In this final April update, I’ve been thinking about lichens, seeing with the heart, and what my work will look like moving forward.
This has been a month I will never ever forget, a defining moment in my life and for the world. I’ve mostly stayed home and connected virtually with friends and family. I’ve gone for walks and practiced noticing perceptions with an amazing group online. It’s been a good time for reading books and catching up on TV shows and movies. And, I’ve had conversations with my husband about what the new normal in our lives might look like. We’re at a time in our lives when we can travel more and that most certainly won’t happen as planned. This year we had seven, yes seven, weddings to attend. The first two have already been rescheduled. We’re wondering if we’ll be able or willing to travel to the U.S. for some of them. Time will tell. Our three adult children will all be impacted by the economy and jobs situation.
What Lichens Have to Teach Us
I’ve long been fascinated by lichens and especially so since reading about them in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass (paid link). While visiting Ireland in 2019, we saw lots of lichen and our guide, Pius Murray, told us that this was a sign that the air was relatively clean. I wrote about lichens with reference to Kimmerer’s book in this post, A Land of Reciprocity. During the lockdown, I’ve been reading the book again with an online group hosted by Emergence Magazine. The story of lichens took on a whole new meaning.
Firstly, a lichen is made up of a fungus and an alga, joined in a symbiosis such that they act together as one organism. Each brings something different to the relationship and both benefit. Researchers have studied this relationship and found something very interesting. When they tried to recreate the union in a lab, under ideal conditions, the two wanted nothing to do with each other. They were just fine on their own. So, they began to fiddle with the conditions and this is what they found.
”It was only when they severely curtailed resources, creating harsh and stressful conditions, that the two turned toward each other and begin to cooperate. When times are easy and there’s plenty to go around the individual species can go it alone. When times are harsh and life is tenuous, it takes a team sworn to reciprocity to “keep life going forward. In a world of scarcity, interconnection and mutual aid become critical for survival. So say the lichens.”
What I know for sure is that we’re all in this together and we’re going to have to help each other out.
Seeing with the Heart
In the final segment of the 30 Days of Perception course, we focused on seeing in terms of relationships or seeing with the heart. I said at the end that if there was one thing I wanted them to get from the course it’s that we’re defined by our relationships – with the people we love, our daily interactions and encounters, the natural world, and the place where we live. We practiced seeing our entire field of vision and how each element contributes to the whole. Here are some photographic exercises for seeing with the heart.
Earth Day and My Work
How ironic that this very special 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd couldn’t be celebrated in the usual way. Instead, everyone stayed home and the earth thrived (or at least recovered some) from the lack of human activity. Emergence Magazine has a wonderful history of the day, written by Paul Elie, that is worth reading. So much wonderful work has been done to bring awareness to the climate crisis over these 50 years, yet carbon emissions keep rising. Maybe, just maybe, the evidence from lack of human activity during the pandemic will show us what’s possible. Or maybe not.
I’ve been getting the message this month that the new normal, for me at least, will be much more about staying put. And getting to know the place where I live more intimately. I think that what’s most needed in the world right now is an emphasis on relationships – with people and place. For me that may mean a re-offering of the PLACE workshop or developing a writing project around it. It remains to be seen. I’ll also continue my work on perception and support my family and community in any way I can.