Autumn is a time for mists and mellow fruitfulness as Louise’s beautiful picture of some of our local woods shows. Now that we are in the grip of grim November weather remembrance and reflection come into play too, so appropriately, we’ve included a piece in Cardinal’s November newsletter about reflective learning.
I’ve been indulging myself lately and reading some historical who-dunnits by C.J. Sansom. As well recommending the “shardlake
” series as good, honest relaxation, I have found these stories very thought-provoking. Reflecting (there’s that word again!) on how differently people behave and how behaviour has changed over time, I am not surprised that we adopt certain characteristics to varying degrees. Take openness for instance.
We understand that openness encourages others to get to know us more easily, helping to build trust quickly. We also know that being too open, to the point of naivety, can be damaging or even dangerous. So, it’s a balancing act, and in today’s UK society, I see the scales as being fairly evenly balanced. Contrast with Shardlake’s time, during the reign of “good” King Henry V111th, where an honest and openly expressed opinion about religious belief or the King himself, could cost your liberty and your life if overheard in the wrong quarters.
So, imagine if you will, being a descendant of someone who was put to death for holding out against the decreed religious view. How might that affect your thinking, persuading you to be careful about with whom and where you shared your innermost thoughts, beliefs and feelings? Consider how you might influence your descendents, especially if these oppressive conditions prevail? If others are affected similarly, either directly or by observation, before long you have generations of people who habitually keep things to themselves!
Being open with strangers and those we don’t know too well, may feel like a risky business. We may not understand why this is, until we peel back the generations of thinking and habitual reasoning. I’d like to ask you how against the grain does it feel to bare all and have a blog, to appear on FaceBook or LikedIn or Twitter when all your formative years, you were taught to “keep it under your hat”…?
We hope you are keeping well, making progress and celebrating your achievements!
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