Thoughts for Thursday: Rumi and A Wrinkle in Time

 

Welcome to another edition of Thoughts for Thursday!  While I might not be the best at updating my blog, I’m trying to establish a routine of posting, and if I can start with every Thursday, perhaps I’ll get somewhere!

                I spend a decent amount of time browsing Pinterest when I can’t sleep at night (I even have a Leah Reads board!  Just be aware that I pin a lot of Harry Potter related things… NO SHAME), and I’ve had my Thoughts for Thursday board for quite some time where I would put quotes I considered using in my lesson plans.  Rumi is an author whose quotes appear fairly often when I’m browsing the quotes section, and there is a simplistic and timeless element to his words.  As a 13^th century Persian poet, Rumi could begin to feel outdated, but as it is shown time and time again, good literature and true emotion transcends eras and cultural boundaries.

                Our quote for today has been tumbling around in my mind for quite some time now; originally I thought I would only do quotes about literature when I posted my Thoughts for Thursday; then I figured quotes from authors would be fair game as well; now, although the second edition of this topic is an author, I’ve decided that if the quote can relate to books overall, I’m going to allow it.  So, uhhhhh, that pretty much eliminates nothing because I can relate almost anything to literature.  NO RULES.

                The thing I love most about this quote is that it comes in two parts and each part is equally significant.  Stop acting so small is simply good advice, and it is advice I’ve been neglecting – actually, it’s advice I’d suspect about half the population has been neglecting.  It always seems like people are either bragging about themselves or putting themselves down.  We get the egomaniacs who constantly try to make every situation about themselves, even when it’s not necessarily something to be proud of (ever notice how people constantly try to one up each other when it comes to how busy or tired they are?  Can’t we all just be busy and tired?); then we have those who are always lamenting that they aren’t enough of anything – not smart enough, or pretty enough, or brave enough, or whatever enough.  Or they keep their mouths shut completely, because even acknowledging that they exist seems like too much.  Those are the ones acting so small.

                There is little wrong with taking pride in oneself.  And size – literally or figuratively – should have no bearing on the ability of a person to make changes or do good things.  Doesn’t the saying go ‘big things come in small packages’?  Think of all the literature that deals with children making the changes, with those who are not in a position of power rejecting the idea of being small. We have characters that climb up through established social classes and established society; characters who overthrow the dark wizard who has powers much stronger; characters who steal from the rich to give to the poor.  Stop acting small, these characters tell us.  Stop acting less than what you are capable of achieving.

                This is solid advice, but it’s hard to take when we are constantly berated with media and advertisements and, hell, other people who are trying to keep us down.  We are told we aren’t good enough, and after a while, we come to believe it.  Or we tell ourselves that while maybe we aren’t so great, we are at least better than that guy over there.  It’s a cyclical process of decline.  Those lucky enough to pull themselves out have changed the world.  And that’s where part two of the quote comes into play.

                You are the universe in ecstatic motion.  What a grand idea; not only are you not small, but you are an important part of the universe.  And not only that, but you are what creates joy in the universe.  Just by existing.  Wrap your head around that for a minute.

 

Good? Okay.

 

                I won’t pretend like I always understand or accept this idea.  I don’t always think highly of myself or others, but Rumi is telling me that I need to accept it.  Not just for myself, but in how I view and judge others.  And when I started to consider where I wanted to go with this post (which, I admit, rambles quite a bit) I immediately thought of A Wrinkle in Time.  If you’ve never read A Wrinkle in Time… GTFO. No, not really, but go grab a copy. It’s a beautifully written book with amazing literary merit and magnificent messages and themes.  There are also three other books in the series, which often people don’t realize.  All are wonderful.  But I digress.

                In Wrinkle the main female character is a young high-schooler named Meg Murry who struggles at school, is awkward and gawky (and brilliant, albeit misunderstood at math), and doesn’t fit in.  Her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is essentially a five year old prodigy, but people in their town see him as a freak.  Their father has gone missing while on secret government business – he’s a scientist, not a spy – and one afternoon, Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin have to travel through time and space to rescue him and save the planet from the Dark Thing.  That sounds ridiculous, but it’s just that my summary is pretty shitty.  The thing is, Meg, Charles, and Calvin are all young.  They are all seen as slightly strange.  Meg hates herself.  But the three of them have to believing in themselves and overcome fear, and threat of death to save not just Mr. Murry but the entire universe.  From the smallest part of the human body, everything plays a part.  Indeed, there is even a section of the book where the children try to listen to the music of the stars in celebration.  The universe is singing.

                It’s a hard lesson to learn, and I am guilty of thinking poorly of myself more often than I’d like to admit.  I try to encourage the people around me, but I am not always able to pull myself out of my own head.  But the truth is, each of us has an important role to play.  No matter how small, everyone and everything is part of the music and joy and fluidity of the universe.  Love might make the world go round, but believing in yourself makes the universe move.