Now!

In times like we face today, as with every day, there are experiences that happen to us that have important lessons to teach us. Some experiences offer us choices like those having to do with our relationships to others. We can nurture relationships we feel good about and cut off those we don’t want. Or, if the relationship is important to us for any number of reasons we do what’s necessary to maintain it. Working with a controlling boss is an example. If it’s how we make a living we do what we have to do in order to protect ourselves or our source of income. The point to be made is that most experiences are loaded with lessons; some we need to learn so that we are better prepared for tomorrow. Other lessons, valuable or not, simply pass by us to be repeated again and again. We either refuse to learn or are unconscious to the value being presented.

The question is not “are our experiences full of potential value?” The great majority of us would agree that we become what we become thanks to our experiences. But do we eagerly learn from them or are too many lessons forced upon us? I would rather that I choose to learn and seek out the lessons. Life tells us that this is simply not the truth for the majority, or why do we continue to relate to each other as we do? 

We live on a relatively small planet with limited resources and we must know that problems with our environment and resources are only getting worse for all of us. Yet, instead of cooperation and making the best of a worsening situation we remain in competition and conflict with each other; and so my concern and this paper.

Humans live in the NOW. It is that simple a truth. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is yet to come. Dinosaurs lived millions of years and yet in a moment the earth and many of its living inhabitants were destroyed. It can happen again and humanity is so unable to do anything about this. We witness this almost every day when some event, be it Fire, Earthquake, Hurricane and now the Corona Virus hits humanity. How fragile humanity is when it comes to dealing with nature. 

So what’s the lesson thrown in our face by the Corona Virus experience? The same lesson almost every non-beingevent has for us. Live in the NOW. Be present for yourself and those you love and relate to.    

Also, why do I highlight Non-Being? I do so because there is a world of difference between us beings and the non-being world that surrounds us and for the most part controls our destiny. Here there is no conscience, no thought, no being. All it is are events that happen and we humans suffer or benefit. 

We humans exist only in the NOW. We know there was a past we call our history. We can only hope that we learned from those many experiences. Maybe the most important of lessons? We are alive and live NOW. Make the most of it.         Sy

Haiku: Time irrelevant————-Now is all we really have————Enjoy the moment

Love each other now—————Saving for tomorrow, why?———–all we have is now.  

Individual—The Diamond We Each Are

We are each unique and must do all that we are able to maintain and even enrich our specialness. In cooperation with this we are also required to be part of others we call “society.”  Both are demanding challenges that begin early in our lives and rarely are the two opposing forces receptive to cooperation.

Uniqueness comes first to us and at its roots is never diminished, but society is so powerful that its influence begins its task of shaping each of us very early in our life. In almost a hopeless battle society as led by our parents, family, teachers, friends and leaders pressures us to become what they have in mind for us to be 

  1. If our immediate teachers themselves honor their uniqueness they will nurture this in their children. In this case what comes naturally is strengthened and the child becomes more themselves than what society expects of them.  If, on the other hand, our initial teachers are themselves attached to society to the point where their uniqueness is mostly non-existent they will force this upon their children.  And the children will become their parents.
  2. Being one’s uniqueness’ is not a serious societal problem unless the individual lives so out of society’s boundaries that what they do and how they live endangers those around them.
  3. Today we have the considerable danger of the Corona Virus encircling the world. It is an almost perfect example of what I’m writing here. All countries are asked to take certain precautions that severely restrict its population. Wear a mask; stay at least six feet from others, stay home, avoid others,  schools, many businesses, restaurants, etc. are closed.  The whole world is at risk so its societies are reacting. Individuals are being told what to do and how to live.  
  4. Here is the perfect example of the society at large imposing restrictions on those who would fight for their independence and uniqueness and that they must adhere to what society demands.
  5. Here I present a possible scenario: Those that have given in to not being themselves as children adapt easily to the demands society makes on them.  Those that have fought dearly for their individual rights must now adhere to what the society asked of them.  Most will because what is being asked is so obvious. Some will not and may suffer the consequences. Only time and events will tell.
  6.  There is a time for individual rights to be fought for. There is a time when compliance to the general requirements of living in a world with others and limited resources brings the necessity

for all people to live and care for each other. Is that time being announced today? Sy

Haiku: 

Why do we not learn?———Experience is our gift———if we learn from it.

I need to be me———–you need to be you, also————why not help others.

Unique is a gift————-so give it to one and all————-More where that comes from.

Strange times that we must learn from

Lenette and I are spending our time like so many others accept in 800 sq ft not the 2200 we recently moved from. Actually we are doing fine, but like everyone else we look forward to getting through this

The changes we are going through include learning more about the technology we’ve tended to avoid. Using i-pad is one example and a fuller use of our computer is another. The events that are on-going make the need for communication without being face to face a necessity of our daily lives. Our living in the senior complex gave us the new experience of meeting people our age; never happened before since our world almost always had to do with youth and young professionals and entrepreneurs. So this has been a new experience and we have no desire to have this be diminished and which brings us to our need for better use of technology. We are doing this, but know that we look forward to the old fashioned way of being together, face to face, and enjoying each other.

Technologies of almost every kind are the younger generation’s necessity. Cell-phones and other devices are attached to them way beyond the tools most of us seniors considered essential. Seniors are increasingly using technology to stay connected to family and friends. Also as a family picture album and scrap book carried in their back pocket.  In any case, the differences between generations are increasing. Not surprising. 

The purpose of this paper is not about any of the preceding. It’s about what follows: I have plenty of time to read, write and think so the result is my sitting at the computer and letting my fingers do the talking. I may or may not have a motive when I begin to write, but by allowing head and fingers to flow what results is a paper and a few Haikus.

Relative to this and making a contribution to my creative endeavor I invite you to suggest a topic I might write on.  The subjects I feel most prepared to deal with: Power, Leadership, Relationships, Communication, Dialogue as opposed to Monologue and related subjects.  

Obviously, nothing is happening (yet) with the initial idea that people write half page and I answer them as if we are in dialogue.  So I think the next best thing is that we do this using email as our format. If you do write a half page, or even a loaded sentence just send it on and after my few words I’ll forward what we do together. If it produces responses we’ll have something to continue a chain of opinions. In this case, dealing with my stuff is not necessary. Open to any subject but we will avoid the heat politics is sure to produce.      Sy

Haiku:  Each moment means what?———It means opportunity———–It is lost or used.

Time is given me————–I choose to waste none of it————-So I swing the bat

I strike out often————-So what, if I do my best—————–A  lesson to learn.

Life is so fragile—————We know this for what it means———Therefore play a part.    Sy