We went on an expedition to find an old temple, lost in jungle and bushes, etc. I was disabled, unable to move as fast as the rest. The leader, kumu, did not let the class go any faster than I could. There was a lesson in this. Instead, when I took hiking breaks, she had them all observe even more of what was there. What was the leader trying to teach?

Focus, get back to being in present time, consideration for others, not to rush so far ahead you leave others behind. No one complained. Ah, perhaps accepting whatever was necessary without judging it uselessly? I have heard that this is a strong cultural value for your [Hawaiian] people, one mainlanders don’t share. This is actually the proper natural way humans should behave, even in the case of extreme disability.

Yes, keep it inclusive. For if you rush too far away, you cannot see the woods for the trees any more. Yes, the world becomes hard and cold if you act and think like that. I was a part of an experimental project in elementary school. They were trying to see if their severely disabled autistic students could be allowed to socialize with the rest of the school population. Before that it was the policy to keep them in their own section of the school building and on a different schedule. I suppose I was one of the students picked because I was perhaps unusually patient. I was assigned to partner with a disabled child who was actually a teenager but I didn’t really think about this. It didn’t really matter. What they discovered was, at least among children our age, even the pronounced difference in ability or understanding didn’t matter. These kids couldn’t play our games, so some of the children found ways to play with them even if it was just kicking a ball back and forth, and still everyone had as much fun as if they would have done anything else. Are adults like this?

Well no, we have to get things done don’t you know. What are these things that need doing more than people need caring for?

All pretty meaningless things really. It’s the same reason people don’t take time with their kids. Would we do these things if we weren’t trying to fix stuff? What would life be like if we weren’t always trying to avoid doing the wrong thing? What if we never tried to avoid doing the wrong thing?

Relax and have more fun. Would things fall apart if we didn’t bother trying to avoid mistakes?

I do not see myself as going around trying to avoid mistakes. Then you have a very clear head and heart.

Children are young and impressionable. We start teaching children early that they can do bad things, that they can fail, and that when they fail they have to fix it, make it better. What is left of life when we live with these ideas?

My dad always reviewed what not to do next time when something went wrong. That is a better teaching strategy than many parents in the Americas use, but still ultimately harmful.

Yes, .. e ala e .. wake up was said if we lost focus, or did something dangerous or not right.

When we have to be vigilant to always watch for the what not to do, it’s stressful.

Telling a child to wake up is natural, and appropriate, directing their attention to what they should actually notice and pay attention to is useful, but after a time adults grow strong in whatever way they were raised. The thing is, like a tree, that strength can turn into something other than an asset.

They can become perfectionist sledge hammers. Indeed.

We are born with strong roots, and if our innate nature or roots are respected, then the flow of our native energies will flow smoothly and our emotional and spiritual strength will last a lifetime, or at least can. We will grow in wisdom, and maybe even knowledge if we are curious about the world around us, but let’s look at the other side.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~