Know thyself. Plato coined these words realizing that men must understand their own nature before they can accomplish their life's ambitions. It's simple right? A two word phrase designed to be clear and easy to understand must be equally easy to accomplish. For most however the truth of those words only becomes evident near the end of our lives. Many people of varying generations rarely ever sit and ponder their lives to the extent of self examination, because the truth of what they are is frightening. There are however others who wake up one day and realize that they've deceived themselves and require change to be happy, or at least survive.
The negative side of this idea is that in the knowledge of ones true nature, a person may find out that they are something truly terrible. Serial killers might emerge. World leaders could become heinous, and fanatical with fascist thoughts. A mother might awaken to realize they no longer want the child they've given birth to. To know thyself is a journey fraught with perils which may end in the darkest of places. Fortunately I'm a firm believer that these things are less likely to occur, and that knowing what our true nature is is extremely positive.
Therefore it's refreshing to see when someone sees what they've become, and elects change over brooding. So many people feel that not trying to change is the way to go, because the chances of failure seem too great to overcome. But really you fail automatically when you don't try, and never realize the potential for the truth. And personal change comes from seek your true nature. Very few people ever wake up and realize what they want to do with their lives, a sudden epiphany, a brilliant flash to transform them. You rarely ever hear of an individual jumping out of bed in the morning shouting "I KNOW WHAT I WANT!" For most it takes a lot of soul searching. It takes the ability to look in the mirror and acknowledge the things that are holding you back, to stare them down and cast them out. To opt for change for a better life is incredibly difficult. Just ask an alcoholic who's fallen off the wagon. They understand the pertinent need for change, and are likely to respect the challenges a person faces in order to do so. They've seen the truth of themselves and make the journey everyday.
So wake up, stretch, watch the sun become born anew again, and realize that what you've begun is dangerous only to yourself, but the prize is worth the fight.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The tie that binds.....
There truly is only one tie that binds. Love. It is the one thing we can never control, the one constant which is beyond our capability to grasp in its entirety. We're born, we love, and then we die hoping that someone would remember who and what we were. Love is answer to the questions that people are too afraid to ask, and the prize for which the contest is fought.
Have you ever sat down and thought about why you love something or someone? Did you ever look into the eyes of your lover and ask 'Why do I love you?' Love is something for which there is no true answer. You could chalk it up to a number of things, but none of them could ever encompass that which drives us to great lengths to achieve it. It could never explain why we're so irrational when it's involved. I've always stated, and known no greater truth than the fact that we never choose love, but love chooses us. Trying to explain why this is is like trying to nail a house fly to the wall with a watergun. If emotion is irrationality, then love is absolute insanity and we're all insane at some point.
I've often wondered what the world would be like without love, and the answer is always the same. It would end up as a cold and worthless place, haunted by beings of questionable worth and life. Perilous and without content, people would cease to be human, and become shells without potential. We would have no causes to strive for, and no reason for being. As a civilization we would fade into black because there would be no reason to continue to exist. Horrible. Why do we have children? In modern society it really doesn't matter if love is there, because of the whole fable that we should just be able to screw like rabbits without consequence. Truthfully though doesn't that end up being worthless in itself? Most people are in it just for that momentary rush of hormones into their bloodstream to make them feel wonderful, and rarely notice the lingering voice in the back of their mind saying 'was it worth it?' Many people today are afraid of committing to love, fearing an end to their comfort, or cringing at the thought of change. What difference does it make? If you don't even attempt to love someone, then you'll spend your days wondering if you missed your chance. You wind up crying into your beer at the end of the day. You'll look at yourself in the mirror and lie, telling your reflection that it'll be ok, there's always tomorrow, plenty of fish in the sea. Bull.
We lie to ourselves everyday, and it's no wonder that we'll willing deceive ourselves about the one wonderful experience we could have for ourselves. We lie because it's beyond our control, beyond our capacity to grasp, and beyond our skill to cage. We wind up back at square one, because we never take it upon ourselves to take the chance to love, fearing failure, afraid the other will not have the same random emotion at the exact same moment. But how can we be certain? Failure comes automatically when you risk nothing. You fail at love when you don't put your heart on the line, and we see that reaction everywhere. Lonely people.
