Trackers PDX Blog

The Privilege of Humility

20th

August

This December will bring a son into Molly's and my family. For all my pomp and bluster about raising children with values of connection to land and family, I definitely realize that working with nearly 24,000 kids over the past 17 years may be quite different than raising my own for the next 18.

One of the issues I now spend a great deal of time meditating upon is privilege. My wife and I are not wealthy by any means, yet we have a home and food to live by (some grown at the homestead); most importantly, we have stable, healthy relationships surrounding us. In our world today we're often told that our lives must be destined for individual greatness. This idea is affirmed by Disney, morality plays, social networking and even the search for the elusive Doctorate. My Italian mother taught me that aspiring to simplicity and moderation has its own rewards. On this path you find measured breaths, a strong heartbeat, and a good night's sleep.

Humility is a value not often espoused in our educational system. Humbleness has been confused with destitution. I personally have always seen humility as never taking more than you need and always giving back to your family, community and the land you live.

At Trackers, humility may not overtly appear in our public message, yet it's interwoven with everything we do. The tree you make a bow drill set from will not automatically give you fire by friction. You have to see the wood, offer it your attention and craft. You need to let the curve and straight of the branch guide your hand in carving, finally shaping a set that creates a coal. The path of least resistance is often the most elegant one. 

Pulling "me" out of the equation and always considering relationships arises from the principles of caretaking. When my child is born, how can I help set the expectation that they are here to serve their family and the community of life? I don't believe my son is meant for any great destiny. I only believe that both he and I (and all of us, in truth) have been given the gift of being human in a world rich with wonders.

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