Not just another white girl

Of late, my writing has been focused on Buddhism and the tenets of Yoga.

I can imagine what might be going on in your head.

Where is the storyteller? Where have they gone, the stories of wildness of Alaska, the factories of Lowell, and the desert of Arizona.

Perhaps, these very words have run through your mind: “Oh no, not another white girl in her thirties who has discovered Eastern philosophy. She hasn’t even traveled to East Asia.”

I wouldn’t blame you if this were true, for there is truth to this response.

I am female, and I identify as such.

I may be white. I have seen Judaism described as a race. Does that make me a Jew above all else, primarily due to my genetic heritage? It reminds me of the episode in Northern Exposure where Joel Fleischman, single, Jewish doctor, took offense to having tomatoes hurled at him for being a white person. I’m not white, he claimed, and he put up such a stink that he was permitted to walk in the Thanksgiving Day parade with the Native American community.

I wonder if my Jewish ancestors would consider themselves white, Jewish, or some combination of the two?

The closest I have been to the Asian continent was on a voyage to the city of Ekaterinburg on the east side of the Ural Mountains in Russia. I am not sure if this counts.

What I am is a person in search of a sustainable life and as much awareness of self as is humanly possible. What interests me most as I move through my life is how to more deeply understand my own Self and to be present, available, and open to the world around me. I want to sit with what brings me joy and every other emotion along the spectrum in each stage of self-discovery I have the courage to venture.

Today, I write in body from brisk, sunny central Arizona. My mind has already spanned several continents and tasted the wisdom of writers and thinkers from many times and places. I cannot yet say what tomorrow will bring.

I may not be able to promise that I am not just another “white” girl smitten with Buddhism. If I am, does it really matter? From what I have learned about Buddhism and Yoga, the world could benefit from more people studying these practices and incorporating them into their worldview.

What I do know is that I am marieke, the only version of my self I know to exist. Were I to meet another, I am not sure how I would react, but I suppose I can cross that bridge if and when I get to it. I am not sure the world needs another me. Could be scary!

I am a seeker: of stories, songs, and the magic that can be found in opening oneself up to the possibilities the universe provides. I am a musician and a writer. I love to travel in mind, body, and spirit. My practice is to help create awareness, beauty, and empathy through art.

I can also assure you that I know who I am, though who that is seems to change with time and experience.

I promise that as it unfolds, I will write and share my journey with you.

I hope you will share your own journey with me.