As I walked by a public school in Caen, I had to stop to take a picture. The sign with the French headline Freedom, equality, and Brotherhood made me laugh out loud.
I was walking to buy salt. My children and husband were clearing after a beautiful picnic by the river. To optimize the timing, I went to get the salt, which gave me this little moment alone.
I am all for freedom. Personal freedom comes with life itself or should come with life itself. We are here, and we need to figure out why and how and when, and with whom so that our life can make sense and so that (in my opinion) we can contribute to the amazingness. Personal freedom and learning how to handle it, making solid or silly decisions, taking responsibility, and understanding direct consequence is key to a good life for everyone. Of course.
Equality is a more complex topic, so let me take a shortcut. If we understand brotherhood, remember we are all in the same boat, we are all of the same light, and we get to share the experience of being and will come from the point of kindness in all we do.
This will make us equal to everyone.
Equal in personal freedom, equal in rights to decide, equally worthy. I do not have to like everyone, and I certainly do not have to agree with everyone, but I do very much respect everyone's right to be who they are, make their own decisions, choose their own values, and find their own way. My brotherhood feeling with humankind makes me vulnerable and humble, but not without opinion or preference.
I do not see in any way how a schooled life will facilitate these values. The structure of the school steals the freedom of the child by 95%.
How can you be free when you are always told what to do? When are you taught to obey?
Where is the brotherhood in a forced social field, in the build-in competition deriving from age segregation?
Where is the kindness in testing and comparison?
How can we talk about equality when both fish and monkeys need to climb a tree?
I laughed out loud.
Then I realized it was not funny.
Not funny at all.
Love and light
Cecilie Conrad
# 124 of my 2023 writing challenge - Read them all here
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