It’s surprising how much fear a human body can generate, isn’t it?
Headaches, stomach aches, nausea, shakes…
In times of chaos, upheaval, and revolution, it’s ok to fear change and an uncertain future.
It’s ok to long for easier times.
It’s ok to be afraid.
But you don’t have to be; if you’d prefer another option…
I define Oppression as the domination, control, or suppression of Aliveness (of animals, processes, or forces) motivated by fear of Aliveness.
Aliveness is bigger and stronger than us. As much as we try, we can’t control another human being’s free will, we can’t control politics, we can’t control the future.
This wouldn’t be so scary if we had the lived experience that things that are bigger and stronger than us are on our side, helping us out. If we did, then we’d say, “Great!” Aliveness is bigger and stronger than us and will help us! We have a powerful ally! Hooray!”
But we experienced Adultism, the persistent devaluing, dismissing, and degrading of the wisdom and power of youth motivated by fear of the Aliveness (i.e. power) of youth. Adults saw our power and it scared them. They tried to soothe their fear by breaking us - to some degree.
In oppressive cultures, we “break” living beings, so they stop fighting our domination.
There have been books written about breaking horses, women/ people assigned female at birth, and enslaved people. There is an art to breaking a powerful, intelligent, self-aware being. You have to do it just right.
As young, innocent, vulnerable beings, we experienced the same and similar horrors as other oppressed groups. Many of us were hit. Many of us were punished with unjust severity. Many of us (our thoughts, emotions, needs, and pains) were ignored. Ignoring was the primary weapon against children who said the timely equivalent of, “I’m gay,” “I’m trans,” or, “I’m not marrying that old man.” Parents were taught to simply ignore. Don’t argue. Don’t fight. No matter how loudly your child yells, just pretend you can’t hear or see them. Over time, they will feel insane, they will learn resistance is futile, and they will break.
It is a wonder that as adults, we long to be children again. Yet, despite the systematic oppression of our young bodies, minds, and hearts, we felt alive! Much more than we do now. As young people, we lived in the moment and followed our hearts and our curiosity. It felt so energizing to be alive.
Many adults worry that their children will not be safe in this world because young people don’t know enough to be sacred. Adults justify the oppression of youth by casting themselves in the role of “Protector,” and their domination, control, and suppression as love. “I’m doing this for your own good,” adults say. “I’m hitting you because I love you. I’m hurting you to protect you.”
Parents may lament that, “If only my child understood the dangers of life. Then they would be more cautious and therefore more safe.”
Maybe…
The dangerous world we live in is a world designed by adults. If adults are so good at safety, and a safe world could exist, wouldn’t adults have built it? Safety cannot be guaranteed and life cannot be lived in our heads. Life is lived by living. Someone has to dream. Someone has to invent. Someone has to be impulsive enough to try. Someone has to bring the medicine and wisdom of youth to the community. Who better than youth to do it?
In this time of societal upheaval and reorganization, I invite you to embrace the medicine of youth. Find the vulnerable courage to set aside what you “know” about consequences, and how it’s going to work out - you don’t actually know the future - stomp out into the abyss in oversized boots carrying a cardboard wand, because it seems exciting out there. That’s where the action is. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find something new and awe-inspiring!
If you try to force life to unfold how it “should,” with all your plans and strategies, you’ll never get to experience the magic of living in an infinite universe, where anything can happen. Adultism will point out that it’s statistically improbable that certain things will happen. Youth knows that today could be the day.
Being young is delightful because surprising things happen all the time; magic happens every day. As we age, we become more rigid in our thinking. We identify patterns and decide that only certain patterns can and will play out. But, of all the information available in the universe, how much do we personally know? 1%? 10%? If we don’t know 90% of what’s possible at any given moment, how can we be so sure we know how life will play out?
The power of youth is fearlessness born of ignorance.
Ignorance can be a superpower. When we know how bad circumstances could go, we flinch when success requires focus. We hide when success requires boldness. We waffle when success requires determination. Let youthful exuberance wash over your life like a tidal wave, clearing the stale, compacted, contracted, systems of adult stability.
Set aside your knowing and let the infinite space of not-knowing show you something new.
Isn’t it time for something new?
Aren’t you tired of all this predictable, same-shit-different-day, nonsense?
Aren’t you tired of living in a world run by the cynicism and staleness of adultism?
Give the unknown a chance to gift you something so unexpected it feels like magic. Give this alive universe a chance to gift us all with an outcome so good we couldn’t see it coming.
Give yourself the medicine of youth.
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I love this, it reminds me of The Fool card in the tarot (which I am now practicing :)) .. Thank you for sharing!