Day 9 - The Liberty Pouch

I am on the roll with this blogging Advent thing. I even saved a draft of a message for today's post yesterday. Completely unheard of! I admit, the title of the draft read "Day 9 - " and there was not a single word in the message box, but nonetheless I feel very accomplished for managing that!
The reason there was only half a title there was simply because I had no clue what today's pouch might be about! And as it happens the idea crystalized in an organic process - completely naturally and spontaneously...

You may have noticed (or not, as the case may be) that there is a new item on the dashboard as of today - an article about fair trade and textile industry. I researched, pre-digested and edited this for your benefit and with raising awareness of its impact (or the impact of its absence as sadly is mostly the case) in mind. My interest in this subject dates a long way back. The thought - or maybe I should call it a vague notion, a pre-sentiment, an intuition - was nurtured through the heart and mind expanding dialogue work and a whole lot of soul-searching and looking for something that would be a true reflection of who I am and what I want my life to be about.

You may ask me where it all leads... It leads home. The reason I chose knitwear design is that it is like my second nature and I am free and at ease with it. I know it is an area in which I can excel and achieve and I truly feel that - given that I put work and strong commitment into it - there truly is no limit to my self-expression through this medium. AND it does not require the smallest compromise on my part as it fits perfectly with other commitments in my life. Phew! There it is!

But of course there is more. My perception of reality has been irreversibly altered by the dialogue work I have been (and still am) part of and as a result I find it much easier to act from a less selfish place when it comes to my choices in life. This extends into putting some effort into understanding how stuff works; stuff like trade, like our human micro (friends, neighbours) and macro (nations, races, cultures) interrelations.

And I now know that - if I am to be true to my heart - I cannot expect any other human being to aspire to less than I do, if they so choose.

I want my family to be happy and I want the best for my children - I want them to be healthy, well educated and able to realize their full potential in life. I want myself to be fulfilled, happy and healthy and my work to be appreciated. Why shouldn't a woman born in a remote part of the world and in poverty, who is - as I am - full of love for her children and dedicated to her work, not be fulfilled and rewarded by it, just like I am!?

Let's face it - the old trading model belongs with the dinosaurs!

So there I was, getting a feel for this lovely hand-spun alpaca produced by a Chilean co-operative, by means of turning it into yet another Advent pouch, and I meditated on the subject of LIBERTY, also known as FREEDOM. Freedom to be aware and generous and caring, and freedom to, ultimately, contribute to someone else's freedom. When I opened my ribbon box the first ribbon I saw was this...


Perfect!