: close encounters with addiction
A quick search of the terms involved reveals a lot of new agey feel good filler and a few pearls of wisdom. Running through it all are two themes which are central to a Social Worker's commitment to the "Other". Compassion defined as "compassio, from compati to sympathize, from Latin com- + pati to bear, suffer —, which signifies an identity with the humanness of the one whom you face. Levinas writes extensivelly on the subjet and the Hebrew phrase "Panim el panim" gives it a more direct and empathic significance. Curiosity is defined as a desire to know;or a an inquisitive interest in others' concerns. Separately each term can have connotations that have little to do with Social Work, but in its symbiosis the term "compassionate curiosity" defines the need to engage oneself and the other on the quest of self without judging. One is there/here to listen and seek, to progress in a journey which will bring clarification.

Here is the link to the short documentary "Logorama" It's good!!! there is so much visual overload that we no longer notice it but it dominates our lives. Yikes!

They are threatening to CLOSE Minnewaska State Park???? Are they even joking??? There is NO WAY IN HELL that they will get away with it. Not with the people who live around it, myself included, not with the passionate rockclimbers of the GUNX, and not with my aunt's dervishly energetic involvement, they won't!!!

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