The Ability to Change
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Hello friends, On an old garage somewhere in Southeast Portland, someone hand lettered a large message. The bulk of it reads “Matter would not have become us if it doubted our ability to change…” Now, on one hand it reads as the start of a philosophical discussion I would’ve engaged in during my teens or early twenties. On the other hand, though? Well, it made me pause and snap a photo, didn’t it? Despite being more than a bit of an animist, I can’t begin to comprehend whether matter itself has a cohesive thought process. But change is baked into life, is it not? And therefore the ability to change is also baked in. And therefore, I would argue, so is our ability to choose change. As the great Octavia Butler wrote: All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change. God Is Change. Why is this message important today? Because too many people look at human history and despair of our ability to change in nurturing, healthy ways. We continue to become trapped in cycles of greed, hatred, and violence. That is distressingly obvious. But we are also continuously engaged in cycles of creativity, love, and connection. I hope that is obvious, too. It all depends on what we focus on. By claiming our ability to change, we honor a future worth building. We all have a part to play, if we choose to do so. What do you think? Best wishes — Thorn
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T. Thorn Coyle
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