I think it's a pretty common thing for people to be more open when they are first starting out on a path (or learning about a new thing), and the more we practice, the more refined our path becomes. It's only natural to narrow our focus, especially as we learn more about what really works for us, and what doesn't.
However, I think we are doing a huge disservice, both to ourselves and to others, to keep our circle small and focused. When we surround ourselves with people who are 'like us' we become an echo chamber, and we loose out on so much of the beautiful variety that makes the human race so special.
Now I know that it's not comfortable for everyone to step into spaces that we are unfamiliar with, and it's definitely not something that (most people) are comfortable with for the bulk of their practice, but I do feel that it's important to try to broaden your experiences as much as you are able to. The more we can interact with people who are different to us, the more we enrich all of our lives!
I recently joined a witchcraft group that is very different to any I have been a part of. Firstly, the age range is highly tilted towards people who are much younger than I am. And while it is definitely intimidating, it's also hugely fascinating.
I think age is one of those categories that we are socialized to limit ourselves within. From early school days, we are lumped together with people 'in the same year', and making friends outside your year wasn't as socially acceptable as hanging out with people in the same year as you. We carry this into adulthood (though our range does widen a bit), and many people spend most of their time socializing with others who are roughly their own age.
In some ways this makes sense, because you share a historic perspective...people your age have lived through the same stuff you have, they grew up during the same time and thus have a similar perspective. Spending time with people younger or older than you (by more than a few years) is almost like learning a new language and definitely like stepping into a different culture.
Beyond age differences, spending time with people who walk different paths humanizes practices in a way that looking in from the outside (doing academic research and the like) will struggle to accomplish. It shifts your brain from thinking about things in a clinical way and into thinking about things in a personal way.
And that is something that I think we really need to lean into and embrace! People are widely varied and we have so many lovely unique ways of facing the world, but underneath it we all share many commonalities, and it's SO much easier to understand practices that feel very foreign to you when you have connected with someone who actually lives those practices.
Especially in this modern age, where everything is changing so quickly, I feel like socializing with people who are different (whether that means in age, in where they live in the world, in what path they walk or any number of other differences we may see in the people around us) lets us tap into the pulse of the current moment. It lets you see how things have changed, especially for those of us who have been practicing for a while.
The conversations people are having today, about their practices, are both similar and so very different, from the conversations that people were having when I first started. The discourse around culture and ancestry is constantly evolving, and when we talk about cultural differences, we absolutely need to have voices from within the cultures being talked about.
I see my practice as a living practice. It changes as I change, it grows and evolves when I learn new things. I don't want to be someone who clings to a stagnant path simply because it's how I learned to walk it...I want to embrace the learning and growing we've done as a society and to listen to the voices that have been silenced for so long.
I don't think it's necessary to toss away my familiar practices in order to open myself to new ones, but I do appreciate any time spent with people who are in a different place than I am (whether that means they are a different age, walk a different path, live in a different part of the world or are a different gender/sexuality). I find it really rewarding to be in spaces that let people of widely different circumstances interact....the conversations are amazing!
So even if you have a very established practice and are comfortable and happy with it, I think it's well worth it to also reach out and spend time with people who you might not ordinarily interact with. It helps me stay connected and it enriches my life in ways that I would never have discovered if I stayed within my safe and familiar boundaries.
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