Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Fluidity


Fluidity - such a lovely word. Evoking images (for me) or grace and poise, ease of movement and suppleness, as well as the all-encompassing aspects of water or actual fluids which flow over and through all.

Yes, I know, what in the world am I talking about? I'm used to that question, living as I do in the special place inside my own mind, lol.

I guess what brought this to mind for me was the Beliefnet.com quiz I took awhile back. Realizing that for the most part, my core beliefs have not changed, yet if we look at words to define where we fit in, I no longer fit in with the spiritual community of my up-bringing. Yet if my core beliefs really have not changed, how is this possible?

Well, I think fluidity helps me understand. I find myself on a continuum, like a river. As I move down the river with the current the view changes. There are places which are smooth and gentle and lush with vegetation, and then there are the places filled with rocks and rapids. Sometimes there are even waterfalls! I'm still on the continuum, the core of the matter is the river. I'm just seeing different views along the river.

I also think that I'm very comfortable with a variety of words expressing the same idea. Someone may refer to God, another The Universe, and still others may call it all by some other name. I am fluid with names, in that I don't necessarily care which name is used, but more importantly I'm comfortable with the concept that whatever labels we attach to things can still all refer to the same thing. I'm comfortable with the fluidity of movement amongst and between the labels too.

It seems that much of organized man-made religion is not comfortable with this fluid-ness, and have waged battles about terminologies and such that are just not that important to me. The whole thing with needing to give things specific names and then beating one another up over the names and the rightness of the names strikes me as very un-graceful, and lacking in poise. Certainly not possessing ease of movement nor suppleness. I much prefer to relax and breathe and accept that someone else can state their belief, and have their belief, without it being a threat to me.

I also find that all of the above applies, for me, to the lifestyle and BDSM things. I've experienced that NO ONE calls anything by the same name as someone else, lol. OK, that's a slight exaggeration, but basically there are a bazillion ways to describe WIITWD (what it is that we do.) And that's cool. Refer to yourself and describe yourself as you wish. In whatever way makes you happy. And be fluid enough to grant that same benefit to everyone else you encounter.

Fluidity, gracefulness and poise, ease and suppleness, and really, being relaxed, breathing, no hard edges, and no need to always be right. Flow with the river, accept and allow others to flow as well, without the need to make them be wrong. Perhaps your fluid will flow into my fluid and we will discover some new and wonderful fluid which could not have been created if we had kept our fluids strictly segregated. Perhaps.

Fluidity, being open to the possibilities and ideas and differences of life.

.

4 comments:

  1. How strange that you should posted this now. Do you know for the past couple of days I've had two postings floating around in my head....one on 'submission to life', where the picture I have is always a leaf floating on a river....and the other on faith/religion.

    I'm going to try to focus on at least one of them soon, and link to this piece if I may.

    lots of love and soft hugs xxx

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  2. Serendipity? The flow of life? Our inter-connectedness? Yes, very interesting that I needed to share this now, at this time.

    I think it's been important for me partly because at work I am not able to be as fluid or flow with things. As the boss, I control the river. Sometimes I must remove the rocks and rapids which are causing my employees to fail. Other times I need to insert a few rocks and rapids for those employees who need more challenge.

    I can't really float along the river at work, I sort of AM the river.

    So at home, and in my inter-personal world, I really need to be fluid. I simply don't have the energy or ability to BE the river throughout all parts of my life.

    Motherhood carries a certain amount of "being the river" with it, as does this evolution into becoming the mother of my Mom.

    So when I'm here interacting with fellow bloggers, or in social settings with friends and acquaintances, or participating in some organized spiritual place, I really need to be able to flow. I need to be surrounded by those who can also accept the fluidity of life.

    I find I just don't have the ability to gracefully cope with rigidity and hardness of heart, close-mindedness, and an unbudgeable-boulder mentality.

    I look forward to reading your thoughts.

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  3. lovely, evocative post.
    Timely for me too.
    Trusting in being fluid and holding yourself with grace and poise ( suppleness ) does mean that although at times you may get grazed it is almost impossible to get jarred or jolted....

    Hugs,

    Olivia
    x

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  4. "...although at times you may get grazed it is almost impossible to get jarred or jolted..."

    Olivia,

    I LOVE that! And so perceptive of you to say part of what I was struggling to say. That's it exactly! Thank you.

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