Title: two cents

Gender: Male

Age: 44

Sun Sign: Virgo

Chinese Sign: Water Rabbit

Location: Ca

teacher of special ed in high school for 10 years. Teaching english, math, government/econ to the higher end of special ed. Teaching gov/econ becomes more and more of a challenge every year. At least this year, I have really committed myself to building a curriculum based more on sustainability than the unhealthy ‘growth’ paradigm (I’ve never followed the curriculum, standards, or textbook anyhow, just want to design something critical, but also positive). The textbooks in economics are pretty indoctrinal and narrow. Government’ is not any different.

father of 3 young ones whom I adore and see half the time. Learning how to do this parenting thing, as a male, I find presents its own unique challenges. I grew up thinking of having kids and enjoying that thought. Just not on my own! So…I feel like I have to sort of invent a ‘style’ or something. It’s coming along though. VERY awkward at first, but definately coming along. They really are great.

a fan and critic of Ken Wilber’s integral theory. Though I look closely at everything he espouses, I have learned a lot from his amazing work.

Don’t like the word ‘critic’. I just like to analyse. I like to question a lot and simultaneously keep from being a royal pain in the ass from doing so–hopefully NEVER apart! Cause though analysis and firmness is very important, so is community and love and sensitivity.

Very interested in the idea of ‘community’ in general. Along with that, communication, relationships, etc.

Philosophically tend toward humanist. I generally seek pragmatic answers and universal commanalites as a bridge, if anything, to understand whomever I may cross paths with. I find many of the simple concepts, such as power, love, anger, judgment, forgiveness, faith (or just positivity), balance, ego, etc, endlessly fascinating. Certain concepts just keep on giving the more you examine them. Especially in conjunction with a developing contextual backdrop from the totality of the concepts and the emergent framework.

I have been following a path for the last 4 years that includes a lot of journaling with introspection. It’s actually turned into a 24/7 practice. I feel that among all the tremendous wealth of spiritual knowledge and practices, that metacogntive or the thinking about thinking is a significant part of restructuring our life from the program we adopted in the innocence (and ignorance) of our youth. Understanding that life itself is good, that perhaps it’s the societal interpretation that leads us astray, confuses, distorts, and hides the truer beauty and nature of life.

this reprogramming, or cutting of new ‘grooves’ has helped me to overcome a somewhat mild mood disorder (too many ups and downs, more than likely bipolar). It’s been that way for a few years now, so I feel pretty good that what happened worked. At the very least, I am a living testimony to the fact that it can be done. I was beginning to have doubts myself.

And though life is not always ‘perfect’, strangely, most often i feel now that it is.

I also realize that now i have the promise of the future from a very solid present.

cheers to you

clyde

Member Since: Saturday, February 17 2007

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