We are spoiled for choice. Cable companies offer hundreds of channels. Grocery stores contain thousands of products. Auto makers provide every car for every budget. We may feel that we have little time to choose but many decisions must be made on a daily basis. Recent articles I have read decry the fact that very few conglomerates create the majority of the products available in the retail market. They argue that so much of what could be manufactured is not and that we, the American public, suffer because of it. I think that life is hard enough with all the choices we have already.
I have no doubt that although many brands exist they are ultimately owned by a small handful of global companies. This is the nature of capitalism and I do not see the problem. Survival of the fittest is true whether we are talking about the jungle or the boardroom. And frankly there is not much of a difference between the two. In the long run I cannot see how the consumer is being denied anything. Take any category of retail spending and the options that exist are so many that even warehouse style stores cannot possibly carry them all.
Grocery stores may not have the exact brand you like but for every product there is always variety. Bookstores concentrate on what sells but if you look closely you will see tens of thousands of titles in a myriad of categories. As if the hundreds of channels on television were not enough we can now watch hundreds of shows on demand as well. Music and movies are the same. Whatever you can imagine can be bought or rented from sources as diverse as the Internet or at kiosks at grocery and drug stores. While it is true that our personal preferences may narrow our choices this does not diminish the panoply of all that we can enjoy if we so desired.
We are one of the richest nations in the world. Manufacturers and purveyors of every form of entertainment cater to almost every whim. If there is a buck to be made there is someone somewhere fulfilling that desire. If a niche is already being served there is an entrepreneur somewhere creating a new one. We are not lacking for choice. I still walk into large stores and feel my head spin as I take in the scene before me. We have more than our budgets or schedules will allow. If anything I wish that companies would produce a bit less and simplify the process a bit more.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Indian Death
The majority of Indians live in poverty. Many are employed in industries I mentioned in the previous post. There are two areas in particular, farming and waste management, that provide jobs yet involve great sickness and death. When one is poor, and has a family to support, any means of earning money is preferable to starvation. Why worry about tomorrow when today is by no means a sure thing?
Farming is one of the oldest professions. Feeding a family or a village is seen, not only as a noble pursuit, but also as integral to a society. In India, like in almost anywhere else in the world, farming has been taken over by large corporations. Agribusiness, as it is called, is a multi-billion dollar enterprise dominated by just a few corporate behemoths.
Most farmers in India have a small plot of land to cultivate, seed and grow crops. They usually only grow enough to feed their families and sell in local markets. The money earned helps to feed, clothe and send their children to school. As with any crop grown one must start with seed. It is the seed that is at the heart of the problem.
The agronomist knows that the only seed that is guaranteed to grow is that which has been genetically modified to do so. This seed does not come cheap. The subsistence farmer has already taken a loan out just to buy necessary farm implements such as a tractor. The seed, expensive as it is, must be purchased anew each season. Food grown from it will not produce viable seeds that can be replanted. Hence the need for a new supply each year.
As the seeds have been modified so too has the fertilizer. This must be purchased every year from local distributors. This is the method corporations use to ensure steady profits year after year. Their seed, their chemicals, their way. It does not take much to figure out that many poor farmers, caught up in this cycle of greed, are doomed to fail. Too often not enough money is earned to pay for the loan and the bank comes to repossess whatever that loan money paid for in the first place.
An alarming trend has developed because of this all too common scenario. Indian farmers, in their shame and disgrace, have committed suicide en masse. Some have ingested the fertilizer they could scarcely afford. Others have been found by their wives hanging from trees. Tens of thousands have taken their own lives since the 1990s when statistics began to be tabulated.
Some of these farmers grew foodstuffs, some farmed cotton for clothing, while others raised corn for use in mass-production. No matter what the crop was the farmer became caught in a genetically modified trap that they could never escape from. This is but one example of how enormous corporate profits have been made on the backs, and even on the graves, of those least able to fight back.
There is one other method that Indians use to eke out a living that causes death. Their demise does not come swiftly. It is a slow and painful process. It is one that makes suicide seem infinitely more humane. Much of the waste materials that we, the American people create, is hauled by boat to India to be sorted, processed and reused. Our trash ends up in giant heaps that poison the landscape as much as the populace.
