Byron's Babbles

I have another post inspired by Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis. I read this book while living at The Kilns this week as a Scholar in Residence. Dr. Debbie Higgens, Director of the C. S. Lewis Study Centre at The Kilns, handed me the book when I was first getting settled in after learning I had not read The Space Trilogy by C. S. Lewis that includes Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. At the time I wondered how this was going to fit the research work and writing I was doing about leadership, but I have to say it was an exciting guide to this week’s work. There have been so many phrases in the book that went right along with my studies. One such line in the book made me think about my overall pilgrimage to The Kilns. Here I was in a foreign country, by myself, in a house living with people I had never met until a few hours ago. A little scary, but glorious all the same. Then, in Out of the Silent Planet I read, “The tellers of tales in our world make us think that if there is any life beyond our own air, it is evil.” You ever thought about how true this is?

Our mythology has taught us that any life form, or anything outside of our own atmosphere would be bad or evil. Now, Neil Armstrong and company helped to subside this, but we still do this, even when thinking and speaking of of other countries. Before leaving to come here I had people asking me if I was nervous or scared to be living with people I did not know at The Kilns. This was curious to me – they are humans just like me – once I said “hello” they would not be strangers anymore. Just another reason why building relationships is so important. One of our challenges to inclusion is the myth of how different anywhere and anyone beyond our own air is. Not that everyone believes other places to be evil, but it is close to that in some instances. Our differences scare us when they should excite us.

I get there being an uneasiness when first meeting someone from a different country, but when truly getting to know them the uneasiness goes away very quickly. When arriving at The Kilns I literally put my bags in my room and was ushered to the dining room for tea. I had never done a formal tea before so I needed to be taught. My hosts were gracious in explaining things like how to put jam and clotted cream (in that order – trust me it is a big deal in the English air space) on my biscuit. It was a glorious time that I will never forget. In fact it is one of the highlights of my experience. I really got to know those I would be living with. My point is, I know people who that would have completely stressed out. Somewhere we have gotten wired in our systems just what Ransom said in Out of the Silent Planet, “The teller of tales in our own world make us think that if there is any life beyond our own air, it is evil.” I know he was referring to outer space in this book, but the “beyond our own air” can apply in some cases to the next neighborhood over.

We need to work hard to break this myth, particularly in our young people, by giving them experiences in others’ air. As adults we need to also take the opportunity to get in other human air space and get to know more of our fellow humans. Let’s get out there and experience life beyond our own air.