Hands and feet

In a session I attended at this conference, I saw this quote: "We do not weave the web, but we choose where to put our hands and feet." It is attributed to David Levithan.

It has made me think about choices. Sometimes, I think we do weave the web. In those situations, we are doubly responsible for our situations. But even when we don't, we still have choices to make. I can't remember the exact words, but a Holocaust survivor said something similar. We can still control how we respond to our situations.

In its simplest form, I am at this conference and choosing which sessions to attend. I am very conscious that when I pick one session, I can't learn what presenters in other sessions are sharing. I hope I choose well. But in an even more important way, I choose daily how I will spend my time, given my situation. I have meetings to attend, classes to prepare for and teach, writing to be done. Those are all parts of my job--a situation I choose for myself. I have commitments to church, something I don't have as much control over. But I can choose other aspects of my day and how to spend the time that isn't committed to someone or something else. And that is totally at my discretion.  When that is limited, I want to be more deliberate in where I "place my hands and feet." I want to
choose what will matter most and put my time where it will show what I really value. Sometimes, just being alone feels good, just doing what I want to relax or unwind. And that has its place and value, too. But in the aggregate, what do my choices say about me and what I value? I want to think more carefully about that.