Turmeric latte, extra hot, extra frothy, large, takeaway: this is my current order at the local coffee shop.
It has long been this way, since MacDonald’s came to my town when I was a teenager and I’d argue for my cheeseburger with no pickles – I never got it and I’ve never eaten at Macca’s.
In the USA a decade ago I’d swing by Starbucks for a similar order, only it was chai and I’d also tell them how many squirts of chai to get it just right and they always always did!
I’m the first to admit this is the madness of our times. And it is. The idea that we can order the world to our liking is not helpful – or healthful.
Lesson #2 of pilgrimage is … get over ourselves. Week #2 of the Ultreia book writing support program is … overcoming expectations and assumptions. The entire Bali women’s wellbeing writing retreat is … recovering, in an aura of gentle restoration and renewal, what it is we really want beneath the facade of ordering the world to our too-small liking.
The reality is, I’d give up that turmeric latte any day to live in a world of self aligned expression #writeyourwayhome
Here’s what one generous spirit had to say on Facebook the other day. I might get a credit, however the credit rightfully belongs in at least two other places: the one who shows up for their own writing #writingforthebrave and the ones who share the journey #youcanwrite
Susan is showing us there is no ‘there’ (lesson #4 of pilgrimage).
There is only what we can do on our own behalf, and that is show up, keep going.
To this end, each newsletter for the next 14 weeks will offer light-hearted guidance to explore human attributes with the potential to stick out their feet and trip us over, or lull us into a haze of self-satisfaction – Deadlies & Passions.
Dive in, write on.
Ultreia, we keep going.
Stephanie Dale is an award-winning journalist, author, researcher and founder of the International Wellbeing-through-writing Institute. In 2014 she launched The Write Road, a wellbeing-through-writing initiative for rural and remote Australians. She is passionate about pilgrimage, and in 2017 initiated Walk & Write Camino for pilgrim writers.