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Elliott Freed sat down to chat with me on how we as individuals can become stronger and what we can do in these "interesting" new times. What is his advice to the average person? What do we focus on if we want something different?
Find Elliott's book here: http://vaccineprimer.weebly.com/ Find him on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/elliott.freed More books here: https://realitydistilledintowords.weebly.com/ To get a Free copy of "Words to Inspire Action", which includes Elliott's quote along with 10 other thought leaders, including RFK Jr, Zuby, Del Bigtree and more, go here: https://www.subscribepage.com/wordstoinspireaction ps we had tech issues - zoom didn't work, so I quickly improvised and hosted Elliott in a private group I have on Facebook. Luckily, my daughter (she is my IT person, ha!) had me set up with a program that can screen capture. However, I was paranoid that I wasn't recording, so you will see me check that several times. Also Elliott's microphone got soft a few times and Carter was being loud too, but overall I am thrilled with this first interview! I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think and share with anyone you think might be helped or inspired by this conversation. I'm looking forward to hearing from you! Peacefully Yours, Susan May
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 Click on image to go over to the CDC and try searching VAERS yourself. This was a simple search showing deaths per year reported. These are the number of deaths reported to VAERS after vaccination every year. I did the same exact search 2 weeks ago and today and the Y-axis has jumped up by 800 - so approximately 800 new reports of death in that short time. Questions I have: 1) If the CDC just denies that any of these deaths were caused by vaccines, then why even collect the data? 2) How many deaths are “too many”? What other drug on earth would continue to be administered with a track record like this? When will we stop the madness? (Not to mention that drugs are given to SICK people in an attempt to heal while these vaccines are being given to everyone regardless of their health to supposedly prevent illness/death) ⬆️I guess that was a 3 for 1 question! 🤪⬆️ 3) Has our reporting system- VAERS -been improved at all since Harvard found in 2011 that less than 1% of vaccine reactions were being captured?  Click on image or copy/paste this url to read the study: https://digital.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/docs/publication/r18hs017045-lazarus-final-report-2011.pdf 4) Perhaps most importantly - if VAERS has not been improved, how many deaths and severe reactions are not being officially recorded?
It is very likely that the numbers we see in VAERS are just the tip of the iceberg. This should frighten all of us. Dear Governor DeSantis, My family moved to Florida in January 2021. We moved to be close to family and to escape predictions of an oppressive "Dark Winter" in favor of warmth and sunshine. We also moved to Florida because we liked how you have led the state over the past year. In the months since, we have continued to be impressed with your intelligence, fairness and fearlessness. This morning I watched your second round table discussion with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Dr. Martin Kulldorff and Dr. Scott Atlas. This letter is also directed to these scientists. I am in agreement with almost everything that was said at today's round table discussion. The censorship that is occurring daily is extremely troubling; and, as a parent it leaves me very worried about our children's future. It really does seem that we are entering a new dark age, if we haven't already arrived. I am incredibly grateful to you and Doctors Battacharya, Kulldorf, Atlas and Professor Sunetra Gupta (from the first round table) for speaking up. I especially loved Dr. Battacharya's answer to the question about his credentials - he believes we should be focusing on the value of the ideas/data/information presented, not on the credentials of the person presenting them. I couldn't agree more. The dismay expressed by all of you is well founded. Any shock, however, is not. The censorship, suppression, lack of dialogue and cover up that you all denounced today is not new to this past year: It has been going on for decades, if not longer. The same slander and hostility faced by the brave scientists in your round tables, has been ruthlessly aimed at all individuals who ask any questions about vaccines. This has gone on for as long as vaccines have existed, and regardless of how reasonable the questions are. The most familiar example in the recent past is Dr. Andy Wakefield. All of these scientists are now being "Wakefielded" and it is an ugly, brutal experience. I am in full agreement with you, Governor DeSantis, that vaccine passports are unacceptable. However, I found it perplexing to hear scientists speak about open dialogue being the only path to scientific progress in one breath and in the next express a simplistic view of how amazing and wonderful these new vaccines are. I can’t help but find this extremely ironic, considering the history of the vaccine (non)debate. Are