[WolfDreamer]

 

Whew! Where do I begin with how wild life has been lately? Some pretty major changes to our family dynamic (good changes but also difficult) have occurred recently, and I just haven't had the opportunity to be active here. However, I do have some goals I want to set for this challenge, and I hope those of you who have been patient with me will continue to be so.

 

Also, I recently accepted a position as a Language Arts teacher at the same high school I graduated from 25 years ago. It feels surreal, but I am honored and eager to begin.

 

Forgive me this introduction before I get to my goals:

 

I recently joined a community called The Fifth Direction, which has reawakened my creative spirit. It is inspired by poet Robert Bly and the Mythopoetic movement. If you're not familiar with the Mythopoetic movement, fear not; I'll talk about it more in a later post. Short version: it seeks to view life through the lens of story, especially ancient stories (i.e. myths, folk tales, legends, etc.). I have really been exploring how my growing interest in poetry and myth impacts my own faith and spirituality. I was at first concerned that much of it would "debunk" it but instead have found that it has deepened it. Reading scripture through the lens of story and myth and reading stories and myths that are similar and, at times, very parallel to stories in scripture, has reminded me of the omnipresence of God's Spirit in all things.

 

I am also writing poetry again. Robert Bly said that he was inspired by poet William Stafford to write a poem every morning, and eventually Bly published these poems in a book aptly titled Morning Poems. I plan to take similar inspiration and write a poem every day during this challenge, as well as read a poem every day (and share it here, of course).

 

I have also transformed my morning "routine" into something more akin to a morning "ritual" that includes prayer, reading scripture and poetry and stories out loud, meditating and doing breath work.

 

I have not done well recently with my nutrition. I think part of the issue is I have approached it more as a disciplined practice rather than a spiritual one. Fasting has deep spiritual roots and therefore should be meaningful and have reason beyond just "cutting calories."

 

I plan to continue my workout routine, which includes three days of strength training, one day of sprints, three days to move slowly/play/rest. Which day for what is usually determined by life.

 

So, my goals for this challenge:

 

1. Write a poem of my own every day and read/share someone else's poem every day.
2. Continue my morning ritual: scripture, meditation, breath work, etc.
3. Fast from 7 pm to 11 am daily except on strength training days; also fast for 24 hours every Sunday and Wednesday (I may post later about why I chose those two days).

 

And that's it. Short and sweet and simple.  To the best of my ability, I plan to be here daily and hope to not only post but also visit many of your challenge post, as well. Thank you if you've sat with me this long. I hope you will continue to visit and feel welcome here.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I will continue to visit and feel welcome here.

 

[KeysMcGee]

1 hour ago, WolfDreamer said:

Also, I recently accepted a position as a Language Arts teacher at the same high school I graduated from 25 years ago.

*Waves* Former English Teacher here! Welcome to the profession! 

[WolfDreamer]

16 minutes ago, KeysMcGee said:

*Waves* Former English Teacher here! Welcome to the profession! 

 

Thank you. Although, I've been an English teacher for 18 years. This is just a new position. But I appreciate the greeting regardless. 😁

[KeysMcGee]

3 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

 Although, I've been an English teacher for 18 years. This is just a new position. But I appreciate the greeting regardless.

 

I made it 10 years myself. Just long enough to lock in the teacher pension in my state (which, unfortunately, was promptly leveraged to fund my move out of the profession).

[juliebarkley]

Here for the poetry and meaning in myth.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I know you've had stuff going on, I also want to let you know you're not forgotten on here.

[WolfDreamer]

On 7/7/2022 at 6:37 PM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I know you've had stuff going on, I also want to let you know you're not forgotten on here.

 

Thank you Tank. It's just been... a lot.

 

For those who have been checking it, I have actually been participating in the challenge; I just haven't been posting. I've written a poem a day for the past 22 days, so 8 more days to go to meet my goal of 30 days. Then my plan is to search around for current calls for chap book submissions. I have plenty of poems, enough to publish a small book. Fingers crossed.

 

I have not, however, been keeping up with my fasting goals. This is part of why I was hesitant to post here because I felt ashamed. I've developed an unhealthy relationship with food recently, and I'm not sure if it's life stress that is causing it, but I'm feeling a lot of shame around that, as well.

 

On 6/22/2022 at 9:52 PM, juliebarkley said:

Here for the poetry and meaning in myth.

 

I hope you're still here. I plan to reboot this theme during the next challenge, and I promise it will be more meaningful and active than it has been. But since you are here, I'll share with you one I wrote recently that really affected me as I wrote it:

 

LAST NIGHT I DREAMT MY FATHER DIED

by Jason Lilly

 

Last night I dreamt my father died

I heard about it from a stranger

who recognized me from photos

He didn't know I wasn't aware

The stranger approached my wife 

and asked if I was who he thought I was

My wife nodded and confirmed and, 

after the stranger mumbled something

I could not hear,

pointing at me, my wife said, 

"Talk to him about it."

The stranger seemed wary,

but he approached and said,

"I want you to know it was an honor to know him,

and to have met you,

and I'm sorry for your loss."

Confused, at first, and then came

the imperceptible sounds of revelation

first in the mind and then the soul

The rush to find his number

written in blue ink on a scrap of paper

the desperate urge to know for sure

my wife left behind,

the stranger forgotten,

and then the dream's end.

 

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

19 minutes ago, WolfDreamer said:

I have not, however, been keeping up with my fasting goals. This is part of why I was hesitant to post here because I felt ashamed. I've developed an unhealthy relationship with food recently, and I'm not sure if it's life stress that is causing it, but I'm feeling a lot of shame around that, as well.

 

I've felt similar shame. Back in 2012 when I first was on the boards I had a challenge not go well and I stayed away due to shame then. It's not easy when we don't have something we'd like to report, but it's also not helpful to let that stuff keep us away. Hugs man.

[juliebarkley]

3 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

I hope you're still here. I plan to reboot this theme during the next challenge, and I promise it will be more meaningful and active than it has been. But since you are here, I'll share with you one I wrote recently that really affected me as I wrote it:

I'm still here. And you don't owe me anything. But thank you.

 

3 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

I have not, however, been keeping up with my fasting goals. This is part of why I was hesitant to post here because I felt ashamed. I've developed an unhealthy relationship with food recently, and I'm not sure if it's life stress that is causing it, but I'm feeling a lot of shame around that, as well.

I understand. No one will shame you here for struggling with something. I hope you know that. But it is hard to admit one's own struggles to others, write it out and make it public, and maybe most of all, to face them in black and white ourselves.

 

Perhaps, from the shame, you can pull something good and useful. You picked the fasting goal for a reason. It wasn't just about the fasting - that was a means to an end, and the end had a motivation behind it. Is the end still a good one? Is the motivation healthy? There may be something else you can do instead that would be better. Now, or later. It's okay to let it go for now if it's just too much.