Something to look forward to, I think I am just setting out on that phase, my worst symptom is anxiety, swapping that for the “I don’t give a shit” hormone sounds good!
Completely relate!! Oh my, i think about this often. I’m guessing you may have already come across the book ‘The Myth of Normal’ by Gabor Mate and Daniel Mate? i think you will enjoy it x
I think all the best people are not normal! Your glimmers are so lovely. I’m guessing you are a teacher? Primary school? Are you at a new school? The inherent awesomeness of kids is always a glimmer. xo
Yes, children always bring glimmers! I'm a Montessori teacher and about to start at a new school. I also teach dance. I saw the most amazing improvised duet this week from two boys. They completely blew me away. x
How cool! I love that there are alternative schooling systems playing with different visions of education. Your dance teaching is also wonderful. I’ve never been an intuitive dancer (well, probably after age 5). I am way too self-conscious and got my free-flowing movement drummed out of me by ballet lessons as a kid where things were either right or wrong. It's probably a place I should explore as 48 year old- I think there is some freedom to be had there! I also hope you need to take a ferry to work every day at your new job! xo
I can relate re: ballet and right/wrong as I grew up with ballet. I really struggled with improvisation when I studied contemporary dance at university. I write and speak a lot about it through my dance work as I feel so passionately about the need for freedom in movement. I think Rumi's words "Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there's a field, I'll meet you there" applies to this aspect of improv and freedom in movement.
I’ll look forward to checking out your links - thanks! The part of dance I really struggled with is the memory of the choreography. My dyslexic brain really struggles with sequence memorisation, so any organised dance was really stressful, especially performance, as I would be guaranteed to get my left or right turn wrong. You are making me think about dance in my life and how it isn’t present anymore but was a big part of me growing up - I actually studied for a year at an Indonesian traditional dance school as part of a student exchange - that was a complicated experience for so many reasons - tall white queer teenager coming into classes with small petite Indonesians who had been studying dance for years - formative I think you call it! I like the idea of a dance field where I could just move as me. Thank you for planting the seed. xo
I so relate to not being normal. Menopause has sure helped me feel okay about it though! No longer have the hormone of giving-a-shit 😂
Something to look forward to, I think I am just setting out on that phase, my worst symptom is anxiety, swapping that for the “I don’t give a shit” hormone sounds good!
I hear you! I, too, lost the give-a-shit hormone (love that) and good riddance! May we embrace our authentic, wise and weirdly ways.
The menopause educator jane hardwicke Collins refers to oestrogen as the hormone of accommodation. Accommodating others, that is. 😂
Who even invented the word normal? It's such a normal sounding word LOL
My glimmers today is that the waves on the winter sea look like aquamarine flavored jelly. 🤩
You are right it is such an ordinary word! The sea sounds amazing. Xo
Completely relate!! Oh my, i think about this often. I’m guessing you may have already come across the book ‘The Myth of Normal’ by Gabor Mate and Daniel Mate? i think you will enjoy it x
The book is on my radar, Ali, but I haven’t read it yet. Good to know you recommend it. Thanks xo
Thank you, Gillian. What a wonderful post! I also struggled with not being normal. Thank you for being you!
My glimmers today:
- brainstorming verbs and nouns for a diamonte poem with two children on the theme of space (it was really fun!)
- three children decided to come sit with me at lunchtime because they didn’t want their new teacher to be sitting on their own (how sweet is that!?)
- early morning ferry ride with my partner
I think all the best people are not normal! Your glimmers are so lovely. I’m guessing you are a teacher? Primary school? Are you at a new school? The inherent awesomeness of kids is always a glimmer. xo
Yes, children always bring glimmers! I'm a Montessori teacher and about to start at a new school. I also teach dance. I saw the most amazing improvised duet this week from two boys. They completely blew me away. x
How cool! I love that there are alternative schooling systems playing with different visions of education. Your dance teaching is also wonderful. I’ve never been an intuitive dancer (well, probably after age 5). I am way too self-conscious and got my free-flowing movement drummed out of me by ballet lessons as a kid where things were either right or wrong. It's probably a place I should explore as 48 year old- I think there is some freedom to be had there! I also hope you need to take a ferry to work every day at your new job! xo
I can relate re: ballet and right/wrong as I grew up with ballet. I really struggled with improvisation when I studied contemporary dance at university. I write and speak a lot about it through my dance work as I feel so passionately about the need for freedom in movement. I think Rumi's words "Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there's a field, I'll meet you there" applies to this aspect of improv and freedom in movement.
If you are interested, I recently did a podcast interview: https://www.allthingsmontessoripodcast.com/podcast/episode/4920a22b/kei-ikeda-returns-incorporating-dance-into-the-montessori-classroom
I also write blogs: https://www.montessoridance.com.au/blog
xo
I’ll look forward to checking out your links - thanks! The part of dance I really struggled with is the memory of the choreography. My dyslexic brain really struggles with sequence memorisation, so any organised dance was really stressful, especially performance, as I would be guaranteed to get my left or right turn wrong. You are making me think about dance in my life and how it isn’t present anymore but was a big part of me growing up - I actually studied for a year at an Indonesian traditional dance school as part of a student exchange - that was a complicated experience for so many reasons - tall white queer teenager coming into classes with small petite Indonesians who had been studying dance for years - formative I think you call it! I like the idea of a dance field where I could just move as me. Thank you for planting the seed. xo
Learning choreography and steps can be really challenging. I find it harder as I get older!
Your experience in Indonesia sounds very impactful. Wow.
I hope you can bring some dancing back into your life. A dance around the lounge room often fills my cup. x
What a great quote! I will be reminding myself that normal is a tiny box in which to live ❣️
Yes, I will do well to repeat it to myself too!
Love this quote! Proudly ND weirdo here, normal is boring!
Yay the ND weirdos!
Loving the frosty, sparkly mornings, too! Little diamante chandeliers everywhere :-)
Absolutely! The ice formations yesterday were really cool.
I too was called weird rather frequently as a child, usually by other children. I hated it at the time, but it turns out they just meant ‘creative’.
Yes! Long live the weirdos! So glad to have you here :)