Chaos theorists suggest that most events occur in a random manner. One particular event, however, happens to have a slightly greater impact at a particular place and time than do other random events. Other random events then tend to orient around this slightly more prevalent event. They become aligned with the orienting event and a system is established. One spot in a roadway, for instance, is slightly more indented than any other spot. Water and gravel tend to collect in this spot. The water and gravel, in turn, are ground into the spot by passing cars and the spot becomes a small hole. This hole grows bigger, attracting more water and gravel. Soon we have a pothole. The pothole gets filled in, but the newly applied asphalt differs in composition or weight from the old asphalt. Furthermore, there is a tiny crack between the old and new asphalt. These conditions lead to the creation of a new spot and the re-emergence of the pothole.
This same process occurs in our own lives. Seemingly random events occur that hold no pattern. Then one event somehow touches upon old, faint voices in our back rooms that are now slightly louder or less often drowned out by the noise. As a result, we pay a little more attention to this event than we did in the past. Samuel, the “rock and roll” accountant, often had offers in the past to perform at parties and many of these offers were no doubt connected to something in which he was interested. Yet somehow this latest offer is particularly poignant since it triggers Samuel’s memories and rediscovered interest in rock and roll. Dr. Jane, the basketball playing physician, has always lived near a recreation centre; there have always been basketball leagues for older adults (though usually only for older men); and she has always known, as a physician, that she should periodically leave her office to seek out more exercise and recreation. Yet somehow the time is now ripe for Jane to take action—imagine a basketball league for older women!
Though professionally trained as an engineer, Maria had vivid memories of her school and the joyful environment her teachers created for them. She had visited many villages in the past and contributed to community efforts in education. Yet the encounter with this remote village was so special that she dropped everything without a doubt to setup a school on her own – it was as if her spiritual teacher was speaking to her. The wife of Ricardo, our would-be shopper and chef, has undoubtedly asked him to help in many other ways in the past when her own work began to shift. Yet, somehow, Ricardo’s offer to do more shopping and cooking connected with Ricardo’s recent retirement and his dormant love of shopping and cooking. It also aroused Ricardo’s vague recollection of one particular advertisement and article about a nearby Saturday market.
Choosing Between Stagnation and Generativity
Random events become strange attractors. They call to us and require our attention. We recall that such events have happened in the past, and we have not noticed the pattern until now. They form an alliance with our inner voices. Suddenly other events begin to organize around this attractor and form a constellation or psychic “pothole” of activities, interests and dreams. Samuel, the accountant, plays at the Rock, Roll and Remembrance party and has a great time. He talks with the four other “aging rockers” in this make-shift group. They decide to play together every Wednesday night “just for fun.” Dr. Jane joins the “old girls” basketball league, enjoys herself, and soon finds that she also enjoys playing “old girls” soccer and hanging out after a game with her new-found and “liberated” lady friends. She then begins to teach his granddaughter how to play soccer and soon becomes a coach for her granddaughter’s soccer team.
Chef Ricardo begins cooking more often, loves it and becomes a voracious reader of cookbooks. He decides to attend a cooking class offered at the mall. Leveraging her engineering expertise, Maria is now on the village committee, exploring sustainable means of constructing school buildings. It goes beyond this for Maria. She discovers a new passion for writing, having published her first book of poems specifically for children who live in remote locations. Her book is about how it is “wonderful” to be living this close to community and nature…
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