Castoff computers are a good example of the types of trash Indians manage. Dismantling takes place in order to procure the trace minerals that can be smelted and resold. The danger lies in the method used. Large fires are set in order to burn off the plastic casings. Poisonous clouds fill the air as mercury, cadmium, arsenic and lead are inhaled by the scavengers. It does not take a rocket scientist to imagine all of the painful lingering diseases these workers contract. Whether death comes fast or slow it will inevitably arrive.
This is how poor many of these people are. They are so poor in fact that they must risk their health and well-being just for the chance that our trash might make them a few dollars. This is sad and this is sickening. I do not normally subscribe to the belief that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In this case though this saying seems less than trite.
Admittedly India is not the only country with these problems. There are more than a few nations which see large migrations of poor from the countrysides travel to the inner cities looking for greater opportunities. As these latest posts have shown India is by no means lacking the will to survive. The chances the poor have there to prosper are varied. It is the quality and sustainability of these chances that must begin to improve.
Farming is one of the oldest professions. Feeding a family or a village is seen, not only as a noble pursuit, but also as integral to a society. In India, like in almost anywhere else in the world, farming has been taken over by large corporations. Agribusiness, as it is called, is a multi-billion dollar enterprise dominated by just a few corporate behemoths.
Most farmers in India have a small plot of land to cultivate, seed and grow crops. They usually only grow enough to feed their families and sell in local markets. The money earned helps to feed, clothe and send their children to school. As with any crop grown one must start with seed. It is the seed that is at the heart of the problem.
The agronomist knows that the only seed that is guaranteed to grow is that which has been genetically modified to do so. This seed does not come cheap. The subsistence farmer has already taken a loan out just to buy necessary farm implements such as a tractor. The seed, expensive as it is, must be purchased anew each season. Food grown from it will not produce viable seeds that can be replanted. Hence the need for a new supply each year.
As the seeds have been modified so too has the fertilizer. This must be purchased every year from local distributors. This is the method corporations use to ensure steady profits year after year. Their seed, their chemicals, their way. It does not take much to figure out that many poor farmers, caught up in this cycle of greed, are doomed to fail. Too often not enough money is earned to pay for the loan and the bank comes to repossess whatever that loan money paid for in the first place.
An alarming trend has developed because of this all too common scenario. Indian farmers, in their shame and disgrace, have committed suicide en masse. Some have ingested the fertilizer they could scarcely afford. Others have been found by their wives hanging from trees. Tens of thousands have taken their own lives since the 1990s when statistics began to be tabulated.
Some of these farmers grew foodstuffs, some farmed cotton for clothing, while others raised corn for use in mass-production. No matter what the crop was the farmer became caught in a genetically modified trap that they could never escape from. This is but one example of how enormous corporate profits have been made on the backs, and even on the graves, of those least able to fight back.
There is one other method that Indians use to eke out a living that causes death. Their demise does not come swiftly. It is a slow and painful process. It is one that makes suicide seem infinitely more humane. Much of the waste materials that we, the American people create, is hauled by boat to India to be sorted, processed and reused. Our trash ends up in giant heaps that poison the landscape as much as the populace.
Castoff computers are a good example of the types of trash Indians manage. Dismantling takes place in order to procure the trace minerals that can be smelted and resold. The danger lies in the method used. Large fires are set in order to burn off the plastic casings. Poisonous clouds fill the air as mercury, cadmium, arsenic and lead are inhaled by the scavengers. It does not take a rocket scientist to imagine all of the painful lingering diseases these workers contract. Whether death comes fast or slow it will inevitably arrive.
This is how poor many of these people are. They are so poor in fact that they must risk their health and well-being just for the chance that our trash might make them a few dollars. This is sad and this is sickening. I do not normally subscribe to the belief that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In this case though this saying seems less than trite.
