WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Hi Friends,
How is it the end of August already? Many of you have children starting school, while others are heading into their busiest time of year. The days are long, but the years go by quickly. Life is really something else.
There is so much in the news that makes the heart weep. The people running the show seem to have completely abandoned integrity, the basic nature of civics, and the fabric of our society. And yet, on a deeper level, something else has happened.
Our ancestors learned from the devastating mistakes their leaders made on their behalf. From those life-altering failures came a humble response to how to live together. They learned—often the hardest way—how the world works, and how it doesn’t. From those ruins grew a respect for life, and for the fragile art of living in community.
But over generations, those lessons fade. The comfort our ancestors fought for turns into complacency. And then we are left with a forgetful society—one that no longer understands sacrifice or civics.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
It matters because we are embodied. Those we loved, who are no longer here, are no longer matter. You cannot share a slice of pizza with them. They cannot hug you. They cannot advise you on what the world was like. It is up to us to do that now.
The earth is made of matter—and this is why it matters.
We must be the ones to create meaning from our ancestors. We are the ones who need to reach into our own family stories, into our country’s history, and into the long history of the world.
When we see others lying to one another, masked in greed, we already know where that train leads. When we try to move on and ignore what is happening around us, we know deep down that one day it will arrive at our own door.
It is up to us to create meaning in this life. How we speak to ourselves is a good place to start. We can pretend to discuss contemporary things, but they often carry only a false sense of weight.
What matters is what you inherited from your ancestors. What matters is what you’ve been repressing all your life. What matters is the energy inside that body of yours.
The question is: how can you shift what matters, and begin to remediate your life?
There is no time like the present. Seek support. Be vulnerable. Try not to cling too tightly to who you think you are. One day, you too will no longer be matter. So take advantage of the time you have.
Happy Last Days of Summer,
Matthew Schildkret
Founder, Creator, & Humble Guide
Late Sunday Afternoon
