Sharing knowledge and experience

The way I learnt how to read set the pace for learning in life: I learned the alphabet by singing it with two pink cartoon elephants on TV, just before christmas in 1977. It was just by my fourth birthday. The TV-show was the Swedish yearly julkalender, counting the days from December 1 to 24, with a half-an-hour programme appearing every day. And, every day, was a new letter. Apart from the TV show, there was a vinyl record with the songs sung by the elephants and the human participants of the show, which was my favourite music at the time. Singing were one big elephant and a small one, and as the big one sung the capital letter A, the small one repeated a,a,a,a,a, then the big one sung B and there was a lighter echo singing b,b,b,b,b – C – and so on! The series was called ”Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter” an is a Swedish media classic by now. It was funy, nice, friendly and pedagogic - to such an extent that when I eventually started school in 1980, I thought they were joking. Had I been sent there to learn how to read? In THAT way? What where they on about?

I developed a very strong sense of doubt and wonder at the schooling system from a very young age. I saw it as being archaic and out of date, teaching us all to behave like the children in the picture books from the 40´s , who in Swedish say ”mor är rar”. The difference between what was directed at children my age in media, and the way the school wanted us to pay attention and learn was abysmal.

Now, I wonder if the people doing that TV show were aware of the elephant-headed god Ganesh, and his being the one you start paying reverence to at the start of every project in life, for good luck and for overcoming the obstacles in the way.

In Sweden, all children go to school. When I grew up, most chidren went to public school, for free, with lunch included. Sweden had come very far in social democratic planning of society by that time. So, school was of course a privilege to attend to. 9 obligatory years and 3 more, then the possibility to attend to a great public university. Sweden had buit up a very good education system.

Reading became an early habit – with others, in school, at home, and alone. In my family, I would receive books and drawing material at every christmas eve and every birthday. Being given books is special. Sharing the knowledge of books is valuable.

Sharing knowledge is valuable. Sharing experience is valuable.

When I moved to Stockholm in 2005 my friend Pernilla, who lives there, showed me a yogashcool, saying ”this is the school where they do real yoga”. She had been practicing some years from the age of 18, just when we got to know eachother. So I went there and started practicing asanas, pranayama, shatkarmas, concentration and meditation the way that they taught it, thanks to a Danish man who in the late sixties received the title and name Swami Janakananda Saraswati in Munger, India, and then came back to Scandinavia to teach.

Later, I went to live in the countryside where he lived and he´s good at teaching. Furthermore, he´s got a love for art and muscic that is seen in his house and at his courses. By him I found my way to approaching Samkhya philosophy, yoga and meditation. I found out about the existance of the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali and about the yogic management of common diseases – books were rare, but to the point. The books he has on tantra art are beautiful.

That´s about books. Life, although containing books, are a different matter altogehter.

Yesterday I went for a walk with a friend, Jimmy. I took this picture as we were watching a tree in central Malmö, which was mild and sunny. It was also the international women´s day. 

I don´t want to marry Octavio Paz, and I don´t think I could be convinced to marry anyone at all. But meetings are valuable and holding on to the part inside which has grown in a meeting, even if it´s a virtual one, is valuable.