“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;”
The third line in W.B. Yeats’ The Second Coming is playing on repeat in my head.
That makes some sense, given the times we live in today are not unlike 1919 when he wrote the poem. Russia was in turmoil, technology was shifting rapidly, political and economic systems were out of control. Eventually, things did fall apart.
And then like Japanese Kintsugi pottery, people mended the cracks in the world, sometimes with gold, sometimes with concrete and contracts. Civilization soared to new heights as the dust cleared.
Of course, it’s not just countries and economies that cannot hold the center indefinitely. People break, but they can be repaired. Instead of gold, people can heal with connections, relationships, and wisdom gained from past failures.
Falling apart may even be necessary, part of a constant cycle of growth, learning, and renewal. And when we return to the center with cracks repaired, maybe we can be better than before.
Keep chasing lights.