Admittedly India is not the only country with these problems. There are more than a few nations which see large migrations of poor from the countrysides travel to the inner cities looking for greater opportunities. As these latest posts have shown India is by no means lacking the will to survive. The chances the poor have there to prosper are varied. It is the quality and sustainability of these chances that must begin to improve.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Indian Labor
Outsourcing has become a dirty word. Since the signing of NAFTA there have been countless American jobs sent elsewhere. This may spell doom for our country or be a natural offshoot of globalization. Either way it is here to stay. The whole issue should not be a surprise as many retail products have been made in Asia for decades. What is interesting to note is the range of jobs that have been outsourced to India.
The first place that this outsourcing affects us is at the dinner table. Much of the farming in India is substantive yet not for the benefit of the local populace. Food grown there, in massive quantities, is for either of two purposes. Crops are cultivated for use as food additives, as in the case of corn, or more often for the formulation of bio-fuels. Farmers growing food for local use is rare as the cost of machinery and supplies is more than most families can afford.
As I mentioned there are many products we use that are made in Indian factories. Any place where the labor is cheap and regulation is lax becomes quite attractive to U.S. manufacturers. It is not just goods but services as well that have traveled overseas. Computer technology professionals are as skilled in India as any other developed country. Much of the computer code that is written for companies, large and small, is created by Indian workers. Let us not forget customer service positions. The calls we make to get help for any number of issues are routinely answered by those employed in overseas call centers.
These jobs that are performed by non-U.S. citizens are really no surprise. Anyone who reads a newspaper should be quite familiar with these realities of global capitalism. There are a few other jobs that have been co-opted by our Indian brethren that you may not be familiar with. It is these that concern me the most. When safety and human rights are trumped by those looking to make a quick buck, or save one, alarms should go off in the minds of thinking individuals.
Surgery, regardless for which body part, is an expensive proposition. Even those whom have insurance may spend more out-of-pocket than they can afford. Hospitals in India are more than happy therefore to offer their professional medical services at rates that severely undercut their American counterparts. In some cases the necessary surgery involves replacement of a failing organ. While waiting lists for donors grows ever longer here there are Indian citizens willing to sell their organs for a nominal fee.
What may shock and appall is the booming surrogacy business in India. Women who willingly sign up offer their bodies as incubators for infertile Americans. Couples here whom cannot conceive via natural methods can travel abroad and have their eggs implanted in willing surrogates who get paid upwards of $15,000 U.S. The women there are quarantined in dorm-like rooms for the full gestational period where they are monitored and kept healthy. They receive no visitors and are not allowed to take even one step outside.
I do not know how to feel about these issues. I understand certain fiscal realities dominate the retail landscape. Goods and services will always be offered by whatever country makes it easy and affordable for the business owner. When we talk about human beings and their bodies I get worried. Medical services do not come cheap no matter where one may reside. Placing a figurative price tag on a human body, be it for parts or for the whole, is demeaning. When we are told to value life in all its forms I do not think we are meant to take it literally.
The first place that this outsourcing affects us is at the dinner table. Much of the farming in India is substantive yet not for the benefit of the local populace. Food grown there, in massive quantities, is for either of two purposes. Crops are cultivated for use as food additives, as in the case of corn, or more often for the formulation of bio-fuels. Farmers growing food for local use is rare as the cost of machinery and supplies is more than most families can afford.
As I mentioned there are many products we use that are made in Indian factories. Any place where the labor is cheap and regulation is lax becomes quite attractive to U.S. manufacturers. It is not just goods but services as well that have traveled overseas. Computer technology professionals are as skilled in India as any other developed country. Much of the computer code that is written for companies, large and small, is created by Indian workers. Let us not forget customer service positions. The calls we make to get help for any number of issues are routinely answered by those employed in overseas call centers.
These jobs that are performed by non-U.S. citizens are really no surprise. Anyone who reads a newspaper should be quite familiar with these realities of global capitalism. There are a few other jobs that have been co-opted by our Indian brethren that you may not be familiar with. It is these that concern me the most. When safety and human rights are trumped by those looking to make a quick buck, or save one, alarms should go off in the minds of thinking individuals.
Surgery, regardless for which body part, is an expensive proposition. Even those whom have insurance may spend more out-of-pocket than they can afford. Hospitals in India are more than happy therefore to offer their professional medical services at rates that severely undercut their American counterparts. In some cases the necessary surgery involves replacement of a failing organ. While waiting lists for donors grows ever longer here there are Indian citizens willing to sell their organs for a nominal fee.
