I’m reading a book called The Values of Belonging by Carol Lee Flinders (co-author of the Laurel's Kitchen cookbooks) as she puts forth the principles of belonging in the introduction to the book. Reading them, I felt she was expressing what the gathering means to me in terms of our relationships to each other. She makes the point that the values of belonging say “This is where I belong” while the values of mainstream Western civilization would say, “This belongs to me.” If you want to learn more about her and her work, visit her website . In the interest of sharing, I’ve included the bullet points from the book highlighting the values of belonging which for me expresses some of the best aspects of gathering.
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| From the Healthy Yummy Website |
- Intimate connection with the land to which one “belongs.”
- Empathetic relationship to animals
- Self-restraint and custodial conservatism
- Deliberateness (being present)
- Balance
- Expressiveness
- Generosity
- Egalitarianism
- Mutuality
- Affinity for alternative modes of knowing
- Playfulness
- Inclusiveness
- Nonviolent conflict resolution
- Openness to spirit
What do you think?
As I stumble-bummed my way through my youth I was fortunate enough to trip over a Gathering. There I learned the value of feeling a sense of belonging. You see I am an odd bird and never felt that before, as no one would tolerate me about for long.
ReplyDeleteI have always self-identified myself a 'Rainbow'. I am a richer, larger soul for having a chance to 'plug-in'. See you when I do. Until then remember, "What I cannot do alone We can do together."