Before we begin, jot down the first three words you associate with islands?
Foula, off in the distant…
As a person who grew up in a “land-locked” part of the world, islands represented places of tropical vacations with beautiful beaches… a land far, far away and out of reach physically and financially.
Or, they were places I read about in books (Lord of the Flies), or watched on the screen (hello Gilligan’s Island or Tom Hanks in Castaway) where people would be isolated, lonely, stranded, desperate, waiting to be found…
And as I look back over the years, it becomes apparent that my fascination with islands is not new. One of my most favorite questions to ask graduate students at their final oral exam is this…
“If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three “foods” would you want with you?”
I love this question… so many creative ways to express one’s understanding of nutrition science.
But one year, the faculty in the exam room interjected before the student could reply:
what kind of island? where is it located? tropical or frozen? how long is this person stranded? what’s the weather? is there fresh water? are there any other supplies? is there shelter?
“Woah, woah, woah, this is a “simple” question. Let’s not overthink this.”
My reply “you tell me… where is this fictitious island? And let’s come back to the intent of the question… I just want to know a little bit about your knowledge of nutrition… .”
I digress…
What were your three words you associated with islands?
And what do islands have to do with peace?
If words such as isolated, lonely, vulnerable, and stranded came to mind for islands, it might be easy to overlook how islands are an excellent example of peace.
Sheila Geer, a long-time resident of Foula, an island located about 20 miles to the west of mainland Shetland, and author of Foula, Island West of the Sun writes:
Poised on the top of a high cliff there is a peace not found anywhere else: a vast space, an eternity of sea and sky, a freedom. Sit here and scan the distant horizon where sea and sky meet in a far silver line, let your mind roam free; here you will find a glimpse of understanding of life, of its eternity, formed from a million myriads of mortal fragments, a million upon million of livings and dyings, creatings and destroyings, buildings up and wearings down - a grain of sand, a wave, a bird, a man, an island, all add their small part to the eternity of the universe.
Islands can be places
of connection… between and among all things,
a space where community can thrive… where interdependence is necessary.
The island metaphor provides an opportunity to break down our own “mental models” (aka our own ideas and beliefs) about what it means to live in a land far, far away…
and reminds us that peace might include the need to step off the path and gain new perspectives (e.g. moving from one island to another), require us to shift our preconceived ideas and beliefs, and highlight the fact we are all interconnected.
Even Foula, an island that appears remote and isolated is part of a connected system…
the archipelago of Shetland.
Peace nugget #9
Islands as peace… so many ways for you to ponder this topic. What were your three words to describe islands? How do your three words provide you insight into your relationship with peace? Did you come up with other analogies about islands as peace?
Perhaps try doodling an island today… be like those professors… what’s on the island? is it tropical? in the Arctic? what does the shelter look like?
Leave a comment. I love reading your responses… others do as well. Leave a comment for each day and there will be a special treat waiting at the end of our 21 day journey.
peace as you move into this weekend space…
Christina
PS - There’s a movie about Foula called “The Edge of the World” made in 1937. I’ve not watched it yet it has been highly recommended. More info here and a link to the movie here. There are a few ads prior to the movie beginning.