What may shock and appall is the booming surrogacy business in India. Women who willingly sign up offer their bodies as incubators for infertile Americans. Couples here whom cannot conceive via natural methods can travel abroad and have their eggs implanted in willing surrogates who get paid upwards of $15,000 U.S. The women there are quarantined in dorm-like rooms for the full gestational period where they are monitored and kept healthy. They receive no visitors and are not allowed to take even one step outside.
I do not know how to feel about these issues. I understand certain fiscal realities dominate the retail landscape. Goods and services will always be offered by whatever country makes it easy and affordable for the business owner. When we talk about human beings and their bodies I get worried. Medical services do not come cheap no matter where one may reside. Placing a figurative price tag on a human body, be it for parts or for the whole, is demeaning. When we are told to value life in all its forms I do not think we are meant to take it literally.
Friday, May 14, 2010
A Few Random Thoughts
Just a reminder to all: My new blog is called Dan Kravitz and contains objective article length posts that I write on a weekly basis.
Over the years I have worked with individuals whom have bragged about how good they were with children. They would exclaim that they just loved kids. What I inevitably discovered was that their temperament and demeanor was not conducive to winning over children's' trust. Fear is no way to get a child to fall in line. Another thing I discovered was that, despite my lack of experience with children, I have gotten a much better response from them whenever we interact. I have never proclaimed myself to be good with kids and I certainly have none of my own. The lesson I discovered is two-fold. Never patronize a child and always speak to them on their level. This philosophy has rarely failed me in my efforts to connect with anyone underage.
People protest en masse, all over the world, for any type of perceived injustice. Some feel that it is their job to incite violence or to instigate mass looting of innocent business owners' stores. Most peaceful protesters simply stand around with like-minded people and hold up signs with pithy slogans. I have to wonder though how much their efforts help their cause or whether they ever intended change in the first place. The more likely motivation for many of these soap box standers is nothing more than fulfilling their innate need for self-satisfaction. They stand there with smug affects, attitudes of superiority and a goal of nothing more than a display of self-righteousness. Their egos rather than selflessness is what brings so many together in the first place.
I have never tried to hide the fact that I have seen various types of therapists over the years. There have been many so-called "professionals" whose job has been to label my issues and guide me to a workable solution. In reality very few were able to be of any assistance whatsoever. The few that did help me were the ones who took the time to get to know me as a person and deal with me on that basis rather than as a walking diagnosis. Two statements seemed to reoccur with alarming frequency during my various counseling sessions. It was as if all of these people attended the same school of pseudo-psychology.
The first bit of advice offered was that I must get rid of my baggage. They were not referring to my fabulous set of leather luggage made by Samsonite with a retail price of... but I digress. I must have been channeling Bob Barker for a moment. No they were talking about my baggage as in emotional. Some actually used the term baggage, some mentioned luggage while other less articulate individuals simply called it my "shit." No one could see it but they were damn sure I took it everywhere with me. Their solution to this carry-on problem? They had none. But they assured me that if they had a magic wand they would surely wave it over me and make everything alright. Unfortunately for me they just as quickly disabused me of the notion of their therapeutic wand and destroyed the equally imaginary faith I had in their abilities.
Over the years I have worked with individuals whom have bragged about how good they were with children. They would exclaim that they just loved kids. What I inevitably discovered was that their temperament and demeanor was not conducive to winning over children's' trust. Fear is no way to get a child to fall in line. Another thing I discovered was that, despite my lack of experience with children, I have gotten a much better response from them whenever we interact. I have never proclaimed myself to be good with kids and I certainly have none of my own. The lesson I discovered is two-fold. Never patronize a child and always speak to them on their level. This philosophy has rarely failed me in my efforts to connect with anyone underage.
People protest en masse, all over the world, for any type of perceived injustice. Some feel that it is their job to incite violence or to instigate mass looting of innocent business owners' stores. Most peaceful protesters simply stand around with like-minded people and hold up signs with pithy slogans. I have to wonder though how much their efforts help their cause or whether they ever intended change in the first place. The more likely motivation for many of these soap box standers is nothing more than fulfilling their innate need for self-satisfaction. They stand there with smug affects, attitudes of superiority and a goal of nothing more than a display of self-righteousness. Their egos rather than selflessness is what brings so many together in the first place.
