Why This, Why Here
The Middle Path, Two-eyed Seeing
More and more, I’ve been considering my place on this earth between two seemingly incompatible worlds: the modern world of technology, where I’ve lived my life and built my career, and our traditional world, where I am trying to root myself so that I can grow.
Earlier today, as I unhooked my laptop with one hand and reached for my abalone shell and sage smudge with the other, I was reminded again of the concept of The Middle Path. I have not yet found balance on this path, but I continue to work toward it, hoping one day to share what I learn with others on a similar journey.
I first learned about this idea during my healing work last year, when my psychologist spoke of it as a way of balance. For me, it means carrying both worlds as I walk, so I don’t get lost in either. It means learning when to lean into one, and when to lean into the other. It means being aware of when one can impact the other, and how. This is the teaching of two-eyed seeing: in my life of technology and tradition, I keep one eye on the old ways and one on the new. My goal is to use one to nourish the other. to braid past, present, and future so that what is new does not erase what is old, and what is old can guide what is new.
In my work, I am forced to stay up to date on AI. My background in sociology has taught me to think at a macro level, which means I can’t only focus on my industry. I research and reflect on the wider impacts of technology on our social systems. This has shown me how much we need tradition to inform technology. We need to hold on to our connection with the land, the value of community learning and stories, and our ability to think critically. We must also always keep our environment and most importantly our future generations, at the center as we make technological strides.
Why Not Social Media?
I created this blog space to share my interactions with nature, in the hope it encourages others to reconnect in their own ways. I also want to share my journey of language learning and reconnection with our history, so that others might feel encouraged to walk that path too. And finally, as I work on writing a book, I’ve made this space to practice and strengthen my writing. I have a story to tell but the path to telling it is complex and I need to find my way. Sharing my writing, my process, and my experiences here is a way to learn and grow and hopefully to spark positive action while doing so.
I chose to build this as a website because it gives me creative freedom. Here, I can shape different spaces like one dedicated to exploring nature, another for writing, blog posts about language, writing, learnings, or whatever feels right in the moment. Unlike social media, there’s no pressure to perform. Instead, I feel like I’m creating for myself, and maybe even for the imagined readers of my future book. Writing for the reader is a skill I need to practice after all.
Social media has never felt like the right platform for me anyways. Too often it perpetuates stereotypes, spreads misinformation, and thrives on unhealthy engagement. It profits by targeting people’s vulnerabilities and fueling consumerism which is not the environment I want to work in. I wanted something different, a space that is mine, that I control, free from ads - you need to intend to visit this site, you won’t just end up here.
This website is, first and foremost, my personal space for expression and growth. But I also hope, over time, to shape it into a positive learning environment. Perhaps one day it can be a place where others can read, reflect, and maybe find something that nourishes them too
Image: The final path at the end of a four day backpacking trip at The Rockwall - September 24, 2022
