Recently I heard someone speak on the topic of disruption and I realized what a negative connotation the word often has for me. For example whenever my Internet service or newspaper subscription is disrupted, I complain. I like to pretend life is predictable and reliable. In our nonstop culture that emphasizes efficiency, disruptions can be curses.
But a disruption can be a blessing. It depends on who, what and why: who is doing the disrupting, what is being disrupted and why it is happening. Sometimes a break in the schedule or a bit of added chaos can bring with it what I need. Sometimes what I’m doing deserves a disruption. What I think is important isn’t always crucial and I need a whack to remind me of what – and who – matters most to me.
Battles disrupt our lives and so do babies.
This week has been a bit of both birth and battle.
More later…I hope.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Jef // Apr 13, 2005 at 4:49 pm
I’ve only been an observer of your life through your blog…but I am genuinely concerned. What is happening?
2 Tamar // Apr 14, 2005 at 10:48 am
Actually, I think life is the disruptions. Moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day it’s what happens that is life – while we make other plans. I guess John Lennon also said that!
3 kathe // Apr 15, 2005 at 7:06 pm
Hi Julie! I’ve been enjoying your blogs…hope everything is ok…
4 Betsy Devine // Apr 17, 2005 at 8:23 am
Hi Julie–Chiming in from my hotel room in Tampa to say that I’m also missing your posts and wishing you well.
5 dsk // Apr 21, 2005 at 1:23 pm
I like that you brought up the idea that disruption is not always BAD. Personally i consider myself a ZenArchist/Discordian. Esentially i think that (in the process of existing) things tend to fall towards order or chaos. If we agree to define that:
order is a static state (also the hightest order of Zen),
anarchy is a process of disrupting order,
chaos is a state of non-order,
enthropy is a process of perpetuating chaos.
Then, i consider that although order is somewhat preferable to chaos in the short-term, the disruption of stagnation by the processes of anarchy (hench ZenArchy) is vital towards the refreshening of existance (necesity being the mother of invention, so to speak). I consider my small role in this place to be the mote in god’s eye, to perpetuate the small ripples of change that challenge the natural tendency towards inaction (or laziness) by “sentient” objects (people, animals, plants) and the tendency towards action by “non-sentient” objects (mountains, wind, water).
Hmmm, that’s almost, kinda what I mean. unfortunately I have to get back to work so i’ll leave it there.
btw, I loved your presentation at northernvoice, it was very motivating.
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