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More for the Holiday . . .
Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and happy Holiday. Play safe. Arlene returns the week of January 06…
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Direct Experience . . .
Not vicarious. Not simulated. Not virtual. Not someone else’s experience, but your own.
Direct Experience . . .
Not vicarious.
Not simulated.
Not virtual.
Not someone else’s experience,
but your own. (more…) -
Transformative Spaces . . .
A selfArchive Blog post exploring ideas about Transformative Spaces.
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New Column: Worth . . .
I took a moment to reflect about how poverty in youth may hold promise, while poverty in old age signals…
New Column: Worth . . .
I took a moment to reflect about how poverty in youth may hold promise, while poverty in old age signals defeat—at least for those who equate material wealth with virtue or worth.
selfArchive Column o1:19 | Worth | Awakening | Transformation | Words
© 2019 Arlene Cotter selfArchive Column 01:19
© Illustration: Arlene Cotter Worth
© 2019 Arlene Cotter | arlenecotter.com & selfArchive.ca
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Giving . . .
selfArchive : On Being Human
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Impermanence . . .
These are stones with no appreciable monetary value. A collection of minerals molten, compressed, cooled, fractured and tumbled over millennia.…
Impermanence . . .
These are stones with no appreciable monetary value. A collection of minerals molten, compressed, cooled, fractured and tumbled over millennia. Plucked carefully and hauled from river bars and ocean shores—some by me and some by others—they archive geological journeys beyond my imagining.
When I’m no longer here to witness their poetry, will my lifetime curation be evident? Do I am imagine my survivors will discern the tumor, the organisms or the cross? Unlikely. The stones will be dumped in a garden or at the beach. Maybe they’ll be thrown in a river.
Long after my bones have turned to earth, the stones will continue to transform.
And I will, too.
selfArchive Blog 12/18 | Cancer | Awakening | Transformation | Words
© 2018 Arlene Cotter selfArchive
© Arlene Cotter Impermanence
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Campus Colour . . .
selfArchive 770 This project will take a moment to load.
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Tiny Trees . . .
I searched patiently for stray needles and sprigs beneath the long rows of cut evergreens waiting to become Christmas trees.…
Tiny Trees . . .
I searched patiently for stray needles and sprigs beneath the long rows of cut evergreens waiting to become Christmas trees. Then I stopped to twist and break my tiny finds. Some had no scent. Others released fragrant bursts, reawakening my senses and a lifetime of forest memories—fresh air, pine, spruce, fir, cedar and snowy silence. (more…)
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Human Boundaries
A selfArchive Blog exploring ideas about Human Boundaries.
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Sincerity . . .
selfArchive : On Being Human
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Complicity . . .
selfArchive : On Being Human . . .
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Kindness . . .
selfArchive : On Being Human
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About Canada Day . . .
On Canada Day I stand as a proud first generation Canadian*—but not that proud. As Canadians we collectively and individually need…
About Canada Day . . .
On Canada Day I stand as a proud first generation Canadian*—but not that proud. As Canadians we collectively and individually need to examine our thoughts, behaviours and actions more closely, specifically the national conceit of living in “Canada the Good.”
I’m not questioning our international reputation as a civilized democracy. Canada is good. It’s very good. But it could be much better if we put an end to xenophobia and the ugly forms of racism and social injustice it foments.
July 1st is a day to remind ourselves that we have opportunities to practice inclusion, not just in theory, not just through legislation but within our daily lives. Inclusion has always been a personal choice.
Frankly, it’s not just new immigrant children and their families who confront xenophobia. Every day there are thousands of citizens here on Canadian soil who are made to feel “other” by fellow Canadians, by us or people like us and our children. This despite the fact that Canada is a country of global migrants living on ceded and unceded traditional territories.
We can all do better. We can be better Canadians and better global citizens. And it begins with being better people. I was reminded of this recently. If you haven’t seen the documentary Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, please rush to your local theatre. It’s a poignant reminder about being human that might bring a tear to your eye.
Over 50 years ago Fred Rogers understood what it meant to sow the seeds of human dignity, respect and love. Recognizing television’s growing influence, he directed his ministry towards children’s programming. Whether we are children or adults, the wisdom he shared is foundational to what it means to be human.
Happy Canada Day.
* Both my parents immigrated to Canada from Hungary as children. It was hard to get here in 1929 and it was hard to get here in 1939. It’s still hard to get here in 2018. It takes untold courage to start life in a new country but the suffering should end here, not continue. And if your ancestors were born here, however late, the suffering must stop.
selfArchive Blog 26/18 | Awakening | Transformation | Words
© 2018 Arlene Cotter selfArchive
© Arlene Cotter About Canada Day
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Distillation . . .
Thirty years ago I was captivated with Rollo May’s book The Courage to Create. Later I found confirmation of my experiences…
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Ponzo Saves the Day . . .
selfArchive 716 | Children’s Book
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Living Consciously . . .
All lives are precious. This suggestion makes some people indignant. But to judge one life as more valuable than another is…
Living Consciously . . .
All lives are precious. This suggestion makes some people indignant. But to judge one life as more valuable than another is an unsettling idea for many of us.
I thought a great deal about this when I survived my own encounter with death, and continued to live. My experience was not so uncommon. Every day, human beings die from violent trauma and ordinary things like the flu or falling down the stairs.
The Canadian Cancer Society celebrates Daffodil Month each April in an gesture to honour people with cancer and those whose lives have been impacted as survivors, family and friends, researchers and healthcare professionals. April is over but I’m celebrating May by recognizing the individuals among us who have overcome the odds and continue to live—regardless of what they’ve faced. I’ve known many such people, and have lost many others. I’ve also come to respect life more than I have in the past. I now realize that we all have an opportunity to wake up and live our lives consciously.
My new book project honours our every small intention to live an awakened life. It shares what experience has taught me: Every life is valuable and deserves to be honoured. This is our birthright.
If we’re conscious,
our lives can transcend
the privation of
our own self-interest.On 10 May 2018, please celebrate The Courage to Come Back Awards
Over the past 19 years, Coast Mental Health has celebrated 114 British Columbians who have shown courage in the face of extraordinary adversity to emerge stronger and with a deep compassion to help others. Each year, at the Courage To Come Back Awards, we share their stories of triumph with the goal of helping others facing adversity regain the belief that, with courage, reclaiming their lives is possible.
Source: The Courage to Come Back website
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Imagining 2019 . . .
selfArchive 758
