James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl.
That idea about telling people you like them, hope to see them, want to dance with them reminded me of a video I was sent about vulnerability. Telling people those things does make you vulnerable because it is about risking a connection with someone else which is where most of us I think find much meaning in life. The converse is: without vulnerability there is no real connection.
Actually dancing tango with someone is another kind of vulnerability but that is another story.
We have been listening to the excellent Roald Dahl books on Audible lately. I was dismayed when one credit for The Twits lasted barely two evenings. Incidentally, in my view this book and mealtimes are not natural companions though children seem to adore it especially then. Tonight they begged for James and the Giant Peach, persuasive in their insistence that it was longer and remembering to omit "Honest!".
(footnote):
I seem to keep seeing things that cut two ways lately and vulnerability is one of them. We know it, that's why we treat it circumspectly.
All children are vulnerable but poor James is especially so. A recent orphan, slave to his fiendish aunts, missing his parents, friends and former life and completely overwhelmed by unhappiness all he can do is say how he is feeling in the hope such misery will be understood and things will then change. He throws himself on his aunts' non-existent mercy. Without experience and with unhappiness clouding his judgement he tries to connect with the wrong people and is rejected. That, on top of the fact that his misfortunes are manifold, is why we feel overpowering sympathy for him.
It is the risk we take when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. When it goes wrong it is the most terrible feeling though in James' case he could hardly be any more miserable. One hopes most of us won't get to that stage before before having to trust someone because that is never the right time.
(footnote):
I seem to keep seeing things that cut two ways lately and vulnerability is one of them. We know it, that's why we treat it circumspectly.
All children are vulnerable but poor James is especially so. A recent orphan, slave to his fiendish aunts, missing his parents, friends and former life and completely overwhelmed by unhappiness all he can do is say how he is feeling in the hope such misery will be understood and things will then change. He throws himself on his aunts' non-existent mercy. Without experience and with unhappiness clouding his judgement he tries to connect with the wrong people and is rejected. That, on top of the fact that his misfortunes are manifold, is why we feel overpowering sympathy for him.
It is the risk we take when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. When it goes wrong it is the most terrible feeling though in James' case he could hardly be any more miserable. One hopes most of us won't get to that stage before before having to trust someone because that is never the right time.
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