In a tiny village, each person is very visible to their neighbors, while the town is invisible to the larger world. In a great city no one knows all the people who surround them, but the city is recognized everywhere. And yet, each human soul, known and unknown, is of equal worth.
Where do you feel known? Where do you feel invisible?
The Daily Compass offers words and images to inspire spiritual reflection and encourage the creation of a more loving, inclusive and just world. Produced by The Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Without Walls.
My family, my pen-pals, and the people at work all know me to some extent. However, lately I’ve been feeling invisible to all of them. It seems like no one knows what’s really going on inside of me.
Read your post this morning and this came pouring out:
We all have that place, deep and impenetrable, where we hide our most tender and injurable layers. Maybe they are so tender, we don’t even look because to acknowledge them requires too much heart, empties too much breath. But when you find those with whom you can look – heart racing, breath shallow – at those tender, hurting places, cherish them. Tell them. And honor the gift of their magic by looking, honestly and deeply, at that which we can only dare to glance in the strength of their presence.
Where do you feel known? Where do you feel invisible?…
“feel known”? among my fetish friends; and just a few others…sometimes…
“feel invisible”? everywhere else…
Peace,
Dwayne
I live in a rural Bible Belt area. I certainly feel known within the extended family of women we hang out with, within my UU fellowship, and within a larger local subculture of cultural creatives. Considering I am not from here, I am known to many in the broader community but only if I recognize my status as an outlyer – as a lesbian progressive UU with a nonwhite family – and behave myself – by making the troublesome aspects of who I am as invisible as possible. The trick to living in this environment is to know when I MUST be invisible, and when I can edge out, or just be out.
Greetings, Lois! Dwayne, here!
It sounds like you are making things work for you. I am so glad – because it sounds like there are still existing restrictions on you, being able to be, “you” … which brings me some sadness; because I have always known you to be a beautiful person, exactly who you are! Blessings!