Collective Consciousness
While I think being part of a group is a great and beneficial happening, I do also believe in being alone with oneself. If we are all moving collectively forward we lose our individuality and own voice becomes muffled with the group we are currently partaking of. If we do not spend more time on our own we will lose ones self into the muddle of other temperaments and cease to be our own genuine self.
If you have been following this blog for awhile you know I am a firm believer of the theory of Ray Oldenburg's third place. According to Oldenburg everyone needs a home space, a work space, and a third place. The third place can range from coffee shops, barber shops, to parks, or soccer fields. Communities are losing their third places and we are losing our voices along with them.
Hear me out. If our third place is where our collective voice is then how do we lose our own voice. Well I have a thought on that. I believe third places allow us to be part of a group, but a group relaxing together. We are not meeting to discuss politics with bigwigs. We are coming together to relax and chit chat. This allows us to meet collectively but also to utilize our own voices. This is a loophole of a collective consciousness.
I believe we, as a society, tend to go with the flow more then voice our own thoughts and voice. I think being a writer allows me a third place that is on paper. ( or computer ) This place with you all reading right now is a great third place. It allows me a place to voice my opinions, concerns, thoughts, and anything else without judgment or ridicule. This space, writing, relaxes me. I wish you were all here so I could make you a cup of tea (or let's be for realz, coffee )
I recently did a 20 page paper on the third place and Oldenburg's theory. I also did a 7 page paper on it as well. I can tell that in reading what is on the written page I can see third places. Literature gives one individual a voice and this voice is among the collective world. This voice is translated to the written word for all to share without losing one's own voice. Oldenburg was speaking of a space you could sit and occupy, but literature realizes that even the characters need a place to come together and relax. Why can't we all realize we need our own voices more than we need to follow others.
As an artist I strive to show/write the world as I see it. It is my voice. It may be a small voice, but it is mine. This is my corner of the world and I love it. Tomorrow my son crosses over to another part of his life. He gets to walk across the stage and shake hands with whomever and turn his tassel to the other side. Thurs I can do the same for me and my degree. We are both part of the collective consciousness of our schools. We are cogs in the degree wheel, but we both are individuals who have our own thoughts, wants, and voice. We have worked so hard collectively with other students who also will earn their degree, but we also stand alone on the stage and it will be our moment, then the next students, and the next. We each are allowed one moment and it is gone.
Our voice is so important and so overlooked. We use it everyday to say things, to repeat things, sometimes to sing, but we need to remember that yes we are part of the collective voice, but our voice is mighty even if it is small. We have our voice, we need to remember to use it, to start a movement, even if it is family dinner, no tv before homework, telling our boss why we are worth that raise. We have a voice that needs to stay strong even while being drowned out. We need our voice to be the rock that starts change, not the ripple carrying it outwards.
Stay strong, stay part of the collective, but remember your voice is just that, yours! Use it for the greater good of yourself and of the collective consciousness. Remember to be the change you want to see in the world. And find a third place you can relax, enjoy new friends, and freely speak your own mind.
Collectively we can make change, independently we can be the change!!!
Happy Graduation to all the graduates!!! No matter what you are graduating from or where, remember to use your voice and be bold and brave!
your storyteller/poet
Debbie
xo
If you have been following this blog for awhile you know I am a firm believer of the theory of Ray Oldenburg's third place. According to Oldenburg everyone needs a home space, a work space, and a third place. The third place can range from coffee shops, barber shops, to parks, or soccer fields. Communities are losing their third places and we are losing our voices along with them.
Hear me out. If our third place is where our collective voice is then how do we lose our own voice. Well I have a thought on that. I believe third places allow us to be part of a group, but a group relaxing together. We are not meeting to discuss politics with bigwigs. We are coming together to relax and chit chat. This allows us to meet collectively but also to utilize our own voices. This is a loophole of a collective consciousness.
I believe we, as a society, tend to go with the flow more then voice our own thoughts and voice. I think being a writer allows me a third place that is on paper. ( or computer ) This place with you all reading right now is a great third place. It allows me a place to voice my opinions, concerns, thoughts, and anything else without judgment or ridicule. This space, writing, relaxes me. I wish you were all here so I could make you a cup of tea (or let's be for realz, coffee )
I recently did a 20 page paper on the third place and Oldenburg's theory. I also did a 7 page paper on it as well. I can tell that in reading what is on the written page I can see third places. Literature gives one individual a voice and this voice is among the collective world. This voice is translated to the written word for all to share without losing one's own voice. Oldenburg was speaking of a space you could sit and occupy, but literature realizes that even the characters need a place to come together and relax. Why can't we all realize we need our own voices more than we need to follow others.
As an artist I strive to show/write the world as I see it. It is my voice. It may be a small voice, but it is mine. This is my corner of the world and I love it. Tomorrow my son crosses over to another part of his life. He gets to walk across the stage and shake hands with whomever and turn his tassel to the other side. Thurs I can do the same for me and my degree. We are both part of the collective consciousness of our schools. We are cogs in the degree wheel, but we both are individuals who have our own thoughts, wants, and voice. We have worked so hard collectively with other students who also will earn their degree, but we also stand alone on the stage and it will be our moment, then the next students, and the next. We each are allowed one moment and it is gone.
Our voice is so important and so overlooked. We use it everyday to say things, to repeat things, sometimes to sing, but we need to remember that yes we are part of the collective voice, but our voice is mighty even if it is small. We have our voice, we need to remember to use it, to start a movement, even if it is family dinner, no tv before homework, telling our boss why we are worth that raise. We have a voice that needs to stay strong even while being drowned out. We need our voice to be the rock that starts change, not the ripple carrying it outwards.
Stay strong, stay part of the collective, but remember your voice is just that, yours! Use it for the greater good of yourself and of the collective consciousness. Remember to be the change you want to see in the world. And find a third place you can relax, enjoy new friends, and freely speak your own mind.
Collectively we can make change, independently we can be the change!!!
Happy Graduation to all the graduates!!! No matter what you are graduating from or where, remember to use your voice and be bold and brave!
your storyteller/poet
Debbie
xo
It must be very exciting for you to be almost done with school, what a great accomplishment. This post is very well written and you are a smart gal. Maria
ReplyDeletethank you Maria. I was def channeling my English degree when I wrote this :)
Delete