you prepared to extend this same philosophy of open dialogue to the issue of vaccines? While it is their right to have a positive opinion of the experimental COVID vaccines, I personally find the high level of confidence expressed by Dr. Kullforff and Dr. Battacharya misplaced. A quick look at the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) demonstrates that deaths reported post vaccination have skyrocketed since the start of this vaccine campaign in December (see attached photos below). The media and big tech corporations are doing their best to deny, cover up and ignore all serious vaccine reactions and death. I know that the large majority of our population wants the vaccines; therefore, to stick one's neck out and question whether they are truly as "safe and effective" as we have been led to believe is political/career suicide. I am extremely heartened by the stance you've taken about vaccine passports and appreciate that may be as far as you can go. But I believe that if we do not recognize that the current state of our country is in large part due to years of censorship, propaganda and a lack of open dialogue with regards to our vaccine program, the problems will persist. An article titled, "Five Reasons to Reframe the Vaccine Passport Issue" on the Ron Paul Institute's website laid it out very well: "We will advance our cause by adopting a “one story” approach and by accurately framing that story as one of incrementally increasing tyranny, permeated with scientific misrepresentations about the risks of infectious diseases and the relative risks and benefits of vaccines. As indicated above, the story of COVID-19 tyranny is part of a larger story and is best characterized as such." I have read and researched extensively on the vaccine issue for years before COVID-19. Last Spring when lockdowns began I couldn’t help notice the similarities in the public conversations surrounding these two topics - or more accurately, the lack of transparent, high quality public dialogue that occurs. Over time I came to the same conclusion the above author did - the COVID-19 event is not simply paralleling the vaccine debate, it is a direct extension and continuation of the vaccine issue and all that it encompasses. We will not be able to fully solve the problems you are so concerned with, without addressing the roots of the problems that have been metaphorically buried underground for so long. I am happy to continue this conversation and provide evidence for how I have come to these conclusions with you and any individuals whom are open to engaging respectfully on this topic. I'd like to end by thanking you, from the bottom of my heart, for your bravery in standing out from the crowd and for your dedication to finding the truth to guide you. There is no doubt that your leadership is inspiring many Americans to be brave, speak up and act in accordance with the values that matter most to them, whether that be truth, freedom, or the pursuit of happiness. I myself, feel more hopeful for the future knowing that you are leading Florida in such an admirable way, and hope that many more states, and countries worldwide, will follow your example. Sincerely, Susan May  Click on the image or copy/paste this link to open VAERS: https://vaers.hhs.gov/data.html I simply searched deaths and sorted by year. From there you can play with different charts/graphs to visualize the data.  Graph of Deaths Reported to VAERS by Year If you stand for freedom and informed choices, no matter what your personal choice is, now is the time to speak up. The time for being quiet and minding your own business is over. Current events may not impact you today or tomorrow, but it will impact you or someone you love eventually (probably sooner than later). I know I am wordy, but please read my following Random Ramblings:
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< I used to be like you. I vaccinated my baby and brought her to all of her appointments on the 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18 month mark on the dot. I believed I was doing the right thing. I graduated college, married my love, got a job teaching. I aced school tests, played in the marching band and on Varsity sports teams. I dreamed of having a happily ever after family. I didn't question much of anything. I wasn't passionate about politics - at all. I actually thought the following - "Well, the government *shouldn't* have surveillance on us citizens, because *obviously* that is an infringement of our rights.... BUT I'm really not worried about it - because I didn't have anything to hide!!" Oh my. It's amazing to look back on our young, innocent, naïve selves. It's fine if you believe in and desire certain modern medical procedures for you and your family. But do you think it's fine to have said medical procedures tied to a person's ability participate in society? For example, should a person's ability to do the following be contingent on them receiving certain pharmaceutical products: 1) work 2) travel 3) eat at a restaurant 4) attend large events If you think this is acceptable, I consider you a threat to my family and our ability to live a peaceful, fulfilling life in our country. Medical decisions should always be: 1) private: between a person and their self-selected care provider 2) informed and uncoerced This is a human right's issue - Period. Many of us thought that this was settled with the Nuremberg Code, but apparently it was not. If you think people that choose differently than you are dangerous and you feel angry or upset thinking about it, I invite you to talk with someone who has done so. I invite you to dig into your anger and try to figure out *why* you are so angry. I invite you to consider if any of your assumptions may be incorrect. And I especially invite you to start by learning about the power of simply taking Vitamin C regularly to promote your own health. (You know I had to throw Vitamin C in here!) This one health promoting habit will make you healthier, less fearful and more clear on the corruption that exists in our present reality. If you are reading this, I thank you. I will tell you - the people I respect and learn from have been predicting every step of this past year. We're all exhausted. We all want things back to "normal". But some things will not be ok if we remain silent. There are some people who are exhausted from the effort of sharing - they are moving on, trying to build something for themselves and their loved ones. I'm moving in that direction myself. But I do find it hard to give up. I'm hoping more good people will start speaking up. Sending you all love and strength! We all need it.  A friend shared a post that spoke about autoimmune diseases and how frustrating it is to have one of these "invisible" diseases. People often make assumptions that people who suffer from them are "fine" because they "look" fine or they make annoying suggestions about how people can be healthier. I've heard this many times and it has made me more aware that I should never presume to know what is going on with another person's health. But the word that really jumped out at me was the word "rare". I feel like we are being programmed with this word. Yes, we are being duped. Sure - perhaps each specific autoimmune disorder is "rare" - but as a group, are they? Let's take a look:  Autoimmune diseases are the 3rd most common category of disease in the US, after cancer and heat disease. They affect approximately 5-8% of the population, or 14-22 million persons. Hmmm. I don't know about you, but that doesn't exactly fit my definition of "rare"! Why are we being conditioned to think of them as "rare", when they are clearly NOT rare? What else are we told is extremely rare? Vaccine injuries! We are in the middle of the COVID vaccine rollout, and many people are very excited to receive it. Others don't want anything to do with it and some fall in the middle - cautiously watching and waiting before deciding whether they want the vaccine. My newsfeed is full of news every day of various reactions to the new vaccine, ranging from sore arms, fevers and a couple days of being out of commission, to miscarriages, severe neurological injuries and death. Are these reactions really "rare"? I wish it was as easy as pointing someone to a place where there were black and white statistics laid out for us - this percentage of people get sick/die from the disease and this percentage from the vaccine. Unfortunately it is not that simple. You have to be a detective and dig. You have to understand a lot of different aspects of the world and how it works. I will continue to point people to VAERS and the Harvard study funded by the Department of Health and Human services that showed that 1%, or even less, of vaccine reactions are captured by our reporting system. This means that any reactions reported represent a tiny fraction of the actual reactions occurring. So far 500 deaths have been reported to VAERS, so we know that the number is likely much larger than this. Children are increasingly suffering from chronic illnesses and these include autoimmune diseases. Robert F Kennedy Jr. has noted the explosion in chronic illnesses since the late 1980s. You can watch a video about that here. I think many people intuitively sense that our overall health as a population is not at the level that we want it to be and what it should or could be. Why aren't we able to change these trends? What is stopping us from becoming healthier? I invite you to reevaluate this definition of "rare". Perhaps we've been programmed to believe something that just isn't true. My friend on Facebook said it perfectly: People "apply circular reasoning. They start with the premise that vaccine injury is rare. Then, when something happens after vaccination, they immediately rule out the vaccine as the cause since vaccine injury is rare. Since that injury goes unreported, the low number of reported injuries reinforces the idea that vaccine injuries are rare." People don't speak up about these things because there are a lot of rewards for doing so. In fact, one thing that is increasingly rare these days is the ability to have a calm, compassionate and rational discussion about difficult topics. I hope that this becomes more and more common, that all illness does in fact become more rare, and we all move towards a healthier lives.  ps did you know that there is a whole text book that covers the topic of vaccines and autoimmunity?? Wild, right?? 