I have never tried to hide the fact that I have seen various types of therapists over the years. There have been many so-called "professionals" whose job has been to label my issues and guide me to a workable solution. In reality very few were able to be of any assistance whatsoever. The few that did help me were the ones who took the time to get to know me as a person and deal with me on that basis rather than as a walking diagnosis. Two statements seemed to reoccur with alarming frequency during my various counseling sessions. It was as if all of these people attended the same school of pseudo-psychology.
The first bit of advice offered was that I must get rid of my baggage. They were not referring to my fabulous set of leather luggage made by Samsonite with a retail price of... but I digress. I must have been channeling Bob Barker for a moment. No they were talking about my baggage as in emotional. Some actually used the term baggage, some mentioned luggage while other less articulate individuals simply called it my "shit." No one could see it but they were damn sure I took it everywhere with me. Their solution to this carry-on problem? They had none. But they assured me that if they had a magic wand they would surely wave it over me and make everything alright. Unfortunately for me they just as quickly disabused me of the notion of their therapeutic wand and destroyed the equally imaginary faith I had in their abilities.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Supreme Ignorance
A corporation is not a person. It can neither breathe nor can it vote. Common sense tells me this is so. Apparently though the highest court in the land disagrees. According to a recent vote of 5 to 4 a corporate entity has the right to donate large sums of cash to any and all politicians, no matter what office they hold and regardless if they are incumbents or not. This decision by the majority of the nine wise souls in Washington is based upon nothing more than a blind adherence to their political ideology.
I would like to be more optimistic about the judge's motivations but their decision defies all reason in my book. Let me mention the one and only one reason I can see for corporations to be allowed to act as individuals. It is true, of course, that what politicians do may affect, either positively or negatively, corporate profits. This cannot be sufficient cause for the court's ruling. The overwhelming harm that this decision will cause outweighs the one pro argument I mentioned above.
The whole idea behind voting is that each is no more or less important than any other. One person gets one vote. What could be more fair? Even when individuals donate money to various candidates there is a limit to how much and how often. Realistically one citizen cannot sway an election any more than another. The supreme court has radically changed what was, to quote Fox News, a fair and balanced process. Corporate powers may now dip into ever growing war chests to virtually ensure their choices are either elected to or remain in their respective offices.
This goes against everything the founding fathers held sacred. In no way did they intend that just because a company grew so large and employed so many that they would somehow be entitled to a separate set of rights from their own employees. Capitalism is a fine thing which enables much of the higher quality of life we all enjoy. I do not have a problem with any company's growth no matter how large. What I see as so abhorrent is the idea that a company, made up of people, is somehow ascribed rights as if it were a person.
The truth of the matter is that, even when a corporation spends its money, it is only the few at the top who get to decide how it is allocated. It is not as if each employee gets to have a say in the matter. It is quite possible that the people whom a corporation support politically may be detrimental to the very people that helped to create profit in the first place. This is how it has always been. Those at the top of the ladder care about those underneath insofar as they continue to help to keep them at the top. This may seem cynical but I cannot be sanguine toward the issue of more money equals more power. It is from this that inequality is borne.
I truly believe that the majority decision of the court was nothing more than giving the members of the Republican party what they wanted. Little thought was put into the decision as those who put them on the court were appeased. This is political partisanship at its worst. There has been a feeling by many, with various court decisions as evidence, that most of the court's pronouncements are being divided along party lines. It is true that many landmark cases heard by the highest court have helped to right many of society's wrongs. In this case though they have done the opposite by legalizing and legitimizing a new form of inequality.
I would like to be more optimistic about the judge's motivations but their decision defies all reason in my book. Let me mention the one and only one reason I can see for corporations to be allowed to act as individuals. It is true, of course, that what politicians do may affect, either positively or negatively, corporate profits. This cannot be sufficient cause for the court's ruling. The overwhelming harm that this decision will cause outweighs the one pro argument I mentioned above.
