My wrinkles are not as remarkable as Madeleine L’Engle’s. Even though it was fun to remind my son of when I drove with he and his dad to Portland, Oregon when he was about four years old in order to hear Madeleine speak, he didn’t remember the trip or Madeleine L’Engle. However, it was a lovely reminder for me of the seats we had up in the curved balcony in a huge old church to see her, to hear her talk about her father’s health condition and her spending time as a little girl living in a castle in Europe. Remarkable is barely the beginning to describe her.
Ava DuVernay’s recent movie version of A Wrinkle in Time is worth seeing. It is as much about love, family, loyalty, community, belief in one’s self, and tenacity as it is about science fiction and interplanetary space travel.
In part, what launches A Wrinkle in Time is an inadvertent consequence, an unpredicted result to a pursued goal (Dr. Alex Murry, who is the main character, Meg’s father, achieves his goal of finding the tesseract and successfully tessering, however he gets trapped on a planet far away and cannot escape.) Oh my, I’ve had one or two of those unpredicted results. Haven’t you? Such as getting the promotion then getting transferred and having to leave all the co-workers who helped you get it and whom you trust. Or bringing your spouse with you to volunteer at the Food Bank, who then falls in love with one of the other volunteers, and a year later you find yourself divorced. I know, I know, “one door closes and another one opens;” and the ever popular “life presents us with opportunities for personal growth.” I do endorse those beliefs, it just takes me a little time to get back in the saddle.
In the three deleted pages from A Wrinkle in Time, released by her granddaughter in 2015, pages which the publisher perhaps thought too political or controversial, Ms. L’Engle talks about the dangers of pursuing security, that security is a seductive thing, and that the sick longing for it is a dangerous thing, and … insidious.
How are we manipulated by supervisors, credit card companies, politicians, retailers, spouses, neighbors, perhaps even our children, by their threatening our security or offering to enhance it? By dictators and autocrats? Yee gods, that list is endless and will continue to be so. Fascinating that Ms. L’Engle called this out in a conversation between a father and daughter. The father attempting to show his daughter a larger view, that questioning, exploring, and taking risks are what move us forward.
My regrets in life, the few I have, are related to what I did not do for my children. Sometimes it was that I did not set limits. My most lamentatious ones are when I did not protect them, or did not stand up for them. I was unable to de-stabilize my alleged security. In hindsight, I say alleged as it really wasn’t stable. With their dad, with my employer, with my sense of obligation to others, or that nebulous entity: what I thought others thought of me.
And another wrinkle – security and safety are not the same nor interchangeable.
None of that was within my grasp twenty-five years ago.
“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” Madeleine L’Engle.
Robin Dachenhausen
March 20, 2018 at 11:02 pmSometimes our wrinkles in time are so monumental that it hard for us to even grasp the concept of it all. We expect our family and friends to be there, to understand, yet, no one can live to our expectations. Not even ourselves. I t is best to give it the time it needs to heal. We do what we can with the knowledge we have. When we know better, we do better. This is from Mayo Angelou.
Harpist60
March 20, 2018 at 11:53 pmWise woman, you are Robin. Thank you.
Harper Tasche
March 21, 2018 at 3:21 am“One door closes and another one opens,” but as a friend of mine (who has weathered many such transitions) is fond of saying: “Yeah, but sometimes it’s hell in the hallway!” 🙂
Harpist60
March 21, 2018 at 6:05 pmOh Harper! Indeed. Thank you for reading and taking time to respond~
Sheri Greimes
March 21, 2018 at 7:57 amMary,
Is our journey through life pre-ordained as in God’s plan or is our journey one of continued choices to which either turning left or right, we learn and grow towards enlightment and a sense of achievement or success?
Do we just roll along through life with the belief that the Lord has our fate is set already? Or do we strive to challenge ourselves to attain a sense of self-love and confidence in who we become? Is this how our time is determined?
We never are guaranteed tomorrow so any incidences good or bad that happen today make us who we are today, not according to what happened in our past, which cannot be changed, or in our future which is never promised. Our time is now. Breathe????
Mary Anne moorman
March 21, 2018 at 3:35 pmWhat a nice entry in your blog and take off on the time issues. Thanks for the writing and the read.
Mary Dessein
March 21, 2018 at 6:03 pmThank you, Mary Anne.
Damon
March 21, 2018 at 6:03 pmThe roads that give us wisdom and grace are never smooth, I guess. I can relate to much of what you’ve written so well here. Thank you.
Harpist60
March 21, 2018 at 6:06 pmThank you, Damon. Best to you~
Donna M. Rudiger
March 21, 2018 at 10:14 pmThanks for sharing this with us! I have a special appreciation for this piece since we saw the premier movie. I especially appreciate your sharing the quotation of “Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” Madeleine L’Engle. There is so much opportunity for us as the Universe continues to lead us forward!
Harpist60
March 21, 2018 at 11:27 pmGlad it resonated with you, Donna. Merci beaucoup.
Joy Ross
March 21, 2018 at 11:52 pmJust saw that film and enjoyed the costumes, the color, the scenery, and so much that made it interesting. But, felt it should have been elevated to the adult level as it didn’t seem to be a children’s movie. The previews left people wondering if they have not read the book. Most of the kids in our audience ended up in the laps of their parents scared. Just saying.
But, wrinkles in our own lives…,oh, yeah!!! and how brave and wise you are Mary to take a look at them and ponder. Remember though, it gives us character to see what life has imprinted on our faces……..!.
Harpist60
March 23, 2018 at 12:54 amThank you, Joy! Ever the search for character. or discovery of it~ see you soon.
Blanche
March 22, 2018 at 6:18 amI appreciated and understood your comments about the regrets regarding your children. ????????????
Harpist60
March 23, 2018 at 12:57 amOur children, eh? Not only did I lose my magic wand, I lost the Guide to Parenting. (I suspect they are together)(Oh! maybe they are the same). Thank you so much, Blanche.
your pal from the past
March 25, 2018 at 1:29 pmwe are only manipulated by self.
the list is short.
Harpist60
March 26, 2018 at 8:29 pmIt seems to take some of us a while to learn this, mystery pal