What marks are you making? ⚒️
Thoughts on the lights we're shining and what we leave behind.
Get to know me and you’ll find out I’m a history nerd. 🤓 I read history books and historic fiction, love period films and enjoy travelling to discover historic places. More recently I’ve also been growing my family tree and learning about my ancestors.
What is it about history that I find so compelling? I’ve been asking myself this question for a long time.
I think it has to do with discovering the ways humans have navigated this thing call life and what they leave behind when they leave this earth – the good, the bad, the legendary, the abhorrent.
For as long as we’ve walked this planet, humans have been making their marks. They write, build, carve, draw and tear down as if to say I was here. I’ve seen it in petroglyphs, right here in the Rockies, that are hundreds, maybe thousands of years old. I’ve seen it at Ġgantija temples, one of the world’s oldest manmade structures (older than the Pyramids!) on the island of Gozo. I’ve seen the ancient moai of Rapa Nui, the gigantic “heads” of deified ancestors that required thousands of hours of carving before being transported across the island to stand by the sea. For a modern-day example, I’ve seen graffiti at over 10,000 feet, on a summit near my home here in Banff. Some kid decided it was OK to bring a can of spray paint up a mountain and deface the rocks near the top. Nice to meet you, T.H. WUZ HERE.
I may have carved my own initials in the basement of my childhood home…
Throughout history, we’ve been making our marks on the land. We’ve also been making our marks on each other.
I’m not here today to dissect world history and the rise and fall of various civilizations (something about the last day of school, busy inboxes, and a doctor’s appointment). 😏 But looking back at the impact that we as humans have on this earth, and on each other, it makes me keenly aware of what and how I’m contributing to the betterment or detriment of future generations and this planet we live on. 🌎
Maybe it’s reaching midlife (be sure to check out the article below) or hitting 40º Celsius here in Banff and being keenly aware it’s not just a heatwave, it’s climate change rearing its ugly head. Maybe it’s seeing my kids growing up in a world with such divisiveness and uncertainty or reading a book (The Rose Code) about the Second World War and all its horrors. Maybe it’s getting to know my own family’s colonial history and taking time to learn more about Canada’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples and the disgraceful history and legacy surrounding the Residential School System (read: genocide).
Maybe it’s all of it.
In front of me at my desk, I have a pegboard filled with office supplies and a photo-booth style film-strip of my then two-year-old daughter (now three). In each photo she’s standing in front of a world map and in each of the four images she’s holding up a word or symbol: I ❤️ MY MOM. I look at her adorable expressions and want the best for this little girl who still doesn’t know this world for what it really is. I can’t shield her. I can only guide her for so long. But if there’s anything I can do to help her understand that she plays a role in all this then that is my work.
It starts with me. It starts with my example.
So, where to even begin?
I can do the small things, yes. Yesterday I invested $5 in a reusable ‘to go’ container - part of a new initiative here in Banff. Check. I can get my compost up and running again. I can be ready to help friends or family in need. I can continue to donate to causes that I’ve chosen to support. Check, check, check.
But I think the biggest shift needs to happen with where and how I’m spending my energy. I have 24 hours in the day and you can be sure that my ability to have a positive impact on this planet is reduced when every moment is filled with something else. My ‘light’ is also diminished when I’m feeling tired and drained. I believe the best way to cast more light in the world is to shine brighter. 💡 It’s all tied into the midlife complex and stepping away from activities and people that dim that light. By creating time and space I can invest my energy into the bigger things that will make a difference.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
— Marianne Williamson, an excerpt from Our Deepest Fear
👋 Did you know? Field Notes is free to subscribe to below and get right in your inbox, but I also offer the opportunity to support my work and get extra perks through a paid subscription ($8/month or $85/year). 🙏
What’s caught my attention lately… ✨
The Midlife Unraveling, an article by Brené Brown. Where to begin with this one other than to say, if you’re in your late 30s (and beyond), please read it! This piece completely reframes the midlife stage and also helped me to make sense of everything I’m feeling right now about putting down my armour that’s preventing me from growing.
A walk down memory lane… 🗄️
“Let me tell you what you’re looking at here: that’s 19th-century graffiti on one of the oldest freestanding structures on the planet. Older than Stonehenge. Older than the Pyramids. Ġgantija Temples on Gozo have a powerful energy about them, dating back to between 3600 and 3200 BC.”
Check these out too… 🙌
*NEW* Mailing List - Memoir - Talk about laying tracks before the train! Join my list to find out more about the travelogue/memoir coming out Fall 2022.
The Wonders That I Find - My children’s book is now available! 🌿
My Email Newsletter - Yes, different from Substack. This newsletter is for specific updates about my books and various projects.
Find me: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Feel free to pass this on to friends who might enjoy getting little doses of inspiration in their inbox. As a writer, I can say that every ounce of support means a great deal.
I love this post, Meghan. Wonderful stuff!