It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Don’t Feel Fine)
Sometimes the living’s so easy, and sometimes it’s so hard.
As much as you can take, and repeat. Several times, or maybe forever.
Sometimes it’s hard to live and love freely in this world. It’s war and peace and war and change and racism and cruelty. Judgement and miscarriages and people within the same family who think so differently about politics, that it’s actually disgusting. It’s like how different religions have different theories about heaven, but they mish and mash and overlap and go in some strange directions too. And you know it’s true what I’m about to say. We can’t all be right. In fact, many of us are probably wrong. So let’s start being right with love and peace and fairness and thought. Let’s lock eyes and not look away.
Sometimes it’s the mundane against the extreme. Managing sensitivities and/or mental illness against a world in which the fears are coming true. Natural disasters and shake-ups and terrifying politicians and divorces left and right. I don’t know how to tell my kids that I always feared loss of a parent and tornados and earthquakes. I feared that people would think the way they did during the most terrifying wars and events in our history. I’ve always been afraid of bad guys with guns, and good guys with guns, and that sloppily drawn line in the middle, because no one is black and white – not even me. When it comes down to it, what side am I on? Who will I fight for? Could I be terrifying too? Will I not only survive, but thrive here?
Could I? Yes. Of course.
I can tell them that I became a writer and a photographer and a mama, because I was born to find the beauty and strength in this world. It’s everywhere. It’s dazzling. We can work not to mute its colors or steal its light. And we can work not to mute anyone’s colors or steal anyone’s light or right to breathe this air, capture this beauty, leap without looking down, and to love without limits.
World serves its own needs
Don’t mis-serve your own needs
Speed it up a notch, speed, grunt, no, strength
The ladder starts to clatter
With a fear of height, down, height
Wire in a fire, represent the seven games
And a government for hire and a combat site
Left her, wasn’t coming in a hurry
With the Furies breathing down your neck”
This is me linking up, as one of my favorite things to do, with Finish The Sentence Friday. This week’s topic is “A reality I’d like to change is…” And there’s still time to write yours. Come link up with your spin: HERE.
Wow, so much to unravel here. I will say that right about now, I am not really fine either. It has been a long time coming since 2016 election. But last week rocked me to my core. I was slowly feeling my way through this past week. And now today still not sure. Whatever is going on my friend, I am just glad to know I have a friend in you and you are my corner. Hugs and thinking of you this morning. <3
What a beautiful post. I love this — let’s all be right with love and peace and fairness and thought. My heart kind of aches after this post, but in a good way.
A beautiful yet sad post. As always your photos are incredible xx
I’m in with loving without limits and I’m with you on this week. Bummed though that you’re heading to DC and I’m no longer there… I’d definitely join you. Here’s to our kids changing everything that’s wrong with this world after we teach them to fly, sometimes freely, and sometimes with caution. xoxo hope you’re okay.
The world is a shit show right now – although maybe it’s always been but we’re more aware of it now? The best we can do is work on our own little world – make it the best it can be. You are teaching your kids how to be resilient and think for themselves – and that’s so important. Have a great weekend Tamara!
One foot out the door and we can easily feel overwhelmed by an ever intensiying political and cultural swirl that is spinning out of control more than ever. I think we should follow the same advice you gave to Scarlet and Des to help us through these most challenging times. Have a safe trip to and from D.C. Tamara!
I appreciate your feelings, Tamara! The best we can do is be kind to one another and try to stay out of harm’s way. It’s hard to understand the mind of someone who thinks totally different than we do, especially if we are a decent kind person.
The world often goes in directions that bring more harm than good. Such is the human condition.
Just set the good example that you are doing and hope for the best.
This would have been a great prompt for an SOC. Sometimes you can dig down to your bare soul when you treat it as your stream of consciousness. I’m a more brave writer when I do that. I’m in and I was already there. BTW your intro picture is dazzling! And I clicked on Scarlet’s by accident and it let me to a bunch of pictures of her sitting by a pumpkin. So adorable!
I feel like the question is becoming can we love those whose beliefs radically differ from ours? I hope the answer is yes and that we can love each other over common ground while rationally explaining why we believe differently.
I just enjoyed all those adorable pictures of Scarlet with your Mom and Cassidy too! I kept tapping and scrolling them on Smug Mug. I have to bake pumpkins with the vegetables inside again this year. The smaller sugar pumpkins make a great hot lunch.
Tamara, this is powerful writing. You are right on it all. What Could we accomplish if we weren’t our worst enemies?! That’s what I’d like to see someday too.
This was beautiful, Tamara. Your compassion is coming through clearly and trying to find that balance between empathy and not letting it take over your life. In these times, it’s hard to strike that balance there’s so much pain and corruption at the moment. Let’s look forward to better times. I’m in.
Well said.
Things are so complex right now ,but kind of simple. I am feeling fine for the first time, but I shouldn’t and that is the miracle.
Hugs to you 🙂
I agree that much of the beauty of this world has not shown itself lately. Our world is truly changing in a manner I did not imagine or expect. I can only hope that one day there will be peace and unity of spirit, if nothing else.
Beautifully put together! (And of course, perfectly matched to the images you shared). What’s going on in DC – for you, not the circus…