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The Amalgamated Man
Teaching our children the joy of true expression.
In the article
In Search of Personal Expression, we
discussed the current trend toward uniformity, and the consequences such
sameness can have on our children. This week we continue
When a scientist combines mercury with another metal, the two metals are amalgamated to form an alloy a substance lacking purity. This same process occurs when a persons individuality is put under pressure and forced to combine with the dictates of a secular society. The result is a personality lacking purity.
I once saw this
transformation consume a young friend of the family. This teen was full of
spirit, bright, witty, funny, kind. She could take a group of bored
teenagers and inspire them all to have a harmless but memorable escapade.
Life simply emanated from her impulsive frame. After she graduated from
high school we moved to another state and I did not see her for several
years. When a family event led us back to the area, I met this remarkable
young woman again. To my dismay, gone was her animated expression. Gone
was every hint of emotion. Gone was the gleam in her eye. Instead, every
mannerism was planned, every movement purposely deliberate. Even her
conversation was scripted. She had been professionally polished. Perhaps
finished is a better term. Missing from her private school persona was
the light in her eyes. For her light had not only been dimmed, the flame
had been extinguished. Whatever school had done to her, she had been
amalgamated, for sure, and it broke my heart.
The truth is
that every day we are surrounded by people who have been amalgamated into
something they were never meant to be. Lifes
pressures can force a melding of spirit and fear. Of spirit and anger. Of
spirit and disappointment. Under the pressures and demands of life,
we all become amalgamated to some degree.
So the question becomes
are you missing your joy? Are you missing your
true gifts and talents? Are you missing that gleam in your eyes? Think
about when you were in early elementary school before the world had a
chance to dim your flame. Do you remember how wonderful it was to be
yourself?
Perhaps it is time we all joined the ranks of the blissful and re-emerge
from our amalgamated form. Perhaps the purity of who we really are will
emerge and sweeten the world around us. Free of pressure. Free of
conformity. Free to live.
What better way to teach our children the joy of true expression than to
eliminate the compromise that accompanies a dictated worldview? Set
yourself free. Give yourself permission to be authentic. Give your child
permission to stand tall, separate, and magnificent.
... as for the pure, his work is right. Proverbs, Chapter 21: Verse 8
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