This emotional life

Liz Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, shares a metaphor for life, love, and our need to be close. It comes from German philosopher Shopenhauer who many deam as a pessimist. While I don't totally agree, I believe there is a certain element of truth.

Sometimes we are porcupines and we do need to huddle together for warmth in this strange, unforgiving, cruel world. But whether purposefully or not, we may prick one another. It is learning this "dance" that Gilbert talks about. We can live together, provide warmth for one another, and not poke on another.

There are many experiences in my life I believe I can associate with this metaphor. In my life I have poked both on purpose and accidentally. I hope that those I have pushed away have / will forgive me. These many years later I am more wise than I was when I was a child. I look back with sorrow for the many opportunities I may have missed out on because of my hard heart.

Thankfully, I have not gone too many years realizing my need for human interaction. I need the warmth from others. I need that association. And I think that is the reason we all, in one form or another, reach out no matter what the potential of getting pricked is.