The world is shredded. Here in America we glorify fragmentation, segmentation, compartmentalization. Everything is done in blocks of time that have nothing to do with the natural rhythms of human needs and desires. I have given up on trying to find a group of friends with whom I can do everything. I have resolved myself to having tennis "friends" and volleyball "friends" and movie "friends" and eating out "friends" and museum "friends" and bookstore "friends". It was a marvel to see the look of disorientation on the face of one of my tennis "friends" when I suggested that we see a movie. No one really cares anymore about what is going on with the bigger picture in the company as long as their little cubicle is working as it should be. I guess this explains how the privileged in America can waste inordinate amounts of energy debating whether or not David Hernandez should be sent home from American Idol for his stripper past and at the same time be absolutely clueless that inordinate swathes of the globe are mired in social, political and economic turmoil. The Democratic National Party was vehement that no funds would go to support do-over elections in Florida and Michigan. "We've got to use our resources to win the national election." This is broken thinking beyond repair. Do they not realize that the Democrats won't win the White House without the support of Democratic voters in Florida and Michigan? What the world needs now are individuals who can see the big picture and understand how all the details dovetail to create that picture. Someone whose vision is broad enough to encompass everything and everyone. Where are the visionaries? When do we stop denying that part of ourselves that longs to come together as one? Or are we too mad to find the way back out of oblivion?
Friday, March 7, 2008
Who Can Put the Pieces Together?
The world is shredded. Here in America we glorify fragmentation, segmentation, compartmentalization. Everything is done in blocks of time that have nothing to do with the natural rhythms of human needs and desires. I have given up on trying to find a group of friends with whom I can do everything. I have resolved myself to having tennis "friends" and volleyball "friends" and movie "friends" and eating out "friends" and museum "friends" and bookstore "friends". It was a marvel to see the look of disorientation on the face of one of my tennis "friends" when I suggested that we see a movie. No one really cares anymore about what is going on with the bigger picture in the company as long as their little cubicle is working as it should be. I guess this explains how the privileged in America can waste inordinate amounts of energy debating whether or not David Hernandez should be sent home from American Idol for his stripper past and at the same time be absolutely clueless that inordinate swathes of the globe are mired in social, political and economic turmoil. The Democratic National Party was vehement that no funds would go to support do-over elections in Florida and Michigan. "We've got to use our resources to win the national election." This is broken thinking beyond repair. Do they not realize that the Democrats won't win the White House without the support of Democratic voters in Florida and Michigan? What the world needs now are individuals who can see the big picture and understand how all the details dovetail to create that picture. Someone whose vision is broad enough to encompass everything and everyone. Where are the visionaries? When do we stop denying that part of ourselves that longs to come together as one? Or are we too mad to find the way back out of oblivion?
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4 comments:
Natural rhythms? What are those, pray tell? I've tried to explain to several bosses that the reason I'm consistently 5-10 minutes late to work is because my body is not wired to get up that early. It simply isn't. Neither is my father's. Or my grandfather's. It runs in the family. Every one of those bosses tried to persuade me I was wrong.
Anyway... I think I kinda went off-topic so I could rant about a pet peeve. :)
You are exactly on point! Why should we all live according to what mechanical time tells us? What relation does the clock have with our bodies? Nothing. For many Eskimos, their bodies are set to the tides of the ocean. When I was in Kenya, their schedules were in sync with the strength of the daytime sun. It's Western civilization that has gone mad, dividing life into blocks of time that have no bearing on our creative processes. We are slaves to the numbers on the clock because we are slaves to the numbers on the paycheck. How sad that that's what life has become for so many throughout this world...
It is truly sad. But I think slavery to the clock is supposed to be part of progress, so I don't see us getting away from it. But it would be nice to see greater awareness of alternate biological settings. However, I guess that wouldn't really fit with the goals of corporate America, which are to make as much money as possible for the big guys while paying the little guys as little as possible and holding them captive with health insurance.
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