Welcome to Learning Event #6 (#LE6) for #WalkMyWorld 2021. In this journey we’ll think about the story of you…told from past, present, and future.

In the last couple of learning events, we’ve written about the shape and arc of our stories. In the next two learning events we’ll take a step back to think about the story of you from a different perspective.

In our lives, we often pay attention to larger goals, dreams, or challenges. We focus on the noise that permeates our world. In this, we fail to witness and be mindful of the daily interactions that make up our lives.

The word mundane, comes from the French mondain, meaning “of this world” or the Latin mundanus, meaning “belonging to the world.” The word mundane sometimes has a negative connotation in describing a person who does not belong to a particular group, or a person lacking imagination.

The term mundane is also used to refer to individuals who have a certain form of enlightenment, intelligence, or talent. The belief is that a person focused on the mundane is able to pay attention to the psychic, spiritual, or metaphysical cycles of life.

An example of this ability to recognize the beauty and miracles in the mundane is provided by Walt Whitman in his poem Miracles. Whitman is describing the miracles that exist around him in the world.

WRITE

For this learning event, go get lost. From the simplistic, naturally occurring events to the complex, each contains its own wonders. These miracles exist in each element of the mundane. Go find those moments.

Bring a mobile device to allow you to record some audio (or perhaps a video if needed). Listen for the sound of nothing…the sound of the in-between times.

Confine your field of focus to only what exists within a ten-foot circle around you. Choose a suitable “mundane” subject, such as a persistent sound in your workspace, or the mundane music of the everyday. How does the tick of a clock, the tapping of keys, or the slamming of locker doors fill the spaces of your day?

Consider the sounds surrounding you as you pass between rooms, buildings, and streets. Capture these sonic experiences. You might choose to use Soundcloud as a means to record and share out this audio content.

Write a piece that shares your recorded content and more context about this mundane subject. Describe the sound and the characteristics of the subject. Why did you select this sound? How does it exist in your world? How does it move in the world without you?

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. – Thich Nhat Hanh

CONNECT

After you finish your poem…share this out with others.

You should share this out on Twitter as Write.As using the hashtag #WalkMyWorld. You should also include the hashtag #LE6 to indicate your response to this learning event.

Present your piece in our semi-private group in Flipgrid. Send me an email and I’ll bring you in.

Enjoy and connect with each other online.

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graffiti flickr photo by duncan shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license

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