Saturday, April 21, 2007

roots and wings........

facing the sun........taking in the warmth



There is a big difference in having roots and being rooted.
A free ebb and flow of growth is allowed when one has roots, whereas there seems to be a stagnancy related to the sense of feeling rooted. You can't move. You're stuck, and possibly afraid to allow for new scenery, new experiences and new ideas. Unique ideas are verbotten. It's encumbering to feel so rooted in one place, or with one set of people in your life.



My way or the highway is the theme for "being rooted."

Bureaucracy, for example is riddled with rooted people and unmoving policies. Unable to become disentangled, the people who live within the narrow box of policies and guidelines can never take a step towards another with an open armed sense of empathy. Rather, they live with their blinders on, allowing the policies and guidelines to breed discontent and breathe disconnect.

Perpetuated by fear, drawn in by sepiatic versions of a colourful dramatic world inhabited by living breathing human beings whose needs are plenty and whose stories are unique, the rooted bureaucrat wraps their overgrown roots around their apathy. They will not move on any request. They will never ever go the extra mile for someone in need. Why? Because they don't even hear the request. They don't see the face behind the request. They simply are programmed to respond robotically embedded to an interpretation of truth which has overgrown entangled roots.

To have roots, on the other hand, is to have a foundation to breathe in the oxygen needed to grow outwardly, upwardly and inwardly. To have roots means the ability to move your limbs, your feet, your thinking. To have roots stems from the exploratory ability to STEP outside of the proverbial box.


thank you pip :)

Shift happens!!
That's the theme accompanying the idea of "having roots."

It's where ideas and actions grow from nurtured dreams........where the foundation is fed by beliefs and values which are reviewed and reconstituted. It is where optimism fosters hope. To have roots is to be able to step towards another in need with an open heart to listening with empathy.

Bureaucracy is in dire need of the free thinking creatively nurtured by a sense of roots. Unfortunately, it's the rooted who somehow manage to float upward into the spheres of where decisions are made. Armed with myopic management styles, fearful of making a mistake or sticking their necks out for another, the rooted continue to grow straight up into the stratosphere, kissing asses along the way and scheming to get rid of the real leaders.......the ones who serve.

So what often happens to the people who have free flowing roots..........? They get the frig out of there and open up a hot dog stand on the beach in Ogonquit, Maine and live happily ever after meeting others and having the best conversations.

Well..............sometimes they stay and quietly (well not so quietly because their enthusiasm sometimes makes them shout out their red feelings) go about their business meeting and working with others all the while learning enriching life lessons and having the best conversations.

Let's strive to let shift happen.........
in all it's colourful open ended glory
yeah.........why not?


Thanks again to the wonderful women and other contributors of sunday scribblings......for the great word prompt "rooted." BTW, isn't that an Aussie slang word for snogging? Just wondering?

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Your writing is always so informative and heartful.
I really enjoy it!!!

awareness said...

thank you tori.......i feel EXACTLY the same about your writing. I think are styles are similar.

urbanmonk said...

Hi Dana,

Was just about to pay a visit to leave a comment and noticed that youd dropped by yourself. Being rooted is definately an Aussie slang word, which is why i laughed out loud when I read your opening line...

"There is a big difference in having roots and being rooted."

Its the same in beaurocracy and religion isnt it. The rooted ones gravitate to the top of the hierarchy where they can control and manipulate, while people with roots/growing hearts( Is that how Gods kingdom is supposed to be I wonder?) is full of "free ebb and flow of growth."

indeed there is a difference between having roots and being rooted. Though it has a slightly different meaning down here:) Examples include..

"we rooted"

and, "Im rooted."

:)

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

have just read this at 5am and now i really can't sleep (in a good way) but am goimg to be pondering this spiritual depth charge all day - sermons at my church are good but they will have to go some way to beat this post!

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

ps, haven't heard the word snogging for ages - did i say that out loud?!

paris parfait said...

Dana, love this post! My sentiments too.

Regina said...

A very thoughtful post indeed... it's funny how we always think of roots going downward and not so much outward... but that's where the stability comes from!
Just wonderful!

gautami tripathy said...

A thinking post indeed. Interesting and informative too.

Matthew said...

I especially connect with your sentiment "it's the rooted who somehow manage to float upward into the spheres of where decisions are made." I do wonder about the motivations of politicians who rise to the top and the perceived rigidity necessary for their belief system. They are rooted to their cause even if there are disastrous results. Thanks for the post!

Matthew
http://commonmisadventures.wordpress.com/

Kamsin said...

Thought provoking post. I was thinking along slightly different lines about the difference between being rooted and having roots. Anyway, great post!

Crafty Green Poet said...

very thought provoking post, thanks.

Amber said...

What a great take on this prompt. And OH MY GAH, I couldn't agree with you more! Yes, I was one of those who let out their red feelings, butting my head against every door for my clients. I could never understand how others were not doing the same! But your idea about the roots and the rooted-- great picture to explain it. Perfect.

:)

awareness said...

hey Monk.......thought so. the double entendre first line wasn't lost on me. in fact, when I first saw the prompt for the creative I writing exercise, I initially was going to write simply on all the slang words I could think of that referred to sex......yeah, my mind was in the gutter (oh and I was laughing at the DOZENS of words we have made up........) for most of yesterday.

I agree with you...I think any organization, be it religious, public sector or private is prone to the monster called bureaucracy.......most "institutions" seem to automatically evolve into a hierarchical pyramid that becomes stuck in inflexibility.

thank you Paul........I obviously had been thinking about the topic a lot before I sat down to write it because this piece flew out of me in less than an hour, with no editing. I read it aloud once....and personally liked it, but had no gauge as to how it would be received. It always makes me feel like I hit the nail on the head when you leave a message that it has made you walk away thinking about it.

And yes.......you did say snogging out loud....... it's not a term used around here. IN fact I don't even know what part of my brain it derived from.

Tara........thank you!! I look forward to reading you "take" on the French election.

regina clare jane......I did have the analogy of a tree in mind when I was thinking of roots......I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you. ps. your poem has stayed with me all day today.

hi Guatami........I realize this "take" on the word is different than your interpretation, so I'm happy you found mine interesting as I found yours.

Hi Matthew.......Yeah.......sometimes we need to cut our losses and just admit we completely missed the boat on something......and politicians need to learn how to do that too. They'd come across as more human....but their blinding faith in a concept or a decision sometimes does have disastrous results. I will check your blog out soon.

Kamsin......will check your post out soon. my computer has been acting up today and having checked out many Sunday Scribblings.....looking forward to the reading....

crafty.........welcome....thanks.

Amber.......we "reds" need to keep at it!!

cheers everyone.........what wonderful feedback. it means so much.