Who would deduce the dragonfly from the lava,
the iris from the bud,
the lawyer from the infant?
the iris from the bud,
the lawyer from the infant?
... We are all shape-shifters and magical re-inventors.
Life is really a plural noun, a caravan of selves.
- Diane Ackerman
I came across this quote recently and it was yet another nudge to do something I've been thinking of doing for quite a while - creating a kind of "photo-biography" of my life to date. 'A caravan of selves' is an interesting image; each evolving and connected stage essential for the whole journey.
In the book From Age-ing to Sage-ing: A Revolutionary Approach to Growing Older. by Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shaolmi and Ronald S Miller it is suggested that our age and aging process can be divided into seven year segments with each segment being like a month in the year of life.
In The Grace in Living, Kathleen Dowling Singh suggests that our life journey can be seen in “Quarters” with the following themes:
The First Quarter: From Tasting to Hunger
The Second Quarter: From Seeking to the End of Seeking
The Third Quarter: Healing into Maturity
The Fourth Quarter: Ripening
I think these two paradigms interlock quite easily:
January Birth -7rs 1945-1952
February 8-14 1952-1959
March 15-21 1959-1966
January Birth -7rs 1945-1952
February 8-14 1952-1959
March 15-21 1959-1966
--------------------------
April 22-28 1966-1973
May 29-35 1973-1980
June 36-42 1980-1987
---------------------------
July 43-49 1987-1994
August 50-56 1994-2001
September 57-63 2001-2008
---------------------------
October 64-70 2008-2015
November 71-77 2015-2022
December 78-84 2022-2079
I like the idea of using seven year periods to give a framework for my 'caravan of selves' so here goes! Although I'm doing this primarily for myself, I'm posting it on my Blog to give myself a bit of accountability. Even though I don't allow comments on the Blog itself I know some regular readers will expect the next chapter to show up! So if you are one of those readers who has my email or messenger contact, feel free to give me a nudge if you think I need it! (But be patient too - I'm not pressuring myself to a set schedule. There are a lot of years to cover!)
April 22-28 1966-1973
May 29-35 1973-1980
June 36-42 1980-1987
---------------------------
July 43-49 1987-1994
August 50-56 1994-2001
September 57-63 2001-2008
---------------------------
October 64-70 2008-2015
November 71-77 2015-2022
December 78-84 2022-2079
I like the idea of using seven year periods to give a framework for my 'caravan of selves' so here goes! Although I'm doing this primarily for myself, I'm posting it on my Blog to give myself a bit of accountability. Even though I don't allow comments on the Blog itself I know some regular readers will expect the next chapter to show up! So if you are one of those readers who has my email or messenger contact, feel free to give me a nudge if you think I need it! (But be patient too - I'm not pressuring myself to a set schedule. There are a lot of years to cover!)