It's no wonder that the world is in the state that it is today. Too many people wandering about convinced their lives are worthless, and looking to increase the misery by torturing one another to alleviate their own problems. Love each other dammit! Until we can find more creative ways to function around one another, then love truly is the answer.
Have you ever sat down and thought about why you love something or someone? Did you ever look into the eyes of your lover and ask 'Why do I love you?' Love is something for which there is no true answer. You could chalk it up to a number of things, but none of them could ever encompass that which drives us to great lengths to achieve it. It could never explain why we're so irrational when it's involved. I've always stated, and known no greater truth than the fact that we never choose love, but love chooses us. Trying to explain why this is is like trying to nail a house fly to the wall with a watergun. If emotion is irrationality, then love is absolute insanity and we're all insane at some point.
I've often wondered what the world would be like without love, and the answer is always the same. It would end up as a cold and worthless place, haunted by beings of questionable worth and life. Perilous and without content, people would cease to be human, and become shells without potential. We would have no causes to strive for, and no reason for being. As a civilization we would fade into black because there would be no reason to continue to exist. Horrible. Why do we have children? In modern society it really doesn't matter if love is there, because of the whole fable that we should just be able to screw like rabbits without consequence. Truthfully though doesn't that end up being worthless in itself? Most people are in it just for that momentary rush of hormones into their bloodstream to make them feel wonderful, and rarely notice the lingering voice in the back of their mind saying 'was it worth it?' Many people today are afraid of committing to love, fearing an end to their comfort, or cringing at the thought of change. What difference does it make? If you don't even attempt to love someone, then you'll spend your days wondering if you missed your chance. You wind up crying into your beer at the end of the day. You'll look at yourself in the mirror and lie, telling your reflection that it'll be ok, there's always tomorrow, plenty of fish in the sea. Bull.
We lie to ourselves everyday, and it's no wonder that we'll willing deceive ourselves about the one wonderful experience we could have for ourselves. We lie because it's beyond our control, beyond our capacity to grasp, and beyond our skill to cage. We wind up back at square one, because we never take it upon ourselves to take the chance to love, fearing failure, afraid the other will not have the same random emotion at the exact same moment. But how can we be certain? Failure comes automatically when you risk nothing. You fail at love when you don't put your heart on the line, and we see that reaction everywhere. Lonely people.
It's no wonder that the world is in the state that it is today. Too many people wandering about convinced their lives are worthless, and looking to increase the misery by torturing one another to alleviate their own problems. Love each other dammit! Until we can find more creative ways to function around one another, then love truly is the answer.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I want a spaceship
Yep. You heard me. Spaceship. And not one of those sub orbital jobbies like Virgin Galactic is working on, or even a space shuttle. I want an intergalactic cruiser, capable of traversing the stars just like in the movies, where it might take a day or two just to get from point A to point B lightyears away. Sounds like I watch Star Trek doesn't it? Well you would be right.
The inky blackness of space and all its infinitesimal beauty astounds me. If I had the brains to be one, I could most definitely be an astronomer, staring through the telescope late into the night watching the twinkling little dots which would seem inconsequential to the average Joe, but are truly the necessity of life. I have a broad enough imagination that lets me believe the idea that we are not alone in the universe, and that if we do find another race of beings, they might not be carbon based. They might not need water. They might eat rocks for all I know. But one thing I can't believe is that they would evolve without a star to call their own. Stars keep all kinds of raw materials in its grasp to use as the building blocks of life, and they also cradle worlds for that life to flourish on. Knowing that if you were to look at most of the exoplanet data we've collected so far, you would find that most worlds are inhospitable to us, and potentially to anyone else as well. But there are many within a reasonable range to their respective stars to have life grow on, and that life could be anything. Who are we to have a monopoly on life anyways? Our human arrogance since perceiving our mastery of our world has grown exponentially. However Mother Nature is a true environmentalist, and recycling is big for her. Even with all our technology, and grasp of the natural world, she spares no way of letting us know that she is still in charge. Her message can come from here on Earth in the form of typhoons and hurricanes, to earthquakes, and even snow storms, or it can come from outside the atmosphere. It would take nothing for her to wipe us out using a coronal mass ejection, a comet, or even an asteroid. A better likelihood would be that we would not see it until it was too late, and even if we did discover doom was upon us, what could we do about it?
