Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Admitting the TRUTH - Specialization is for insects.


"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog,* conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." Robert Heinlein
 

*[let me just say -Butcher a hog - ick]

I read that in my early adulthood, and loved it. It spoke directly to my heart. 

But in spite of the KNOWING that I was a generalist, for years I've been trying to fit my round self into a square idea of who I should be. It hasn't worked.  

Everyone, and I do mean everyone-including me, has told me to specialize. 

Grrrrr . 

Specializing, I was told, is the only way to get a job (the square hole) and thus an income. 

 In other words, sell myself out to fit into an employer's idea of what I should be. This may be possible for others to do without feeling like a mummy wrapped in the gauze of "shoulds'" and "aught to's". 

 But every time I tried, my heart would end up feeling squeezed, my blood pressure would rise, and I'd end up with an ulcer. And to top it off I'd feel I was being choked. Surely there must be a better way. I've always been a Jack-of-All-Trades and been proud to be so. 

And so when a friend recommended that I start a blog, because well - it's time - she suggested that I specialize. The Easy specialty: parenting. Before she could start the next sentence, I could feel my heart squeezing. The image in my mind was a mule puling back on it's reins as hard as she was pulling forward. (And I'm the mule.) However, because I believe that her idea of creating a blog is a good one, it is my job to figure out what that means for ME. 

 And so after much thought, many deletions, cutting and pasting here we are: This blog will be a travelogue of how I came to be me, how I look at the world, and accepting that this will work and work well if as I talk to myself I can be faithful to my journey. 


And hopefully as you read my words,you will know that your happiness is only there when You, my reader, are FAITHFUL TO YOUR JOURNEY. 

 

Gayle

6 comments:

Suzanne Lieurance said...

Hey,

Good for you for getting your blog started. Now...keep this in mind: WHAT you are doing to SERVE your readers with every post? And who are you intended readers?

Happy blogging!

Suzanne Lieurance
The Working Writer's Coach
http://www.workingwriterscoach.com

Gayle McCain said...

Dear Suzanne,

My biggest hope is that my readers are inspired to give themselves permission to discover who they are. Not who their families or friends say. That they can discover through my meanderings those gems within themselves that they've hidden away. And by bringing these out, they will enrich their lives. As mine has been enriched by being around other people who are authentic.

My intended readers - people searching for 'something more.' People who are generalists but have been sold a bill of goods, and need permission to be the delightful people that they are, individuals searching for themselves, all of this with a healthy dash of irreverent humor.

And yes I do know that the humor didn't come through in my opening comments. That's OK, I have time.

Will this be easy - maybe, maybe not. But it is my goal that it should be fun. Enjoy.

Scott Krusemark said...

Cool. Jack-of-All trades. Yep. So what can I learn from my sister?

Bro

Onenow said...

Gayle,

Congratulations on creating a new venue to display your inner self. You have so much to give. I would hate to think of your grandness being squeezed into a small box, where you could not shine.

Thanks for having the courage to be you!

Elliott Teters
http://etsblog.loveexpressing.com

Gayle McCain said...

Dear Scott,

What can you learn from your little sister? Well, in spite of your 8" height advantage and 27 month lead into the world, you are now, and have always been, my little brother. It makes no sense, never has, and probably never will but you are, in fact, my little brother.

If you are looking for the sum total of the wisdom of the universe in one concise phrase - here goes:

Love.
It's all about Love. Move from love, come from love, do everything from a space of loving and you'll never, EVER go wrong.

Oh and Listen to your heart. It's never wrong either.

Ta Da.

In Love,
in Joy
gayle

Gayle McCain said...

Elliott,

Thank you for your your support. Enjoy the sunshine, dance in the moonlight, and laugh with the children. I am working at undoing the bindings that tie one up in knots. I like instead the hugs and kisses from loved ones, and being kissed by the sunshine.

So enjoy being inJoy
gayle