The whole idea behind voting is that each is no more or less important than any other. One person gets one vote. What could be more fair? Even when individuals donate money to various candidates there is a limit to how much and how often. Realistically one citizen cannot sway an election any more than another. The supreme court has radically changed what was, to quote Fox News, a fair and balanced process. Corporate powers may now dip into ever growing war chests to virtually ensure their choices are either elected to or remain in their respective offices.
This goes against everything the founding fathers held sacred. In no way did they intend that just because a company grew so large and employed so many that they would somehow be entitled to a separate set of rights from their own employees. Capitalism is a fine thing which enables much of the higher quality of life we all enjoy. I do not have a problem with any company's growth no matter how large. What I see as so abhorrent is the idea that a company, made up of people, is somehow ascribed rights as if it were a person.
The truth of the matter is that, even when a corporation spends its money, it is only the few at the top who get to decide how it is allocated. It is not as if each employee gets to have a say in the matter. It is quite possible that the people whom a corporation support politically may be detrimental to the very people that helped to create profit in the first place. This is how it has always been. Those at the top of the ladder care about those underneath insofar as they continue to help to keep them at the top. This may seem cynical but I cannot be sanguine toward the issue of more money equals more power. It is from this that inequality is borne.
I truly believe that the majority decision of the court was nothing more than giving the members of the Republican party what they wanted. Little thought was put into the decision as those who put them on the court were appeased. This is political partisanship at its worst. There has been a feeling by many, with various court decisions as evidence, that most of the court's pronouncements are being divided along party lines. It is true that many landmark cases heard by the highest court have helped to right many of society's wrongs. In this case though they have done the opposite by legalizing and legitimizing a new form of inequality.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Faith
I am reading a new book. It is filled with philosophical conundrums. The introduction compares philosophy to religion. The argument is that the former can be justified where the latter cannot. Over the years I have read this assertion in reference to many areas of study. Every group of thinking individuals places their interests above religion. They argue that faith is unscientific and therefore less than worthy of serious consideration.
It is true that religion and faith are intertwined. While many intellectuals disapprove of religion in its many forms, they also by proxy, damn the concept of faith as well. This is patently unfair. No matter what one believes in, no matter the area of science or humanities, faith is part of the equation. Belief in what we espouse is a given or why else would we think it or say it?
Faith is not solely a religious concept. I have faith I will wake up in the morning and that wild elephants will not trample me once I do. I am simply tired of being told that logic and reason are somehow concrete and yet faith is the lifeboat that the simple minded hang on to. No matter what we do or think or say there will always be an element of belief.
Believing in yourself and in your abilities is not a human failing. All of these brilliant minds in various fields should know this. Why is it so dangerous to mix what one can prove with what one cannot? Seeing and believing, no matter how persuasive the argument, requires some amount of faith. This should not be a dirty word.
I am not trying to prop up religion nor defend it from attackers. My assertion is that faith is universal. Are we so cocksure that our ability to think and behave reasonably is infallible? Of course not. What we learn so often changes or is replaced with new information. There are always limits to what we can and do know. The best we can do is take things with a grain of salt and be prepared to change our minds.
It is true that religion and faith are intertwined. While many intellectuals disapprove of religion in its many forms, they also by proxy, damn the concept of faith as well. This is patently unfair. No matter what one believes in, no matter the area of science or humanities, faith is part of the equation. Belief in what we espouse is a given or why else would we think it or say it?
Faith is not solely a religious concept. I have faith I will wake up in the morning and that wild elephants will not trample me once I do. I am simply tired of being told that logic and reason are somehow concrete and yet faith is the lifeboat that the simple minded hang on to. No matter what we do or think or say there will always be an element of belief.
Believing in yourself and in your abilities is not a human failing. All of these brilliant minds in various fields should know this. Why is it so dangerous to mix what one can prove with what one cannot? Seeing and believing, no matter how persuasive the argument, requires some amount of faith. This should not be a dirty word.