To use a really poor analogy, our lives are like a Rugby game, and we have the ball. We have to bob and weave, push and shove to retain control of the bladder to make it to the other end. Otherwise the other team will take control and run with what we've earned by quick wits and brute force. Life in many ways is not about intellect but rather raw power and faster reactions. Right now we are the most advanced civilization we know about, but it really means nothing if we can't take the hit. We need to take the bladder and move it about, dodging the other galactic team, to make sure we can still be in the game. For that we'll need to use our wits, take some chances, and get that spaceship working. We've explored a lot of places here on Earth, and some on nearby planets, now we should start looking at what it takes to move our team into the big leagues.
So I want a spaceship to go traipsing about the galaxy looking for a new place to hang my hat. Maybe I can start a bar on some distant asteroid so I can serve drinks to wandering explorers looking for their own piece of wonder.
The inky blackness of space and all its infinitesimal beauty astounds me. If I had the brains to be one, I could most definitely be an astronomer, staring through the telescope late into the night watching the twinkling little dots which would seem inconsequential to the average Joe, but are truly the necessity of life. I have a broad enough imagination that lets me believe the idea that we are not alone in the universe, and that if we do find another race of beings, they might not be carbon based. They might not need water. They might eat rocks for all I know. But one thing I can't believe is that they would evolve without a star to call their own. Stars keep all kinds of raw materials in its grasp to use as the building blocks of life, and they also cradle worlds for that life to flourish on. Knowing that if you were to look at most of the exoplanet data we've collected so far, you would find that most worlds are inhospitable to us, and potentially to anyone else as well. But there are many within a reasonable range to their respective stars to have life grow on, and that life could be anything. Who are we to have a monopoly on life anyways? Our human arrogance since perceiving our mastery of our world has grown exponentially. However Mother Nature is a true environmentalist, and recycling is big for her. Even with all our technology, and grasp of the natural world, she spares no way of letting us know that she is still in charge. Her message can come from here on Earth in the form of typhoons and hurricanes, to earthquakes, and even snow storms, or it can come from outside the atmosphere. It would take nothing for her to wipe us out using a coronal mass ejection, a comet, or even an asteroid. A better likelihood would be that we would not see it until it was too late, and even if we did discover doom was upon us, what could we do about it?
To use a really poor analogy, our lives are like a Rugby game, and we have the ball. We have to bob and weave, push and shove to retain control of the bladder to make it to the other end. Otherwise the other team will take control and run with what we've earned by quick wits and brute force. Life in many ways is not about intellect but rather raw power and faster reactions. Right now we are the most advanced civilization we know about, but it really means nothing if we can't take the hit. We need to take the bladder and move it about, dodging the other galactic team, to make sure we can still be in the game. For that we'll need to use our wits, take some chances, and get that spaceship working. We've explored a lot of places here on Earth, and some on nearby planets, now we should start looking at what it takes to move our team into the big leagues.
So I want a spaceship to go traipsing about the galaxy looking for a new place to hang my hat. Maybe I can start a bar on some distant asteroid so I can serve drinks to wandering explorers looking for their own piece of wonder.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Holy Crap!!!
I'm sitting here watching, or rather listening to Bill Maher's excellent documentary Religulous, and something occurred to me. But occur is such a bland word to describe what had happened. The phrase I should have used was something 'shot me in the face with the gun of ridiculousness'. Either way.... I had realized that fundamentalist Christians are lazy. Yep. You heard me folks: lazy.