This is part 2 of a two part blog series. You can read the first part here: Presumed Guilty. People who want to retain their right to say what goes into their and their children's bodies are increasingly being backed into a corner. State governments are making the laws for school attendance stricter and stricter. Jobs in the medical and educational fields, as well as others, are starting to be contingent on vaccination too. It is imperative to present information that illustrates the slogan "safe and effective" is not as accurate as we've been led to believe. In essence we need to prove there is "reasonable doubt" when it comes to our current practice of vaccination. The vaccine issue is complex and multifaceted. History, science and studies, personal stories from people impacted by vaccines and Doctors willing to share what they've seen are just a few areas to begin considering - it is something that truly takes hours upon hours and years of dedication to untangle. This post is for people who are just beginning to look into the issue of vaccines. These are basic facts and will not "cover" the issue in any significant way. I've been studying for over 10 years, and intensively for the past year or so. When I chose to vaccinate my daughter almost 14 years ago I did exactly ZERO minutes of research. I think this is true for the majority of people. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 is a great starting point. It "Establishes the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) as an alternative remedy to judicial action for specified vaccine-related injuries." Basically, vaccine makers were threatening to stop making vaccines because law suits against them were making the business unprofitable. The government stepped in and said we'll take responsibility. The maximum award through this program is $250,000 - even in the case of death. "The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was established by the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA), passed by the United States Congress in response to a threat to the vaccine supply due to a 1980s scare over the DPT vaccine. Despite the belief of most public health officials that claims of side effects were unfounded, large jury awards had been given to some plaintiffs, most DPT vaccine makers had ceased production, and officials feared the loss of herd immunity.[1]" To date the NVICP has awarded over 4 billion dollars. In 1990 VAERS (the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) was established. From wikipedia: "The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a United States program for vaccine safety, co-managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). VAERS is a postmarketing surveillance program, collecting information about adverse events (possible harmful side effects) that occur after administration of vaccines to ascertain whether the risk–benefit ratio is high enough to justify continued use of any particular vaccine. How under-reported are vaccine injuries? In 2011 Harvard published a study showing that "fewer than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported." This means that we may need to multiply any reported events by up to or around 100 to get a better idea of how many vaccine injuries are truly occurring. This study was funded by the US Department of Health and Human services. A reasonable person might think that we had better follow up on this study and in improve our surveillance system. That has not been the case. From the report: "Unfortunately, there was never an opportunity to perform system performance assessments because the necessary CDC contacts were no longer available and the CDC consultants responsible for receiving data were no longer responsive to our multiple requests to proceed with testing and evaluation." Read the full report here: Electronic Support for Public Health–Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (ESP:VAERS). This history and the fact that our reporting system is so woefully inadequate is enough evidence for many people to appreciate that what we grew up believing - that vaccines are safe and effective and that injuries are "rare" - isn't as straightforward as we once thought. Our current global situation with Covid19 has many people interested in the development of a new vaccine. However, many well known, pro-vaccine doctors are warning that this is not a simple, straightforward and easy solution. A study published in 2012 says, "Because of well documented severity of the respiratory disease among infants given an inactivated RSV vaccine and subsequently infected with RSV that is considered to be attributable to a Th2-type immunopathologic reaction and a large number of studies in the Balb/c mouse model that have described and elucidated many components of the immunopathologic reaction to RSV vaccines, the similarity to the SARS-CoV vaccine evaluations in Balb/c mice supports caution for clinical vaccine trials with SARS-CoV vaccines in humans. (emphasis mine)" That is surely enough evidence to validate anyone wanting to opt out of this vaccine, even those who are typically pro-vaccine. For anyone wanting to dig into the vaccine issue more, I'll leave you with a couple of videos. The first is a link to RFK Jr speaking at an event where all of the other scientists and doctors backed out of a debate about vaccines. I tuned in and watched this video a little over a year ago. I wept at RFK Jr's courage and compassion. And I followed up on many of his claims. Turns out what he says about the Gardasil studies are true. Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=2257902910924107&ref=watch_permalink Finally is this powerful video from Peter Aaby, who has first hand experience with vaccines administration in Africa. What he has to share is shocking, to say the least. What do you think? Have I created "reasonable doubt"? If not, what additional evidence do you need to support the right of an individual or parent to choose what goes into their or their children's bodies?
