Not to brag, but I know what this is! |
If you know me, you know that shyness has never been one of
my issues. I have always been gregarious to a fault (just ask the random
strangers I would chat up as a young child in New York City elevators.) Public
speaking was a joy from the get-go for me, and I’m still first at the mic, wherever
one appears. If I had to identify with a natural occurrence, I would definitely
pick something noisy and crowded together (hailstones, perhaps?) Never would I
feel sympatico with the strange phenomenon of crown shyness.
Crown shyness, I just found out, is the term given to the
strange way certain trees, clustered closely, still manage to avoid touching
their uppermost branches together. While theories abound, no one is quite sure
why this happens (the most likely explanation is that by creating breaks in the
forest canopy, adequate sunshine is able to get through). Crown
shyness reminds me that we are each unique individuals, and, even in the
tightest of surroundings, we all do best when we maintain a little personal space. Lesson learned! I hope!
Now on to metanoia! Metanoia is a Greek word meaning “profound
spiritual change.” To undergo metanoia is to have a great enlightenment of mind
and heart. I have always wanted to have this happen to me: the Saint-Paul-flung-from-his-horse
moment, when I hear the Voice of God and all becomes new and different. Alas,
any enlightenment in my life has been both slow and meandering. I experience
something profound, and for a few days or weeks I feel re-born, before
inevitably reverting to my old doubtful, fearful self once again. In other
words, I am not the poster child for metanoia; that will not, however, stop me
from throwing this cool word around.
I am all about stretching the brain with new info and ideas,
yet at age 62 I am definitely bumping up against the limits of my gray matter.
Evan and I were recently on the phone, and he mentioned enjoying reading “The
Master and His Emissary.” Since my bedside table only has 30 or so tomes on it
currently, I of course ordered the book on Amazon. I don’t know what I was
expecting, but it wasn’t 462 pages of tiny type, plus a 128 page bibliography,
that’s for sure! Too much for me! I had lunch with my friend Mike earlier today
and we talked retirement bucket lists. Mike hopes to find a group with whom to
discuss Kierkegaard when he has the leisure. I feel triumphant merely spelling
Kierkegaard correctly, and imagine the conversation groups in my future will
more likely revolve around hip replacements and grousing about the younger
generation ( “OK, Boomer” indeed! This proud Boomer will not be so casually
dissed!)
Anyway, I am delighted to learn about crown shyness and
metanoia, and hope that tomorrow will bring more new gems of knowledge.
Meanwhile, I will sprinkle these terms liberally through my writing and smarten
up my blog posts!
Daunting! |
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