How can you deny it? Most people who are serious about their faith spend some time reading and potentially questioning their beliefs. From what I can see those who are fundamentalist Christians might have read the bible once, and then took it for what it said, and put it back in the motel nightstand. I have to wonder how much time they actually spend considering what is written in the 'good book', and how it applies to their lives. I wonder if they look at the argument against what they believe and consider it before allowing their faith to burn down the house of logic. Undeniably there are things which human being cannot understand, however we have learned so much that the possibility of God creating the earth in six days, Noah building an ark of wood and saving all the creatures of the Earth, and Jesus being born of a virgin just does not add up.... Unless it's intended as allegory. A myth designed to teach us an inner mystery, something we have not realized, from which we can grow to be better people. Well if you are a fundamentalist anything, it's likely that you can't see past the scriptures and scrolls, and reveal the mystery for yourself, because that would be too much work. I mean come ON! Faith is not meant to be so easy that you just have call up the Dial-A-Prayer hot line, get some washed out Reverend who couldn't make it on television, and suddenly BLAM! you're saved. You have to consider things....
Pagan faith for me is an absolute delight, because I do not carry the taint of other peoples belief structures. I read the stories that I can find, and various other bits of literature. I listen to what others have tried, and read articles others have written. I learn by myself, working my way through the struggle to attain what I believe I need, not what someone else thinks I should believe. When you are raised in a religious household you have a tendency to believe what is taught to you, and rarely question your beliefs. After all it's uncomfortable to question what's beyond your already established notions of how the world works. If anything you're more likely to become a non-believer and take an Atheist path, since it's far easier to remove your faith than to change it. That being said if you can overcome the odds and commit to changing your system of faith, then likely you will still carry over some shred of your former religion. The point is to take stock and go with what will help you to become happy, and a better person. Christianity has many good points, but the fundamentalists usual kill those thoughts once they open their mouths, spewing their rhetoric about sexuality, whose right and whose wrong, the end times and all the other little bits and pieces that really boil down to personal belief. Is it wrong to use birth control? Is it blasphemous to consider abortion? Did man descend from apes or was he created by God?
To examine your faith you have to sit down and start small. Take it a little bit at a time, and consider what is there and how it applies to you and your life. This isn't something that takes a week, or a month, or even a year. A life can be spent asking questions about personal nature, beliefs, and the meaning of God, and never be answered. Truly though there will be improvements on a personal level if you consider the impact that you as an individual have on the world and people around you. Just because someone wrote it down somewhere doesn't mean it is the literal truth. They wrote it for you to read and consider, and by considering examine what makes you you. If you take it as is where is, then the meaning is likely lost as are you.
So no matter what your faith is, or even if you have no faith whatsoever, at least sit down and consider this.
How can you deny it? Most people who are serious about their faith spend some time reading and potentially questioning their beliefs. From what I can see those who are fundamentalist Christians might have read the bible once, and then took it for what it said, and put it back in the motel nightstand. I have to wonder how much time they actually spend considering what is written in the 'good book', and how it applies to their lives. I wonder if they look at the argument against what they believe and consider it before allowing their faith to burn down the house of logic. Undeniably there are things which human being cannot understand, however we have learned so much that the possibility of God creating the earth in six days, Noah building an ark of wood and saving all the creatures of the Earth, and Jesus being born of a virgin just does not add up.... Unless it's intended as allegory. A myth designed to teach us an inner mystery, something we have not realized, from which we can grow to be better people. Well if you are a fundamentalist anything, it's likely that you can't see past the scriptures and scrolls, and reveal the mystery for yourself, because that would be too much work. I mean come ON! Faith is not meant to be so easy that you just have call up the Dial-A-Prayer hot line, get some washed out Reverend who couldn't make it on television, and suddenly BLAM! you're saved. You have to consider things....
Pagan faith for me is an absolute delight, because I do not carry the taint of other peoples belief structures. I read the stories that I can find, and various other bits of literature. I listen to what others have tried, and read articles others have written. I learn by myself, working my way through the struggle to attain what I believe I need, not what someone else thinks I should believe. When you are raised in a religious household you have a tendency to believe what is taught to you, and rarely question your beliefs. After all it's uncomfortable to question what's beyond your already established notions of how the world works. If anything you're more likely to become a non-believer and take an Atheist path, since it's far easier to remove your faith than to change it. That being said if you can overcome the odds and commit to changing your system of faith, then likely you will still carry over some shred of your former religion. The point is to take stock and go with what will help you to become happy, and a better person. Christianity has many good points, but the fundamentalists usual kill those thoughts once they open their mouths, spewing their rhetoric about sexuality, whose right and whose wrong, the end times and all the other little bits and pieces that really boil down to personal belief. Is it wrong to use birth control? Is it blasphemous to consider abortion? Did man descend from apes or was he created by God?