If you have been researching this important topic, please feel free to leave your favorite resources in the comments! Thank you for reading and sharing. Being an "anti-vaxxer" is a lot like being accused for a crime and then not being given a trial by your peers. The topic is so taboo that most people don't even attempt to talk about it. If one does try, there is usually a lot of resistance - most people feel that they would never change their mind and they want to avoid negative consequences of the conversation - usually the ending of a relationship. I'm reminded of this quote: “Being taught to avoid talking about politics and Because people are very determined not to change their minds, I decided a long time ago that cannot be my goal. Besides, who am I to tell someone their way is wrong? I really don't think that is my place. I always love talking to people who are curious about new things and find those are the most most productive conversations anyway. What I do consider absolutely non-negotiable is my right to decline a medical procedure for myself and my children. If people could truly "live and let live" I would not feel like I need to try and push this topic at all. Unfortunately, that right is increasingly being taken away from parents and all citizens - here in the United States and all over the world.
So you can see the predicament that I and many others find ourselves in. Criminals are not given the luxury of being left alone. Criminals deserve a punishment. Even though I truly believe I cannot change someone's mind - especially about such a controversial and charged topic - my family is being threatened and so I must try to defend us. Most people don't want to hear our arguments, aka give us a trial. They presume we are guilty no matter how little research they have done themselves. They trust the experts, the doctors and their life experience up until now. They believe that vaccines are safe and effective. And so, I think that my job is to create "reasonable doubt". Maybe others won't agree with our choice, but they will begin to see that there is more to the issue than they thought. Maybe then they can let go of their anger and being to feel a little curiosity instead. This is my goal. Please - at the very least - give us a fair trial. ***Going to start right off with a disclaimer. This post is not to brag or to make others feel bad, although it may come off as doing both. Ideally it will make people think and even start some discussions! Why is this post "extremely biased"? Because it is based on my experiences and mine alone.*** I keep thinking about Health. What is health? What does a healthy person look like? How many people do you know that you consider "the epitome of health?" To me that would mean: no allergies - food or environmental, no digestive issues, no autoimmune issues, no problems functioning in their environment that require on-going medication. How many people do you know? Is that number becoming increasingly small? I think it is. Kids are increasingly medicated for ADHD. A large percentage of Adults are on medication for stress and anxiety. Seasonal allergy meds, epipens for peanut allergies, drugs for skin issues, digestive issues, headaches, arthritis, the list goes on. Check out this chart below, you can click on the image to open the website an the complete list.  Right now in our family of 5 we have 0 prescriptions. Zero. That's not to say we are perfect. We've dealt with anxiety. Seasonal allergies in the past - check. Chronic sinus problems. Yep.
But if I look at our health (and I know that looking at my own and my loved ones health is biased, how could it not be?) I see some very interesting things.
