According to the dictionary Polarity is: the presence or manifestation of two opposite or contrasting principles or tendencies.
I love this word. I love what it stands for.
Another word I love is equilibrium. Which is:
a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces, the equal balance between any powers, influences, etc.; equality of effect and/or mental or emotional balance
The other day, I met a wonderful individual who exhibited both of these traits. We engaged in a dialogue that was both enlightening and uplifting. It was brief yes, but at the end of the interview process I was so impressed and moved, that writing/dedicating this blog post for her is causing me a small amount of stress and guilt. I want to do her justice, but I do not hope to encapsulate the entirety of a human being in 421 words or less after a 15 minute interview.
Her name is Noalani Hendricks and she is studying Bio-Chemistry and Global Studies. These two fields are so vastly different that I could write about what made her choose them. However, there is always more to people than "their studies" and I wanted to learn more. When I asked about her passion, what moves her? Her response was so unexpected, so poetic and yet so clear--that I was left thinking, how could I have expected anything else? Expectation and foresight were abandoned, and true "oxygen" conversation was breathed in being.
Noalani, with no hesitation, responded that it was anything relating to nature, such as a beautiful forest or crashing waterfall, and the act of overcoming anxiety that moved her.
Throughout our discourse the word overcome kept appearing, this is noteworthy because stagnation was something that I never detected in her. She was to me, as a flowing river. Peaceful with the promise of more underneath, Always moving towards an end, but fully experiencing the journey along the way. She is someone who has the courage to enjoy all that is offered to her, even though it is against 'nature'. Because there is exciting in the unknown. Sitting next to her, scratching down words and phrases onto a notepad, I was calmed by her presence, by her soft yet strong voice. Even the choice of her words placed her on a different level, I was talking to someone special, someone enlightened.
In Buddhism, when someone is "enlightened", it means that they have been awakened and thus possess an understanding of the world around them. Any first year college student with the level of self-assurance and balance that she has, is a truly remarkable individual. She is not someone you can simply bump into while grabbing your morning coffee. No, you have to engage and talk and become familiar. Once you do, all you want to do is learn more.
One particular quote of hers really resonated with me,and if I have dictated it wrong, I apologize in advance for trying to paint with words not my own. She told me, "Do what you want to do, but don't be afraid to jump. You must fall into your inner current and connect with yourself, and there is difficulty in that." Yes, it is difficult to do so, but I sense that this is a girl who has searched her soul, a girl who has found something to focus passion on, a destination, or perhaps a beginning for the winding river of her life, she is someone who can find romance in scientific methods. I have never met anyone like her. It was an experience that I will hold with me.
In her blog, Intersectional Feminist Speak, she uses the metaphor of pineapple foam to express her opinions on life and the college experience, " The foam is only a sugary preview of what to expect. The drink can either be a disappointment or even tastier than expected." This can also be applied to her, she is anything but expected, anything but ordinary. She is pineapple foam at the top of one's glass, peaking your interest and leaving you waiting for more. It is good that in that regard, she does not disappoint. (It is always a pleasure to connect with someone willing to disclose)
"The emptiest cans make the loudest noise." These are Noalani's words. I believe that if we are comparing people to cans, the point should be made that it does not matter how much is in the can rather, what we fill them with.
Her words are like water, and I anticipate an opportunity to drink them in again.
Her name is Noalani Hendricks and she is studying Bio-Chemistry and Global Studies. These two fields are so vastly different that I could write about what made her choose them. However, there is always more to people than "their studies" and I wanted to learn more. When I asked about her passion, what moves her? Her response was so unexpected, so poetic and yet so clear--that I was left thinking, how could I have expected anything else? Expectation and foresight were abandoned, and true "oxygen" conversation was breathed in being.
Noalani, with no hesitation, responded that it was anything relating to nature, such as a beautiful forest or crashing waterfall, and the act of overcoming anxiety that moved her.
Throughout our discourse the word overcome kept appearing, this is noteworthy because stagnation was something that I never detected in her. She was to me, as a flowing river. Peaceful with the promise of more underneath, Always moving towards an end, but fully experiencing the journey along the way. She is someone who has the courage to enjoy all that is offered to her, even though it is against 'nature'. Because there is exciting in the unknown. Sitting next to her, scratching down words and phrases onto a notepad, I was calmed by her presence, by her soft yet strong voice. Even the choice of her words placed her on a different level, I was talking to someone special, someone enlightened.
In Buddhism, when someone is "enlightened", it means that they have been awakened and thus possess an understanding of the world around them. Any first year college student with the level of self-assurance and balance that she has, is a truly remarkable individual. She is not someone you can simply bump into while grabbing your morning coffee. No, you have to engage and talk and become familiar. Once you do, all you want to do is learn more.
One particular quote of hers really resonated with me,and if I have dictated it wrong, I apologize in advance for trying to paint with words not my own. She told me, "Do what you want to do, but don't be afraid to jump. You must fall into your inner current and connect with yourself, and there is difficulty in that." Yes, it is difficult to do so, but I sense that this is a girl who has searched her soul, a girl who has found something to focus passion on, a destination, or perhaps a beginning for the winding river of her life, she is someone who can find romance in scientific methods. I have never met anyone like her. It was an experience that I will hold with me.
In her blog, Intersectional Feminist Speak, she uses the metaphor of pineapple foam to express her opinions on life and the college experience, " The foam is only a sugary preview of what to expect. The drink can either be a disappointment or even tastier than expected." This can also be applied to her, she is anything but expected, anything but ordinary. She is pineapple foam at the top of one's glass, peaking your interest and leaving you waiting for more. It is good that in that regard, she does not disappoint. (It is always a pleasure to connect with someone willing to disclose)
"The emptiest cans make the loudest noise." These are Noalani's words. I believe that if we are comparing people to cans, the point should be made that it does not matter how much is in the can rather, what we fill them with.
Her words are like water, and I anticipate an opportunity to drink them in again.
Hi Lauren!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this portrait of Noalani. I am curious what exactly she said to make you describe her this way!
Eieen