To examine your faith you have to sit down and start small. Take it a little bit at a time, and consider what is there and how it applies to you and your life. This isn't something that takes a week, or a month, or even a year. A life can be spent asking questions about personal nature, beliefs, and the meaning of God, and never be answered. Truly though there will be improvements on a personal level if you consider the impact that you as an individual have on the world and people around you. Just because someone wrote it down somewhere doesn't mean it is the literal truth. They wrote it for you to read and consider, and by considering examine what makes you you. If you take it as is where is, then the meaning is likely lost as are you.
So no matter what your faith is, or even if you have no faith whatsoever, at least sit down and consider this.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Whip It!
Yeah I went and saw the new Drew Barrymore movie today, and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed. When I saw the trailer for it a couple of days ago I could pretty much build the entire movie in my mind. When I saw it however my preconceived notions did not diminish the experience.
Whip It! is a story about a young girl in a small town in Texas who's life revolves around school/work/and the pageants her mother makes her attend. One day she gets a flier for a local roller derby match, and ends up falling in love with sport. Excitement, and hi-jinks ensue, climaxing in a roller derby championship. That's all I'll say about that though.... Ultimately there's all kinds of plot which I couldn't predict, and I was extremely and happily surprised. Drew Barrymore's directorial debut is without a doubt a refreshing work, with believable characters, and a girl power formula which is sufficed to say wonderfully liberating. Does that make me sound gay? Likely. Lucky for me though I'm not.
Ellen Page (Hey babe!) is quite possibly the best thing that has happened to the silver screen since it was first erected. Her character in Whip It! was down to earth, living through problems which most kids experience daily. Her enchantment with the sport of roller derby is genuinely portrayed, as if she herself had longed to strap on the skates and raise hell on the track. Her conflict to satisfy herself and those around her is an everyday experience which she takes to the next level with her talents. As well her performance is only further enhanced by the supporting cast around her, who fill out the movie like a double quarter pounder fills your stomach. Full to bursting with multifaceted talent which has yet to be fully realized.
To finish Whip It! was a phenomenal film that left me wanting to watch it again directly there after. I hope Ms. Barrymore's subsequent films will be just as worthwhile as this one was. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.
Now to finish my beer and get to bed. ;)
Whip It! is a story about a young girl in a small town in Texas who's life revolves around school/work/and the pageants her mother makes her attend. One day she gets a flier for a local roller derby match, and ends up falling in love with sport. Excitement, and hi-jinks ensue, climaxing in a roller derby championship. That's all I'll say about that though.... Ultimately there's all kinds of plot which I couldn't predict, and I was extremely and happily surprised. Drew Barrymore's directorial debut is without a doubt a refreshing work, with believable characters, and a girl power formula which is sufficed to say wonderfully liberating. Does that make me sound gay? Likely. Lucky for me though I'm not.
Ellen Page (Hey babe!) is quite possibly the best thing that has happened to the silver screen since it was first erected. Her character in Whip It! was down to earth, living through problems which most kids experience daily. Her enchantment with the sport of roller derby is genuinely portrayed, as if she herself had longed to strap on the skates and raise hell on the track. Her conflict to satisfy herself and those around her is an everyday experience which she takes to the next level with her talents. As well her performance is only further enhanced by the supporting cast around her, who fill out the movie like a double quarter pounder fills your stomach. Full to bursting with multifaceted talent which has yet to be fully realized.
To finish Whip It! was a phenomenal film that left me wanting to watch it again directly there after. I hope Ms. Barrymore's subsequent films will be just as worthwhile as this one was. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.
Now to finish my beer and get to bed. ;)
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