A Question of Balance

"Preoccupation with the self has always seemed to me unhealthy." ~ Eric Hoffer

One of the blessings of childhood is its simplicity. We are not encumbered by all the cares and complications of the larger world around us. Our responsibilities are limited to being home for supper or by bedtime. At least, in this country such was my lot. (I realize in other war ravaged areas, such is not always the good fortune of the young.)

Becoming older means becoming more conscious of the wider world, and more aware of the needs of others. Maturity, growing up, is directly tied to responsibility.

In my experience, some facets of religion can derail one from this road to maturity. There are certain schools of thought, in Christianity, where the emphasis on personal holiness is such that it utterly paralyzes earnest seekers of God. Instead of being angry about an injustice, for example, they might focus instead on how wrong they were to be angry.

The preoccupation with self leads them to a withdrawal from the world, instead of engagement.

This is not to say we are to ignore being self-aware. But to live in this world means to dialogue with it, to participate in it, and to make a contribution toward making it a better place. We're not children any more. Let's go out and make a difference.

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More on IdeaSpotting

"Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind." ~ Samuel Johnson

Sam Harrison's IdeaSpotting is as good as I anticipated. The approach to the material is itself handled creatively. The pages are designed in an original manner. It is not a typical "book" in the send of having only words on the pages. Every page is a new layout, appealing to the eye, though thematically it holds together and does not interfere with the message.

On page 25 the heading is, "Open your mind, and people will show you what's on their minds." He quotes Clint Eastwood: "Once you feel you know everything, you're done. You're either repetitive or boring, or both."

This notion reminded me of my college days when we'd sit or lie around on the college green at Ohio University talking about the meaning of life. There was this one fellow there who always said the same thing. "We're born, we procreate, and then we die." The first time he said it was cool, it seemed sort of a nugget to chew on. He had a professorial attitude, deep voice, beard and avante gard dark shades with turtleneck look. On another occasion we were discussing something and he was there. The only words he spoke were, "We're born, we procreate, and then we die." Months later, again the same.

Evidently he had had a profound LSD experience and "figured out the universe" and knew all he needed to know, because he'd definitely become repetitive and boring. The "cool" mystique that we originally saw in him never went beyond being a veneer. He was a guy you couldn't get to know. And he never got to know us. He was as interesting as a one trick pony.

If we want to learn new things, we need to explore the world around us, and inside others... to listen and hear and see in new ways. Ask questions. Pay attention. And "maybe even eavesdrop." There are new things to discover all around you. This is the fodder for new ideas. And underneath it all you may even hear gentle rumbles of the voice of God.

Carpe Diem

Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these:
It might have been. ~ Whittier

To my family's chagrin and horror, I have taken up an interest in stand up comedy. It's undoubtedly just a phase, but for the time being it has been personally rewarding to step up to the challenge. True, I am no Cosby or Steve Martin or George Carlin, but then again, they're not me either.

The photo here is yours truly, on stage, at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa. I have no illusions about what I am doing, but each time I feel a bit more comfortable. Good warm crowd that seemed engaged.

Maybe you have a secret interest that you want to pursue. Writing poetry or songs, making sculpture, playing a new instrument, riding a motorcycle, taking up a new hobby, taking a trip to somewhere exotic, perform in a play... It all starts with a dream. And you'll never know where it ends till you give up.

It's your life. Make it happen.