Time to Harness the Wind

Time to Harness the Wind

In my book, Fallen, after many of the leaves in the Dreaming Tree fall into their collective dream, they wind up in the Boggy Marsh of Fear. In this blog series, I have been writing about how conditions there are reflected in our current political circumstances. Today I want to look at what this allegory says about escaping the Boggy Marsh of Fear.

Our two protagonists, Alora and Blaze, are discovering that they do not have to stay stuck in the muck. Blaze, the more adventurous of the two, decides to try and harness the wind. Alora is gobsmacked by the idea, because she has felt, until now, that she was at the mercy of the wind. It had always just blown her around on Lake Sojourn until finally it had landed her here, with the others, in this disgusting and frightening swamp where the leaves are trampled and preyed upon by Moose and Raven. Most of the leaves feel like that’s just the way things are and there’s nothing to be done about it – except to complain and wring their hands like helpless victims.

But Blaze has had enough and he’s determined to learn how to harness the wind so he and Alora, and anyone else brave enough to join them, can set out in search of a better way of living. Through much trial and error, Blaze figures out how to use his own body as a sail so he can ride the surface of Lake Sojourn, much like a wind surfer does. It doesn’t matter which way the wind is blowing; he can adjust himself to steer his own course while using the energy of the wind to propel him. He teaches Alora to do the same, while the others look on with derision and even hostility. Hand in hand, Alora and Blaze set sail for better shores.

What does this have to do with our current politics? Well, there is plenty of fear to go around and an awful lot of hand-wringing. If you want to think about our political parties and their policies as the wind, there is also a lot of blind devotion to blowhards who we often feel at the mercy of. We get all caught up in inconsequential, and often made up, scandals that spread like wildfire on social media while ignoring the very real dangers we face. If anyone dares to think differently, the immediate response is derision and hostility.

What does it mean to harness the wind and steer our own course? It means:

• Focusing on facts rather than the latest (and possibly baseless) sensational scandal
• Facing our real problems head on
• Choosing the future we want and deserve
• Taking action to create that future

What kind of action can we take?

• Speaking out about the real threats and abuses of power we face
• Supporting the causes and candidates who will work to address the issues most important to us
• Working to make sure that everyone’s vote counts and is counted – today and into the future
• Doing whatever we can to fix corrupt systems that no longer work for the good of ALL the people, but only serve the rich and the powerful
• Voting with our children and grandchildren in mind

I don’t know about you, but I’m with Blaze and Alora. Time to quit this noxious swamp of fear and set sail into a brighter future.

Next time we’ll look at the difference between love and fear. In the meantime, here are a few Deep Ponderings for your consideration.

1. What’s the last thing you saw on social media that got you all riled up?
2. Do you know for sure that it was even true?
3. Was it an existential issue? Something of life or death importance? Something that could have true impact to your well-being?
4. What are the most important issues to you? The things that will impact your life and well-being? How might these issues effect your children and grandchildren?
5. Which candidates or causes are working on those issues and how can you support them?

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When I wrote Fallen, The Adventures of a Deep Water Leaf, I wasn’t writing about politics. Or even thinking about politics. But lately the story has been popping back into my brain and feeling very relevant to the political landscape we find ourselves in today. And not in a partisan way, but in a human experience way. I keep being prodded to write my thoughts down – and to share them. This is the fifth in an on-going series of blogs I’m writing in response to that prodding. Here are links to the earlier posts:

1. https://claireperkins.com/stuck-in-the-muck-of-political-fear/
2. https://claireperkins.com/helping-others-as-a-way-out-of-political-fear/
3. https://claireperkins.com/shocking-events-in-the-boggy-marsh-of-fear/
4. https://claireperkins.com/three-steps-toward-leaving-the-boggy-marsh-of-political-fear/

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Want to know more about Alora’s journey of self-discovery and self-empowerment? Order your copy of Fallen today!

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