Summer session #2

Today discussion turned to the language of Alexander and our favorite word - inhibition.

I think there is a lot more going on here than most of us think and right now the place where I am at finds it all to be rather circular.

There was a demonstration of dropping a cup into someone's outstretched hand and the non-doing, non-cerebral, automated response of the hand closing around the cup - this being inhibition. Then further talk of everything from heart beating to fluid moving through us being inhibition, that inhibition is nothing we actually have to find or do it is already built into us.  

Of course, this moved to the example of a small child; the (what we perceive as adults as) dawdling, the natural exploration, the looking without looking for an end, the non-doing doing. Which led to talk about how parenting quelches that as we force our children into schedules and regimens and life and look at what we've done to them and to ourselves!

I thought, yeah...that's so true - we force all of this on them we make them do....wait, wait, wait, wait..hold...My mind went back to the first week of the summer intensive as we were called on the carpet. We had all been told that the class started at 7:30, but get there as you could, so that's what we were doing. There didn't seem to be any pressing need to be there right at 7:30 since someone was usually there. Apparently, this was no longer appropriate and our inhibitory behavior was now affecting the instructor and the time being used for others in the class and we needed to be there at 7:30. So... what about this inhibitory kid thing now??

So, inhibition or consideration for those around you, their time and needs as well?

This is where so many things become blurred for me on a number of fronts; the teacher front, the parent front, the person front  - allow me to expound.

• The teacher front
• Parent: My student shouldn't be graded on turning things in on time, if the work is done and done well it shouldn't matter when it is handed in. 
• Teacher: I appreciate your student doing quality work, but my time is valuable too. I have deadlines because I have any number of other things to do, not the least of which is grading125 other papers. If I allow them to trickle in one by one across the course of a semester I'll be grading papers with no end in sight - and you know as well as I do that 90% of those papers will show up the last week of the semester! 
• Parent: My student doesn't need to be on time to class, they can make up the work they're smart enough to manage.
• Teacher: I get that they're smart enough to manage, however, they disrupt my class when they come in late and distract students who are focusing on the lesson I'm teaching - students who may not be as smart who may need that time have that taken away from them when your student comes in tardy. 
• The parent front
• Parent: I need to allow my child to let their Alexander-y inhibition go and do their own thing so they're not in therapy when they're 25.
• People: 
• Would someone please get this child off of my dinner table?
• Could someone please tell this child that yelling through a movie is not a good idea and is disturbing everyone?
• Would someone come and get this child that seems to think I'm here for them to talk to? I'm here to sit quietly in the library and study.
• Why is this kid not coming in to work on time, this is the 5th day in a row? 
• The person front
• Person: I'm just gonna inhibit...
• World: 
• Dude...
• You need to be on time to the JOB? You are working?? Do you need money?
• Say excuse me? 
• Be the slightest bit cordial? kind? SMILE WILL YOU???
• Family?
• Bills?
• GAH!! Merge, MERGE!!!!!!!
• For the love of all things, take a shower!
• Clean the house? 
• Feed the dog? 
• Don't you need to turn the water off in the bathtub at some point??

So, at what point does inhibition become detrimental to you and those around you with whom you have to associate, work, live, and deal with each day? Where is the line drawn? Where do you find the space between habit, health, healing, and what could become hell if you take things to the inhibitory extreme? 

I don't have answers. These are just thoughts. No accusations or fingers, again, just my own musings as I continue learning about myself and the principles I am studying. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Or...you could just, you know, inhibit.  ;)