So you tell me: Why on earth would we change what we're doing? In what universe is it logical or fair for us to be MANDATED to change what we're doing? Why would I start listening to the health advice of individuals and a large scale system in which most people do not have the level of health that we enjoy in our family? Everyone has to make choices. We are happy with ours. We are also happy to share with people! We want others to be happy and healthy too. My life is pretty great on a day to day basis. I have loving, supportive relationships. I get to spend lots of time with my children every day. I have a job that is fun and fits our life perfectly. But I have been grappling with a lot of fear this year. When you choose to stop vaccinating your family there are many things to fear. You fear losing friends and loved ones. One of my best friends in the world told me how angry they get when they think about this issue. This is not surprising. The (almost non-existent) dialog surrounding this topic is full of fear and anger. The person who inspired me to write this blog also later publicly stated his belief that parents who don't vaccinate should be jailed or die horrible deaths. This is actually quite a common sentiment, at least online. Do you agree with the statement below? If so, what is your justification?  Click on the picture to open Jennifer Margulis' commentary about this particular Tweet. It's no wonder that people are scared to voice any concerns they have!
I fear the loss of my right to choose what is the right path for my family's health. Many states are taking away parents' rights. In June parents in New York State lost the right to use religious exemptions, therefore losing their right to attend public schools. Many (most?) people view this as a good thing. But do most people also know that NY Supreme Court Judge ruled that the Amish cannot have a religious vaccine exemption to attend their own private Amish school of 24 Amish children? Do most people know that New York is also discussing mandating flu and HPV vaccines? HPV is not a contagious disease. The flu vaccine is known not to be very effective. This is just one state! You can spend all day reading about what is going on around our country and the world. Where do the mandates stop? I fear our family will lose our income and insurance again if Mike ever lost his job over this issue. I fear we will have to move our family again, just as we are beginning to put down roots - especially if Virginia takes away religious exemptions. (In Virginia home-schoolers follow the same laws as public schools.) These are not irrational fears, they are very much based in reality of things that are happening around the country. Real people that I know - in REAL life - are dealing with this very issues. I have a friend that pulled her children out of school to home school. She also thinks about needing to uproot her family and move to another state. I have another friend that was repeatedly denied an exemption for the flu shot and came very close to handing in her resignation before they fired her. In the end her boss found a way for her to stay employed, but she was facing the very real possibility of loss of salary, insurance and other benefits for her family of four. Perhaps, you are thinking - "Well, at least you aren't fearing death." Because that is really want this comes down to, doesn't it? People who are for mandatory vaccination think that it is a justified practice because they are preventing the Worst Thing of All. But those of us who choose a different path have addressed the fear of death and we came out stronger for it. I have addressed that fear in myself. I addressed it by listening and learning from those who knew a lot more than me about the history of infectious illnesses and vaccines. I addressed it by observing what I see occurring in my life and in the world around me. Does this mean I don't get scared? That I'm not worried when my kids are sick? Of course not! It means that I take responsibility for our health the best that I can and that I realize I can't control everything. How many people vaccinate and then get sick anyway? How many people get sick and go to work anyway? How many people send sick children to school because they can't afford to keep their kids home? Should these all be punishable offenses? Are they not spreading as much or more illness than a family like ours? We stay home when we are sick much more often than the average American family. The problem with believing that mandatory vaccines are justified is you have to completely turn away from reality. You have to deny the thousands of people who say they were harmed by vaccines and/or have gotten healthier since they stopped. You have to believe in your right to impose your will and belief system onto someone else. Sounds pretty Un-American and very totalitarian. Do you think I'm crazy to be more fearful of that than I am of the measles? Well, I am. The irony? We are all going to die someday. So, the people who are trying to dictate how we all should live are fearing something that we cannot escape. They think that our fears of losing our health, homes, loved ones, jobs, insurance, education, ability to travel