As the March kindness challenge, Kind YYC is taking part in the #Next150. One of the challenges was to read a book by an Indigenous author. I chose Richard Wagamese's Indian Horse in anticipation of the film being released this spring.
Indian Horse is the story of Saul Indian Horse and his journey through residential school and his life after, which includes his love affair with hockey as a central component. The book begins with Saul in rehab having almost killed himself on his last binge. His supporters in the program push him to try to find the root of his addiction by talking about his past, which is how much of the book unfolds. It's balance of light and darkness is masterful.
Without giving away any of the plot, here's what I took away from the book which I think any of us can relate to:
- "I discovered that being someone you are not is often easier than living with the person you are." For many of us we wear masks. We show different people a different side of us, often protecting and hiding our true self for fear of the judgement that make come with this vulnerability. Learning to take off that mask and believe you are sufficient, enough and an amazing human is the path that so many of us are walking.
- "I couldn't run the risk of someone knowing me, because I couldn't take the risk of knowing myself." Letting others in is scary. Trusting them with our heart, our stories, our fears, etc. is not easy. I still find myself sometimes keeping a distance between myself and others because I have an anxiety about really letting them in. When you share these things out loud to someone it means you have to deal with them. It also usually starts to take their power away too.
- "But if I learned anything while I was at the centre, it's that you reclaim things the most when you give them away." The healing power of generosity. Being kind and good to other humans can be the simplest form of healing, discovery and forgiveness for ourselves we have. I know I never feel better or more centered than when I'm being generous.
This is the third book I've read by Mr. Wagamese and it was my favourite so far. I can see how it's going to make a beautiful film.
Being a Force for Good 