Time

There have been a few instances over the last month when I have sadly been reminded how short a life-time really is and how quickly time passes. I realized this morning that my maternal grandparents were my current age when I graduated from high school and went off to college (the first time), and I thought they were old - then!

In the 1970s, when I was a teen, I enjoyed looking at old photographs of my grandparents from the 1940s and my parents from the 1960s when they were young and newly married. I was fascinated by how old-fashioned and stylishly formal they appeared—the cars, hairstyles, and their clothing all portrayed in black-and-white photography. I wonder if my adult children see photos of me and their father from the 1990s as antiquated as I viewed those older images.

Thirty years is a blip - when considered from the present.

However, conceptualizing time as transient is inconceivable when you are stuck in a difficult or tedious situation, making it seem like an eternity.

Understanding that these two conflicting notions of time are thoroughly dependent upon circumstances and state of mind influences how intensely conscious I am of my personal choices. This - along with my PDA profile (Persistent Drive for Autonomy, otherwise known as Pathological Demand Avoidance) and my desire to spend my duration focused on all the many things that bring me joy - determine most of my decisions.

So many spend their lives in school or work - watching the clock and wishing their days away. I am beyond fortunate to have the leeway to decide that I would not be tied to a job waiting for someone else to tell me what to do. (Not that I would listen, anyway.)

In my role as founder of Deep Root Center, my mission is to spread awareness that self-direction is innate. We are all born with that persistent drive for autonomy - but many are trained out of it by the cultural and societal need for acceptance and "normalcy."  

When I witness kids taking charge of their education and life - actively choosing the activities and projects they, not an authority figure or society, find interesting and worth their time, I get excited for them and their future.  

On the other side, it is heartbreaking to witness young people internally fight the concept of autonomy, even when given the opportunity, and go back to the safety of a coercive, predictable, and culturally acceptable environment.  

Time is precious but deceptive. Honoring every second doesn't slow it down or make distressing moments easier; however, it does make the tough or unconventional choice to be authentically yourself in a sea of uniformity gratifyingly worth it.

DRC News

We had a week with low numbers because several kids were out sick. Among other things, those that were at the Center happily embraced winter and our first snow.

Janine reports that the Pop-ups Crew had a great time this week. They focused on project collaborations and self-directed independent pursuits. Thank you to the Massena & Norwood Public Libraries for hosting us.