Here We Are In "1984"
Image by Julie Elliot
by Celia McBride
Lately, I’ve been listening to the audiobook version of “1984” by George Orwell and I'm finding its themes chillingly similar to what’s happening in our world today. In 1948, Orwell imagined a future where the falsification of reality and acceptance of official lies were the cultural norm. Nearly 80 years later, here we are.
And yet …
“The Party had not been able to kill their human feelings. The Party had not been able to kill their humanity.”
These lines from the book strike me deeply. Somehow, in this age of fake news and corrupt leadership, we must continue to affirm our humanity through the simple act offeeling. Feeling is difficult. Numbing out is much easier. We only have to stare at a screen. Or reach into our pockets for the phone. To identify a feeling I must reach into my Self.
I have a list of feelings at hand because I find it so challenging to name exactly what it is I’m feeling. These days...
I feel horrified.
I feel angry.
I feel despair.
I feel powerless.
Naming the feeling seems to loosen the grip of anxiety. By saying, “I feel overwhelmed,” the stuck energy can move. “I feel numb,” can thaw the freeze state.
I recently witnessed a friend grieving openly in a support group. She kept apologizing for her tears, embarrassed that she was being such a “hot mess” in public. But all of us in the group were then moved to share our own experience of grief. Her authenticity and vulnerability strengthened and inspired us. We were uplifted.
When we share what’s really going on (in a safe space), we affirm our humanity. And when we affirm our humanity, we participate in something greater than politics and war. We resist the forces of dehumanization.
Our feelings remind us: we are alive.
Celia McBride
is a multi-disciplinary artist and spiritual director who has completed the SoulGuiding and SoulMentoring programs of Pacific Jubilee. Celia provides one-to-one accompaniment, develops and leads healing retreats, and provides spiritual care to residents in long-term care. Celia uses the word “interspiritual” to describe her own salad-bar spirituality, which draws from numerous traditions, faiths, and practices.
“First and foremost, I participate in my own healing,” she says. “This is truly what enables me to help others.” Read more about Celia’s spiritual direction practice here
