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Rodney Beaulieu's avatar

I never knew about crinoids, so thanks for the post. I can't add any new information about crinoids but can respond to the two questions.

Who have I always been since a child when I felt free and alive without regard for reward?

Being an Acadian Mi'kmaq child in the state of Maine where the current population derives from the early English settles, I felt different. Even today, the largest demographic in Maine is English American, 98% of everyone - - more than any other state. I always sensed myself to be outside the dominant culture, and classmates sometimes asked where I'm from, and after learning, prodded me to give examples of my native language. Usually, I responded "you're mucus and ignorant" which we, together, found humorous. I learned that forgiving childhood slights was a generous act and was appreciated by the unintentional offender. There were drawbacks for being different and not skilled in the English language, but I also understood the benefit of seeing the world from a different lens. While still young and undeveloped cognitively, I knew I could make small contributions to improve human conditions around me; I learned how to persuade my childhood peers to stop picking on me and be more friendly to my autistic brother. That understanding of myself as an effective communicator remains, mostly driven by my connection with nature, perhaps even the ancient crinoids whose remains remind us of the greater cosmos. I'm grateful to be in good health at 65 years of age, no longer living in poverty, and having the benefit of teaching at a university where I can transform lives and, perhaps, shift popular thinking toward a more equitable society. I sense our world to be on the cusp of slipping back to when conditions were controlled by monarchies (and the church - - you know which one) where governance came from a single voice and was enforced by brutal warfare. Okay, monarchies are no longer so powerful. I’m grateful for that. But, I now fear the reemergence of “cowboy posses” where those who can yell louder, shoot faster and disregard law without consequences, can control resources and ideology. My ancestors suffered a tremendous genocide by the first American settlers, but today I’m grateful for what American democracy can potentially bring us and I’m still committed to seeking ways to improve human conditions.

What activities was I naturally drawn to as a child that lit up, that activated, a distinct part of my character?

Walking and picnicking in the woods near my home, horse-riding, swimming at the local pond, looking for flint, fishing, gardening, reading, picking berrries, and observing people’s behavior.

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Susan Larson's avatar

When I first went to Cairo in 1997, the British Club had a chapter of the Hash House Harriers, a running club with a drinking problem. I was usually a walker, especially if the “run” was in the great Sahara desert. As I was walking along, I looked down and ground was covered in, tiny, fingernail sized seashells. From millions of years ago when the area was an ocean. For a long moment, I stopped dead in my tracks, looking around at the desert, trying to imagine that ancient ocean. Susan Larson

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