Home » Health & Wellness » Fibromyalgia » Living Culture & a Journey of Self-awareness

Living Culture & a Journey of Self-awareness

© Cynthia Webber (Jausten)

"What is something you do well that few people are aware of?" "How far back does your oldest surviving friendship go?" What is it that has made that friendship last?" "Do you trust people in general?" "Explain why or why not." These questions are taken from a handout by Joe Schaeffer, called "Living Culture," and I discovered them through the Langley Hospice Society.

After obtaining a copy of the handout, "Living Culture," I discovered many more important questions that each one of us can answer in order to discover more about our uniqueness, our diversity, and our own sense of community. An online community isn't the same as the communities that we have around us in our everyday life, but the ties that those of us with fibromyalgia have do create a community of sharing, caring, empathy, and understanding even if it is based in the cyberworld.

We form bonds of friendship with each other through our discussions on message boards, in a chat, or via email. Some of these online friendships can expand into our everyday life as we exchange phone numbers, talk with each other in a chat, or even find a way in which to actually meet each other.

Many people email me and feel an instant bond with me due to my sharing of so much of myself through my articles or my online journals. Of course, I am only one person, plus I don't have the time and energy to form strong friendships with everyone who writes to me, but I do have a few online friendships which I treasure.

Joe Schaeffer has a great passion for community, and by answering the questions that are in his "Living Culture," and sharing them with others who are also answering these same questions in their own words helps to build trust and communication between people. It is a wonderful opportunity to see our own uniqueness and also our oneness with others.

Since we share the common bond of dealing with fibromyalgia on a daily basis, these questions can help us to not only view ourselves as we really are, but also to appreciate the talents and gifts that others share with us. Each one of us is important, and the sharing of our feelings and stories is what will bring us together as people who share the common bond of fibromyalgia. Our uniqueness, whether it be related to race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disabilities is what offers strength and richness to us as a group.

The copyright of the article Living Culture & a Journey of Self-awareness in Fibromyalgia is owned by Cynthia Webber (Jausten). Permission to republish Living Culture & a Journey of Self-awareness in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.