Daily Card 7/20/20: The Hermit

The Hermit:

A searcher, looking up at where her flashlight shines. She is searching- or has she already found what she is looking for? She is lone in the wilderness- mountains behind her, standing outdoors on a mooonless night. A veil of stars covers her.

Today is Monday- a time to reset and move on with a new week of work and responsibilities. What gives me purpose? How can I make work a joyful space even as it is difficult? I need time alone with my thoughts. I would rather be listening to Braiding Sweetgrass and learning than performing as teacher today- already dealing with white fragility in the virtual classroom and it's triggering me, reminding me of last quarter's scary and awful experience. Another fragile white man who can't handle women of color's knowledge and experiences. But this is the work of teaching, and trying to do it carefully and with purpose. I need to remember to conserve my energy for the work that matters, and not to waste it where it is not appreciated. I want to use this week to help discern what is meaningful to me about my work in the classroom, with my research, and my larger purpose in this life.