1. "Ropes" by Mary Oliver
- This short essay has been a powerful piece of literature in my life. Overall, the story does not have much to do with vulnerability (at least not explicitly), but I think the end gives us a few hints of the feeling of heeling. I love the last line of the essay: "Maybe it's about the wonderful things that may happen if you break the ropes that are holding you." Maybe vulnerability is about the wonderful things that may happen if you remove the mask that hides you from others.
- I really enjoy this short film for a number of reasons. I like the artistic choices that they make. I like how they show the girl being young and getting old, all while in the same body. I think that helps me to visualize the permanent nature of our souls. Though you are different as a child than you are as an adult, you are always the same person inside. I also enjoy the story that they tell. They show the girl going through major life changes and finding herself. I think that they show the progress of ah human life, and that feels very vulnerable to me.
- I think that the story of the Prodigal Son in the bible is largely a story about vulnerability. The son must humble himself, return to his father, and ask for help. To me, that seems like one of the greatest moments of vulnerability I can imagine. The depiction of the return is an image that has been replicated time and again by countless artists. Rembrandt's rendition is my personal favorite because it seems to capture the rawness of this moment rather seamlessly. He paints vulnerability as a warm space, a place that we can call home.
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