I used to be so certain,
And now I’m not so sure.
And suddenly people have emerged
Where only caricatures walked before,
Playing predictable roles.
I used to be so certain,
And now I’m not so sure.
And suddenly problems have emerged,
Where formulas assuaged before,
Promising cheap success.
I used to be so certain
And now I’m not so sure.
And suddenly
I must be free.
What was I before?
~Sj, 2013
*****
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Published by shellypruittjohnson
My name is Shelly Johnson, and I am a writer and philosopher with a Ph.D. in philosophy. One of my primary personal and philosophical interests is how we can learn to love ourselves and each other better in order to cultivate personal and political resilience. I teach ethics and a variety of other courses at a local college. I am the author of the blog Love is Stronger. I am also the author of three logic and critical thinking books for high school and middle school: _Argument Builder_, _Discovery of Deduction_ (co-author), and _Everyday Debate_, published by Classical Academic Press. You can reach me at shellypruittjohnson@gmail.com.
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Thank you for this “documentation” of personal doubt and aporia. Sometime this feeling is stronger than love, though it is healthy to doubt, I think!
You are welcome, Friend. I was thinking today that I so often write about Love because of the way it has been a healing presence in my life. What I don’t often express as well is how profoundly doubt and even despair and hopelessness played (and still plays) a role in my becoming more receptive to Love. And, I still have many days when I feel doubt more than Love. And I honor all of those days.