I am not trying to prop up religion nor defend it from attackers. My assertion is that faith is universal. Are we so cocksure that our ability to think and behave reasonably is infallible? Of course not. What we learn so often changes or is replaced with new information. There are always limits to what we can and do know. The best we can do is take things with a grain of salt and be prepared to change our minds.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Nature Of Time
The concept of time is subjective. We have inner clocks that affect us physically. Waking before the alarm or feeling jet leg after a plane ride are two examples. Mentally we feel time rather than intellectually track it. When having fun time flies by. Waiting in a dentist's chair seems like an eternity. Various mechanisms measure time in an exacting fashion but our minds handle it in a way that cannot be quantified.
Our past is filled with emotions. We tend to either romanticize that which was pleasurable or mourn that which was painful. Learning lessons comes from past actions. Some of us forget while others replay certain scenes over and over. Defining what qualifies as the past is a difficult proposition. Every second that passes, by its very nature, becomes the past. Where is the line of demarcation between the past and present?
This brings us to the next period. Here and now means different things to different people. This day, this week or this month may be the present depending upon whom you ask. What is current is known as the present be it one day or one decade. An old adage encourages us to live in the moment. I do not think that this is at all possible. The only way to relive an experience is to allow our minds to see it as the past. Maybe the only purpose of present events is to give us experiences to look back upon. This gives humans a sense of meaning and continuity.
The time that goes by during any experience is short yet these memories take on a life of their own. We can see them again and again in our mind's eye. In this way we can relive any interaction to our heart's desire. How we view these mental movies is tempered by experience and knowledge we have acquired since the date of the original. We tend to frame our past experiences in terms of present attitudes, circumstances and emotional states.
The line between the past and present is blurred. We need to be here today yet we still feel from our yesterday. It is natural to learn from the past and wish to make tomorrow better by the choices we make in the present. This planning, this hoping, causes us to look to the unknown which is the future. Try as we might we cannot know what tomorrow will bring. Our best laid plans are often compromised by the uncertainty of future events. It is impossible to account for all possible permutations and results of our own actions let alone the actions of others.
It is little comfort to me that we can measure time, almost control it, in a mechanical fashion. The reality is that I cannot conceive of time before I existed. The meaning of eternity is just as elusive. The closest that any of us can come to fully grasping the truth of our lives in relation to the cosmos is the calendar. A calendar is the one thing that so clearly represents the past, present and future. I only wish that I could wrap my mind around the concept of time as easily. That is probably about as likely as another person wrapping their mind around this post.
Our past is filled with emotions. We tend to either romanticize that which was pleasurable or mourn that which was painful. Learning lessons comes from past actions. Some of us forget while others replay certain scenes over and over. Defining what qualifies as the past is a difficult proposition. Every second that passes, by its very nature, becomes the past. Where is the line of demarcation between the past and present?
This brings us to the next period. Here and now means different things to different people. This day, this week or this month may be the present depending upon whom you ask. What is current is known as the present be it one day or one decade. An old adage encourages us to live in the moment. I do not think that this is at all possible. The only way to relive an experience is to allow our minds to see it as the past. Maybe the only purpose of present events is to give us experiences to look back upon. This gives humans a sense of meaning and continuity.
The time that goes by during any experience is short yet these memories take on a life of their own. We can see them again and again in our mind's eye. In this way we can relive any interaction to our heart's desire. How we view these mental movies is tempered by experience and knowledge we have acquired since the date of the original. We tend to frame our past experiences in terms of present attitudes, circumstances and emotional states.
The line between the past and present is blurred. We need to be here today yet we still feel from our yesterday. It is natural to learn from the past and wish to make tomorrow better by the choices we make in the present. This planning, this hoping, causes us to look to the unknown which is the future. Try as we might we cannot know what tomorrow will bring. Our best laid plans are often compromised by the uncertainty of future events. It is impossible to account for all possible permutations and results of our own actions let alone the actions of others.
It is little comfort to me that we can measure time, almost control it, in a mechanical fashion. The reality is that I cannot conceive of time before I existed. The meaning of eternity is just as elusive. The closest that any of us can come to fully grasping the truth of our lives in relation to the cosmos is the calendar. A calendar is the one thing that so clearly represents the past, present and future. I only wish that I could wrap my mind around the concept of time as easily. That is probably about as likely as another person wrapping their mind around this post.
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