Connections

I have been seeing a lot of articles lately educating us about the relationships between empaths and narcissists.  I have read a few, trying to understand.

Then I met someone who seemed a bit narcissistic.  I was talking about it to a friend who listens to all my crazy explorations, and she gently wondered if rather than narcissism, this could be high-level Asperger's Syndrome.

I suddenly reevaluated all behaviors, and rather than frustration, a calmness came over me.  I could understand, and I could be compassionate.  It made me see all behaviors differently.

So now I am wondering, if there has been so much attention drawn to narcissism lately, do we have a lot more people living with Asperger's than ever imagined...And why do we have so many people who can't relate, can't quite understand?

I see disconnect everywhere.  We have absolutely lost touch with the Earth, with nature. We have named other races, other peoples, and see them as "other."  We do not see the connection any more.  We have so many people living their lives through the lens of technology.  Nothing happens anywhere in their lives without a device between them and others.

I wondered about people with Apserger's, who are smart, and are smart enough to see that others are connected in a way they can't perceive.

Is this the future for humans?

I had my youngest granddaughter overnight on Friday.  I had her and my youngest grandson at meetinghouse with me all Saturday afternoon, working on the permaculture project.  Then my grandson spent the night last night.  Today, my granddaughter came back while her Mama worked. Everyone was tired.  Everyone was cranky.  These two kids put on a sibling rivalry display that would have awed my kids.

Then I forced them to walk down into the woods with me.  They bickered all the way down the driveway, but as we turned to the forest, they calmed.  Once we were down in the creek, and found a toad, and walked on the stones...they were different kids.

I had forgotten the magic of the forest.

It amplifies all connections.  We need to be connected. And we need to find little inroads to our compassionate selves...

Exhaustedly, but with love and hugs,

Clare