Why the Silence Clare?
The reason why i haven’t blogged in so long is because there is something that I long to write about, something which causes everything else to pale in comparison and yet my power of expression is powerless to reproduce its magnanimity and grandeur.
The Perfect Team
Do you know the feeling of standing on a perfect pitch with team you love and adore ready to do what you love most of all? Imagine that you are a member of a team distinguished by their character and efforts. Imagine you are standing in a stadium where the lights have been dimmed over the audience, so dimmed in comparison to the bright lights focused on the pitch that you can not identify a single person in the auditorium. You hear the whistles and chants of excited fans, waiting… patiently waiting for the game to start. All 22 of you are thinking about the same thing, all 22 of you have been training and now you are putting into action the skills you have so systematically been developing. All 22 of you have different roles but the objective is the same… to play a good game, to make united efforts and win.
Dear friends, i have found my most perfect pitch and have seen the distinguished team that I intend to stand in serried lines with. I have been training day and night and am eager to utilize these latent skills. In my thirst for the empowerment of the next generation, of junior youth, I am ready to cast aside my own victory and support them in theirs… perhaps our victory is the same. Perhaps the lines that I have drawn, separating the various roles and responsibilities in my life, are artificial and imaginary?
Leave of Absence
Finding Beauty and Joy
I will be taking at least a 2 year leave of absence from my studies to serve full time as the junior youth coordinator for England. During the last few months I have become increasingly aware of the demand for junior youth activities in England (and beyond!). I feel strongly that I should be doing this right now. There are very few things in this world that bring me greater joy than serving in this capacity.
To a naked eye and shallow glance I have been criticized of throwing away a future of success as an Oxford academic. I ask my friends to allow their eyes to consider the garments that have clothed my decision, before they deprive themselves from seeing the beauty of this journey and are burdened by the sadness of wasted potential. Are we not trained so that we might have the skills and knowledge to better our own lives and the lives of others? Do we not educate ourselves so that we might be contribute to an ever-advancing civilization? What greater bounty is it then to serve daily helping others to develop the skills and qualities required to accompanying junior youth between the ages of 11-15 to develop their spiritual and intellectual excellence?
on May 15th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Respect for your decision! It’s not easy in a world where being ’someone’ is defined by outward qualifications and titles and status.
On another note, my juniors LOVE football and the 60+ junior youth we are working with in Prishtina all do and have time every day for most of the hours of the day. How about you plan a trip to Prishtina as a resource person to share your experience and help us develop the programme bigger and better?
Junior youth all around here and no activities for them…Heaps of potential, very little effort in terms of developing that potential. Until now of course ;).
on May 15th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Dearest Clare
What an incredible piece of blog. I have loved reading this and feel very inspired by your reflections and subsequent actions! May you be forever confirmed in all the steps you take for carrying forward an ever advancing civilisation. The empowerment of the whole, rather than the handful, in the serving of humanity is the most urgent need of our day and Junior Youth our most phenomenal agents of social change. I look forward to hearing of the continued application of your skills and services, irrespective of the postponement of letters that follow your beautiful name!
on May 15th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Clare!! This is an amazing piece of news! Such an awe-inspiring decision! Thinking of you in my prayers as you dive into this immensely rewarding project - may the Blessed Beauty guide and protect you throughout the wonderful journey that is to come. Certainly your studies will be there when you wish to return. Your dedication and self-sacrifice in serving mankind in such a tumultuous time of urgency is a humbling lesson to us all. Much love! P x
on May 15th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Clare!! am amazed by your love and dedication to football. I can imagine the fulfillment one gets from finding and following a dream and a passion. I must congratulate you on this, you follow your heart and to me that is success. I have found such inspiration from this piece that I shall venture to seek my true calling in life. I believe that’s the true source of happiness. Congratulations and God bless you in your new role. I am watching your every progress
on May 15th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Dearest Clare,
It makes this mother proud to see one of her dear daughters keeping her eyes on the goal, and willingly take unconventional paths to get there. When all is said and done, at your death I doubt whether you had a Ph.D. or not won’t weigh heavy in the equation. It will be how you chose to spend your allotted time on earth.
I love the image you picked to represent this leave taking. The flower looks like it is dieing - or going into hibernation. It defiantly looks stressed and in a state of transition. Your positive, progressive motion rarely shows to those around you how costly doing something is to you. But, if there is no cost the action is usually not valued. Thank you for sharing your soul in such a deep and reveling way.
I’ll love you till the mountains give up their heights.
mom
on May 16th, 2009 at 5:20 am
Hi Clare,
No comments I can make will compare with your mother’s heart felt poetry, but I want to lend my “Hurrah” to your decision. This move is definitely a no brainer. To the future generations who will benifit from your guidance I say Godspeed, and to England I say congratulations.
Loree Rayback
on May 16th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Dearest Clare,
Your blog is lovely and so poetic! London must payback Alaska sometime during their IPG’s and send us about 10 of their finest teachers to help launch our intensive programs (or programmes) of growth in Fairbanks and Kenai… let’s see now, 10 of theirs for one Clare. They are still getting a better deal, but good on them and on you. Don’t ever let them forget, you are from Alaska!!!
Loving Baha’i Greetings,
Kevin
on May 17th, 2009 at 5:42 am
What a blessing, Clare, both for you and for those you will be serving. Sending you my love.
on May 18th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
“In the Bahá’í Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are (counted as) worship. The man who makes a piece of notepaper to the best of his ability, conscientiously, concentrating all his forces on perfecting it, is giving praise to God. Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer. A physician ministering to the sick, gently, tenderly, free from prejudice and believing in the solidarity of the human race, he is giving praise’.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PT/pt-56.html
Congratulations, Clare, and all the best to you in your continued devoted services to our beloved Cause!
on May 24th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Claire:
I too was wondering where you were headed.
I signed on to your blog early in the year.
I am not a member of the Baha’i faith, but I have the utmost respect.
I would like to share about a programme I am running and developing called “The Way of True Champions.”
I think you will like it.
I too am especially am concerned with youth and the opportunities which can emerge through football.
Let us stay in touch.
I am currently in Spain, having worked on a weekend programme Goles para La Paz (Goals for Peace) with CEDIFA (the educational arm of the Andalucian Football Federation).
I return to the USA and then to Israel and Palestine to help manage the Middle East Peace Dream Football Programme. It will start in June with small tournaments in schools throughout Northern Israel and Palestine.
It will have the motto “Play Football, Make Peace”.
About 750 youth should be involved.
Please contact me so that I can possibly arrange to meet with you when I pass through London next time.
Robin Graham
on May 26th, 2009 at 9:24 am
God be with you, Clare, in the serried lines where you have chosen to make your stand.
on Aug 23rd, 2010 at 5:25 am
Clare, Congratulations on your recent recognition as a “Top Baha’i Blog”. I know you are busy working with Junior Youth, But I hope you could write a little about that. There are son many who could benefit from your experience.