Horizontal

Lately I have been thinking in terms of horizontal and vertical lines, and it appeared to me that many things can get explained this way.

For example, taking a look in our society, I would say that we have taken the horizontal more than before; in past days, babies were taken care at home, and even today some cultures have that privilege, but more often than less, babies are cared for in care centers, where the norm is to have them separate by ages, as to make it easier for schedules and needs of the baby, obviously there are different needs for a 6 month old, than for a one year old or two year old etc…, but in the days past, babies were together at home, the newborn, with the toddler, or the crawler with the 3 year old, etc….If we take a look at the school age children we see the same effect, except in few small parochial schools were the 8 grades are in the same classroom, or in large homeschooling families, we have the separating of children by ages, with the consequence of having a peer group of the same age that mainly interacts with each other and less and less with the other age groups. This continues in the work place and finally also in the golden age, a small amount of families can take care of an elderly now at home (with the father gone  to work outside home  and the mother following). This leaves the nursing homes full again of people of the same age that are in their last years of life.

 

This panorama seems to me to happen when one considers mainly the advantages or efficiency of grouping people in the same age together, it is an horizontal way of thought, yet it may be that there is missing the vertical line of thought, that line that considers another efficiency and does not group people by the same age but by nucleus of diverse ages, the old fashioned home with three generations or even four generations living together.

 

Besides the old fashioned home there are also some initiatives that recreate this form, I know  of  a farm setting that has children, elderly and middle age people together, working as a group, not related by blood, yet nowadays even families that would do this form naturally would be doing out of a conscious will, being that the tendencies in the regular society are so opposite.

Looking at the plant world we can gain some insight about these two lines:  the horizontal, the leaves formation is mainly to receive, it gets the nurturing from the sun and air, etc. The vertical line could be seen as the flower and seed formation, is the giving back, the sharing and bringing forth to the earth. If a plant would go on with horizontal forces but not vertical ones, its future would probably become close to extinction, whereas one that would just try to go on vertical lines, would not quite make it. So it is in life, that both things need consideration.

In  our society I think too much emphasis  is put on the horizontal line, in the management of things of a material outlook, and we forget the things of the spirit. I think that people of different ages living together is the best setting for learning and living, and it is where we can really stretch our soul, and also give it proper life.

It is obvious to see  that aged people thrive by seeing the little ones, their faces bright up, their eyes shine again, and also it is obvious  to see the small ones nurtured by the elderly, that old time story repeated, that constant presence in the rocking chair, etc…Now what about the middle aged?  I know that to be with the elderly is draining  the etheric of some people, while others get drained by the children company. How we can learn which is our form and how to make adaptations? Well one thing to consider again, is to have the three together, one would balance the other, the strong etheric forces of the first years, and the strong forces that have worked through  the etheric on the last years, can  balance themselves, with the middle aged person, the one in between, who by being in the presence of both, gets too a balanced rhythm of forces.

 

That farm that I mentioned is  very inspiring to me, I myself would like to age in a family setting, either by blood or not, but who knows! On the other hand I want to look for an elderly in need, maybe somebody  needs  a home now. Good is a society that cares for their elders and their young!

There is some of the woolwork we are doing these winter days, the middle child has done a hat for her cousin’ baby and the oldest child is embroidering in wool bags, the small child is finger knitting and making pom-poms.