David Albert and Joyce Reed's "What Really Matters" column, published in Natural Life Magazine's March/April 2009 issue is entitled The Wellsprings of Memory. David investigates how the experiences of youth – both positive and negative – about life and learning create who we are as adults. Then, David and Joyce list some "wellsprings of memory" that they hope their life learning children carry with them into adulthood. He also asks readers to contribute theirs. Here are David's and Joyce's wellsprings, as well as those contributed by readers. After you've read the column, you can add yours to this page by emailing the editor.
David Albert:
That with the advantages of our birth and upbringing comes a responsibility to others who lacked similar advantages;
That we can tackle any task placed before us without fear of failure and that, more often than not, time, energy and effort can get us where we want to go;
That we can learn from the example and experience of others and rejoice in the experience of others unlike ourselves;
That we can experience joy in activities and pursuits at which we are not particularly “gifted” or which are not likely to be highly valued by many others;
hat love and learning go hand-in-hand.
Joyce Reed:
That our primary option for choice in our lives lies not within our circumstances or experiences, but with our response-ability – our ability to respond to what is given or opened for us. In other words, when life provides a knock on our door, will we get dragged kicking and screaming through the incident/path that opens? Or get up, brush our bottoms off and dance off down the path? We always have that choice, no matter how hard the circumstances may seem;
That it pays to be honest with ourselves.
Soline Weidema:
That my children will be able to access and work through their painful ("acid-etched") memories and confront the people that have caused them misery (me as a parent included), so that they will not waste precious energy in order to keep these painful memories at bay;
That they will never consider themselves products/consumers/serfs, but live and act like free men, happy with themselves, convinced of their power;
That they will never believe the myths that society has been spinning about dark and black men and that they continue to bask in their self-confidence when confronted with racism;
That they will be able to continue to play and have a playful and creative mind;
That they will be able to form deep and satisfying relationships with the people they like and love.
