I have changed the name of my Substack website to WWII Baby. Yes, I am a World War II baby, born in 1944 when the war was raging on. My new logo has WW II Baby at the top, a spiral in the middle, and the words “Age Less, Grow More” at the bottom.
Why WW II Baby?
Well, I was actually born in 1944, when World War II was still raging. But I also claim this name because I don’t feel like I fit into the standard generational categories. I feel a connection to some of the values from my Dad’s generation but wasn’t comfortable with the way they had allowed racial discrimination in particular to go on.
I also did not go along with a lot of what the Boomer generation is known for. This came up in a humorous incident I had in the 1960's when a couple of guys I worked with in a machine shop invited me to come to their place after work. They were intrigued by my leftist politics when we talked at lunch or on breaks. In their home, we gathered in a room they'd set up with special lights and they brought out a couple of marijuana cigarettes and offered me one.
I politely declined; I didn’t have any moralistic things about it, I just saw too many people getting high and not being politically active. I also didn't think it was worth the risk of getting arrested just because you got high. After I said “No thanks.”, one of the guys said “Wow, man, you’re so radical but so straight!”
I laughed a little, quietly. Though I wouldn’t have used those exact words to describe myself, I was cool with it. And in a way the phrase says about lot about who I am. Yep, World War II Baby. That’s me.
Age Less, Grow More.
The wording on the bottom says, Age Less, Grow More. It was prompted for me by a photograph taken just before the Portland Oregon Pride parade in 2017. I was part of the Kaiser Permanente contingent, and on the verge of transitioning from a volunteer patient partner role at KP to a new job onboarding and mentoring other volunteers and working with staff to bring in the patient voice. There was a green Kaiser Permanente car ready to roll in the parade that said “Age Less” on the hood. While KP meant that as a positive idea around preventative medicine, somehow it also reflected the way I felt at 73 years old. I posed and a soon-to-be colleague snapped the photo.
More than that, this statement reflects something important about me. I am a life-long learner. In his book Different, Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist, Frans de Waal said that the most important statement in science is “Hmm, that’s interesting.” It's what you might say when you come across something or someone you don’t understand. That curiosity can lead to learning, and new scientific knowledge. It's an outlook I aspire to live every day.
And the Spiral Shape in the Center?
One thing a spiral can mean is the possibility of change and moving beyond your current situation. Where we are is just the starting point of where we will be next year or next decade. As we move along the path of our lives, there will be opportunities for renewal and new beginnings. That might bring to mind a straight line rising above its starting point.
At the same time, it is true that even as we grow and change, we remain, in many respects, the same person as before. Sometimes we feel like we are facing the same challenges or difficulties over and over again. That might bring to mind a circle as we feel like "Haven't I been here before?"
We are complex beings, and in fact we are both the same person and different as we go through life. That is why I prefer the spiral. It incorporates both the line and the circle, different aspects of our reality.
To me spirals also represent the fact that, whatever our political, social, cultural or other differences, we share a common humanity and a desire to thrive and grow through our lives. The center of the spiral represents that common humanity for me. Our different paths reflect the complexity of it all.
Every human culture, institution and organization is by nature imperfect. In some ways they can represent the opportunity for good, and in some ways, they can be based on old, outdated beliefs or systems. The spiral represents our ability to always reach for renewal, to reach toward our highest values, for everyone to have the opportunity to thrive.
Still, Why The Change of Name?
The overall name of my Substack used to be the name of one of my podcasts, Sacred Gyre. That podcast was my starting point, so the name seemed natural to me at the time. Now, I feature two different, but intertwined podcasts. I started with the one and over time created the other one. This reflects a way I often think and develop new ideas. For now, I'll just finish with a short description of my podcasts.
Butterfly Arose
My Butterfly Arose podcast is about my own thoughts and learnings through reading books and articles online, reflecting on my own experiences, or watching videos on subjects important to what I am thinking about. Currently I am doing a series on sex, sexuality and gender identity, and that exploration is leading into thoughts about how to provide the best quality health care. In the future I will do series on other topics I think are important to building a just society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Sacred Gyre
I think we are all part of something larger than ourselves. To me this means it is important to be thoughtful about how we interact with that larger world, however you imagine it to be. I want to learn what is true, and to live by that truth. And I think that how we act, the values and morality that underly our actions, is important.
Things that happen can cause us to feel fear and anger. Those are normal human feelings, but we can’t let them be the drivers of how we think and act. Doing the right thing, I believe, is ultimately more important than whether you win in a specific situation if you want the world to be a better place for everyone in the long run.
Please Join With Me in This Adventure
We are complex human beings who live in a complex world. Our understanding of the truth is always provisional. That is why we need to keep on learning. My two podcasts reflect both my intention to search for the truth, and to act in a way that lives by my deepest values. I strive to support myself and everyone to live a meaningful and healthy life.
If you enjoy reading or listening to a writer who values learning, growing, and being thoughtful, I hope you will become one of my subscribers. And if you are moved to help me pay for the expenses of creating these podcasts, please do become a paid subscriber. In either case you will be able to access all the podcast episodes I create. Thank you!
I thought I should join!