Cooperation

At school the other day, a group of kids were converging under the staircase fussing about something. Curious, I went to see what they are looking at and one of them proudly declared, "Ms. Imelda, there are 3 spiders here, there used to be four but we killed one by working together!". I left the group laughing loudly, leaving behind my level one students puzzled. That in fact was the first statement with an indication of cooperation I heard from my students. Hah!

Cooperation looks like a simple, straightforward word. It has always been irrelevant to me as I see myself mixing with any kind of person or group quite nicely. As I always say, I have friends from different groups that you would not put together in one room but I manage to live harmoniously with them.... but there is always an exception. Living together under one roof.

It is not a question of personhood, I even dare say it is not a question of personalities. There are simply situations that MAKE people a certain way and for now, I am content to say that I just have to live with these situations. Pressure at work, responsibilities, change in lifestyle, "aging", etc. comes into play and ready or not, they can sting. Is it their fault? No. It is mine. I was not ready. I may have thought of our arrangement to be so simple it would NEVER hurt. I may have thought we were the same carefree youngsters that could take things lightly all the time (which I still do).

They are still the dearest friend, they are a sure help in times of need but it is now that we live together that I feel I am farthest from them. Our interests, our priorities, our moods, our closeness...times change, people change...as I said, READY or NOT.

It is now that I learn that cooperation is not a simple word. It is never DONE. It is always a work in progress. Like in rowing, you cannot lose the beat, you just keep working to be in sync with the rest. The moment you let go of the rhythm, you simply become a liability. I feel like I have lost the rhythm and even if it hurts to say, I am becoming a liability, or so I feel.