and move freely in the world are insignificant compared to what they fear. They think they have The Answer. And here is the crux of the issue. We are coming from completely different paradigms and belief systems. People who want everyone vaccinated believe the following: vaccines are "safe and effective", and reactions are "1 in a million", or "mild and rare". I don't believe any of those things anymore. If you want to know why, I am happy to discuss it with you! It is a long discussion, but I'm ready to have it! You can choose to ignore the information that is freely available to us all. But don't expect everyone to fall in line. It's only going to get uglier if more people don't start listening and speaking up. Does that scare me? Yes. But I cannot live every day in fear. I need to be here for my kids. I need to appreciate all that I have NOW. So I acknowledge it all. And then I try to make today a great day. I choose to believe that Mr. Rogers is right and that most of us are inherently good. I choose to hope that The Good will prevail in the end. And I'm going to take every scrap of hope and faith I have to power me forward and create a path that will empower me, my children and - in my the happiest of futures - my grandchildren too. There is no doubt, the word "obsession" has a negative connotation for most. Even the dictionaries put a negative spin on it. Perhaps because of the way I've been retraining my mind to think and look at the world for such a long time, I prefer a more objective definition:
obsession [ uh b-sesh-uh n ]SHOW IPA noun the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc. 2019 has not been the easiest year for me. Mostly because I was quite obsessed with what was going on around the country with respect to vaccines and medical freedom. It's not the first time I've dove into the topic, reading day after day, article after article, comment section after comment section. (Noooooo!!!! stay away!!) Always I tried to research claims on both sides of the issue - searching the CDC website, vaccine inserts, VAERS, watching countless videos. It was consuming and exhausting. But I don't regret it. I did the same thing with Unschooling. There were years of reading endlessly. Then I would stop for a while and when some doubt or question came up, I would dive back in again. Mike would say - stop reading that! You know it already! ha! But that was just it - I didn't know it to my core... YET. I've followed so many amazing people over the years: Bloggers, homeschoolers - especially unschoolers, people in various health ventures etc. Many times they stop posting, writing and sharing after a while. I remember when one of my favorite bloggers stopped writing on her blog - I was so sad! I needed more! But after a while I understood. She didn't need to anymore. Obsessions aren't a bad thing. Unschooling has taught me this. Obsession is a strong interest in something - maybe better words to use are passion, attraction, enthusiasm. When we try to suppress our obsessions, they don't disappear and there is a good chance they will become stronger. What if we let them run their course? I've found for myself that when I do, they fade in their own time and I can move on. Of course, letting something dominate our life to the point of neglecting ourselves and others is something we try to avoid. But who gets to decide what level of interest and involvement is healthy? I love this quote by J.K. Rowling: "Everything was just very very dilapidated and always filthy which wasn’t the flat’s fault — it was normally my fault because people very often say to me, “How did you do it? How did you raise a baby and write a book?” and the answer is, I didn’t do housework for four years! I’m not Superwoman, and living in squalor that was the answer." Click here for another page with quotes from here where she repeatedly calls writing a compulsion. I refuse to feel guilty about feeling compelled to do something that was really important to me. Also, I always had in the front of my mind that I needed to maintain some sort of balance - and I always knew that my family was the most important thing. I have to throw one more JK Rowling quote in here: “My youngest child asked me the other day, ‘Mummy, if you had to choose between us and writing, what would you choose?’ And I said, ‘Well I would choose you but I would be very, very grumpy.” Exactly. Maybe we don't need to choose. Or maybe things actually go in cycles. Maybe when we honor ourselves and others, and our interests and others' interests things will work out in the very best way that they possibly can. Remember: Life is Lumpy. Or a Sine Wave - feel free to choose which analogy works for you. So what was the purpose of an obsession, if eventually it wanes? Well, I guess there may be many . For me and the obsessions I referenced here, it served me to dig in a really examine the choices I am making in my life. When you choose to do things differently from the majority of people, it helps to feel really confident and good about those choices. And so I dive in, again and again. And each time I come out stronger and more focused... on what's really important. |
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