Go home

July 28, 2007 in Uncategorized

The amazing people I meet in my classes at the Institute, the conversations, the experiences–all bring me back again and again, for over a decade now. And yet, after all the moments that give me insight–Alice at 86 teaching me to play and learn always, Miguel’s photographs inviting me to witness meaning-making as it happens, Eugene’s powerful wisdom at age 20 opening new ways of seeing for me, Rafael’s polychronic drumming that participates in something much bigger than us, Kichom’s deep insights about consciousness exploding my brain, Amer’s devotion to hip-hop culture as a young interculturalist, and many, many more–even after all that, I am so ready to go home after three weeks here. In this place, time and space and edges collapse. I need to walk outside that continuum and get back to my fantastic tribe. And so, today, I’m going home at last. Trees need sun to grow–I’m headed toward mine. I’ll leave it to my pal Arlo Guthrie to take me there:

I’m Going Home
words and music by Arlo Guthrie

Like the tree that grows so tall
Leaves turn gold and then they fall
They’ve gone down, now they’ve grown
They’re going home

Mountain streams may run and flow
Clean the sands on which they go
Stretching down like it had known
It’s going home

Sunrise early in the dawn
Slips away, then it’s gone
Leaves the night to carry on
While it’s going home

Once a man he lived and died
What he said death could not hide
Even though it’s often tried
But he was going home

Now my friends it’s time to go
And this love will live to grow
And I want you all to know
I’m going home

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

4 comments to " Go home "


Michael Wagner

July 31, 2007 AT 10:58PM

All great journeys change us and then send us home again.

Maybe that is why Tolkien’s alternative title to The Hobbit was “There and Back Again”.

Thanks for sharing Arlo’s lyrics.

And it’s a joy to read your thankful words at all you learned at the Institute.

Keep creating,
Mike

Pearl

August 3, 2007 AT 7:31AM

A senior in a class can be a great asset. Total commitment to be there.

Timothy Johnson

August 4, 2007 AT 11:05AM

Great post, Patti. Returning to home (physically or metaphorically) is a powerful image for all of us. I loved the descriptions of your workshop participants… what great diversity!

JanePoe (aka Deborah)

August 5, 2007 AT 11:53PM

Going home … I hope it is a journey that brings peace, joy and the warmth of familiar love. For those of us who have no place to ‘go’ to, we create that place in our worlds to be in.

In love and peace, JP