The Connection Journey Complaints Hotline is open

My mum is a woman who takes the kupu/word ‘resilience’ to a whole new kōeke/level, very rarely complaining about ANYTHING in life, but last night, something was up (blame Whiro phase). 

‘I’m just going to say it,’ she said and proceeded to tell me about a situation that was annoying her. The whole thing took about fifteen seconds.

‘There,’ she finished. Then she walked away to finish her pangakupu/crossword. 

I give it ten years till I hear the next one of those. 

It was great—not only because it gives me more evidence she’s human, but because I’d just spent about three hāora/hours trying to turn something frustrating from my own connection journey into an uplifting, silver-lined, life lesson type kōrero for you here, and the truth is, even though I did believe the positive angle, I really just needed a sec to be annoyed about it.

I took it as permission granted.

Learning about and building our hononga/connection to te ao Māori, whether we are Māori, Pākehā, or Tauiwi, is about the best mahi mātātoa/adventure anyone could embark on, but, as everyone reading this will know, it can also be painful, difficult, and frustrating as all hika.

Staying on track requires commitment, passion, manawa/heart etc. but ALSO e hoa mā—and maybe this part is contentious—the opportunity to complain and be heard every now and then...

I’m not saying wallow. I’m not inviting full pity ngahau/parties. I’m just talking about a quick release to get it out and move right on.

So here’s the idea e te whānau; for the next week or so, I’m opening a Connection Journey Complaints Hotline (well email line, but hotline sounds better) to extend to you that very opportunity.

Just reply to this īmera/email with anything that’s got you down for a moment or more on this haerenga, and rather than offer solutions or perspective changes (because I’m sure you’re capable of doing that yourself when you’re ready) I’ll just hear ya out. Get as shallow or deep as you like. Confidentiality and no judgement guaranteed.

Here are some personal examples I’ve been fielding lately to get you started:

- I’ve spent two years learning about maramataka/the Māori lunar calendar on and off and STILL it took me hours of research to sum up the basic concepts clearly for the pānui/newsletter last week. Gosh darrrrrn, that’s frustrating to admit (and yes that’s the one I was trying to write about initially, the angle was breaking big goals down into smaller success milestones).

- Sometimes learning te reo Māori feels like it’s physically hurting my brain.

- At times, this journey can feel super lonely.

No kaka, knowing those complaints are going to be read by a bunch of ya feels cathartic. A little whingey yes, but on the whole, cathartic. And just like that, I'm ready to haere tonu/move on.

Whakahoki mai/Reply to give it a whirl yourself. 

Onwards and upwards team, then no doubt sideways and backwards for a bit (and we’re allowed to say that part is hard and a bit sucky).