Spring Planting Moon
A while back I mentioned doing work only I can do. Part of the third phase thang. What I meant specifically when I said that was writing Missing and the other Tailte novels, Reimagining Faith and the translation project, Ovid’s Metamorphoses. (Yes, others may/will translate Ovid, but I’m the only one that can produce my translation, make my choices, add my commentary.)
Why is doing work only I can do important to me? Mortality. Coming at me now faster than ever. Within this phase of my whole life for sure. Individuation. It’s taken a long time to get clear about who and what I’m for, what I’m good at and not good at. Now’s the time to concentrate that learning, deepen it. Fun. Doing work I really want to do has a satisfaction level that is intrinsic. Other satisfactions, reward may come. Fine. But not the focus now. Common sense. If I won’t do it, who will?
This notion could get gummed up in what kind of work I should do. I should continue my long political career. I should continue giving tours at the MIA. I should work with the disadvantaged in some way. I should be in the church somehow. Well, I spent three decades following my values in my work. And I’m glad I did. But that kind of work has a tendency to move away from personal strengths and dreams. Which was ok. Which was fine.
Not now. Now the millennials need to storm the barricades, give the sermons, teach the kids about art. That work needs to go on, must go on in fact, but through the energy of others.
Now I need to concentrate, distill. Work with the alchemy of the backroom rather than the chemistry of the frontroom. It’s a different time in my life and one I need to honor. One way I can honor my third phase is by doing work in it that only I can do.
