Living Life Backwards
in order to live forwards
Its been way too long since I last wrote a proper blog, its not that Ive been short of things to write about- quite the opposite… more that Ive had so many things going on, I just couldnt bring myself to master another (albeit simple) skill! My fears were realized today as I finally decided to bite the bullet, and wrote a great (tongue in cheek) blog and then clicked the computer back button by accident without saving first! Such a simple but frustrating mistake and not isolated in my experience! When will I learn to save as I go along!
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
Soren Kierkegaard”
So here goes again…
Over the last year, whilst studying for my Undergraduate Degree I pretty much lived life at 100 miles an hour; maybe that is true of me in general. From a very small girl I always ran from place to place rather than walked- I didnt want to waste time, and there seemed just so many important things to do. These days I sadly no longer possess the same physical speed but I really do try and use my time intentionally- after all, time is the only thing we have which cannot be recovered, and I want mine to count.
Juggling studying, children, running a household, and maintaining all my projects takes discipline and careful management and last year in particular, with submission deadlines and time abroad , this was particularly challenging. I loved it all, but was unable to really breathe deeply and process the incredible experiences I found myself involved in; how, for example did I find myself sitting across from parents in Israel, recording the devastating loss of their child in a terror attack?.. what motivated me to collect stories from descendants of exiled Polish soldiers, and place them in an exhibition which 5 and a half months from its opening is gaining momentum? These were outstanding moments to be a part of and I am certain there is great value in taking the time to really stop and consider the impact this not only had on me, but can have on others. I want to make a difference.
Now I have returned to study for an MA I am finding that before I move forward, I have to look back. Please join me as I do so - a blog seems a good place to start.
Photo©Destiny Milne