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Now that I'm approaching "old" I realize there are some things that I think are important for my children and grandchildren to think about, that we haven't yet discussed. Some of them will show up here, at various times and in various states of (dis)order.
"Burning fossil fuels warms the planet, which harms others. It's that simple. Although the processes involved are distributed globally, accrue over decades, and are statistical in nature -- and therefore difficult for our brains to connect directly back to our individual actions -- the harm is nonetheless real.
"Burning fossil fuels should be unacceptable socially, the way physical assault is unacceptable. The harm it does is less immediate, but just as real. We need to start speaking this truth -- burning fossil fuels harms others -- so that society can begin realizing it." -- Peter Kalmus
[Peter Kalmus in "Being The Change" chapter 1 - "Waking Up"]
Think that wacko guy you saw online has lost his mind? Don't you just hate people like that? Are you sure that yours is working properly? Maybe this will help to figure out why people can seem so wrong.
When my grandchildren were young I had a routine with them each day when I dropped them off at school: we repeated my Rules for School. It did not take long for them to remember and repeat the eight-word long list: learn a lot, be a friend, have fun. I realized recently that the same three rules could be expanded and updated to cover their adult lives as well.
Keep in mind why you are here. In the school setting my intent was to encourage them not just to be diligent in completing the assigned curriculum, but to learn even more. Be curious! Ask "why?", ask "then what?" and "what else?", seek more, look beyond the obvious and the immediate.
We see what is in front of us, we hear what happens in the here and now -- and these things will naturally dominate our thoughts. But these things are not all that matter. Dangers and opportunities may lie around the next corner. Look beyond what occupies your immediate environment: what might be over that hill? is that small problem a symptom of a much larger one? are those people likely to perceive this in a different way? How might this situation be different tomorrow or next week or next year?
When we are in school our purpose and goals are, to great extent, provided for (or imposed upon?) us by our parents and the society in which we live. When we leave school behind what then is our purpose? how do we establish goals for ourselves? Will we find what makes us happy and seek our own pleasure? Yes, we all tend to do that naturally. But seeking only my personal gain is not a good idea if I want to live in the company of others.
We live in society with others (unless you are willing and able to live the life of a hermit). Societies work because we cooperate with others, not seeking only our own interests all the time. Compromise will be necessary as we seek the common good.
Don't wait for others to be friendly toward you. Assume that those around you are your friends (unless they prove otherwise) and offer your help and friendship.
Why do I say this? We can live out the details of our day-to-day lives as if it were some punishment imposed upon us, or we can accept what comes our way with a determination to find joy in even painful circumstances, and to work to overcome the challenges we encounter along the way.
Life is full of little annoyances, get used to it. Do not expect that everything will always be just as you would prefer. The corollary to that is that life is also full of little pleasures, treasure them and take pleasure in small victories even as you face big challenges.
When I first wrote this I was thinking about our actions within the economy as consumers and as producers, and how important it is to produce more than you consume in order to meet your own needs during the times you cannot be productive, and to meet the needs of others like children, aged parents, and neighbors in need.
Now I think it is most imperative in regard to our changing weather patterns. We can complain about our problems, but it is far more effective to do something about them. You might start with one or more of these links:
"The sharing transformation shows that it’s possible to govern ourselves, build a green economy that serves everyone, and create meaningful lives together. It also shows that ordinary people can meaningfully address the world’s biggest challenges -- like wealth inequality and global warming -- by working together. It shows that not only is another world possible, much of it is already here."
"Resilience.org aims to support building community resilience in a world of multiple emerging challenges: the decline of cheap energy, the depletion of critical resources like water, complex environmental crises like climate change and biodiversity loss, and the social and economic issues which are linked to these. We like to think of the site as a community library with space to read and think, but also as a vibrant café in which to meet people, discuss ideas and projects, and pick up and share tips on how to build the resilience of your community, your household, or yourself."
"Small, thoughtful actions can change the world."
"[T]elling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Our goal is to use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action is now."
"[W]e share stories that explore the timeless connections between ecology, culture, and spirituality."
Personal preparation of your own household to deal with changing climate patterns and other contingencies.
[AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis]
The IPCC's recent report, in case you've forgotten what we were talking about.
All acts of war are crimes against humanity, indeed against life itself. Our laws and our cultural and social norms and structures at all levels from the family to the community to the state and the nation and especially our international organizations must prohibit the production, sale or transfer, or possession of any implement of warfare by any person at any time or place regardless of circumstance, and impose a duty upon each and every person with knowledge of the existence of such implement to ensure its destruction. The existence of weapons should be universally abhorrent to all persons.
Universal disarmament may seem hopelessly out of reach, "But wouldn't it be nice?" as Amazing Grace Smith says in the movie "Amazing Grace and Chuck".
["Amazing Grace and Chuck" entry at Wikipedia]
["Amazing Grace and Chuck" movie available to view or download at Internet Archive]
What would become of the unemployed warriors, arms manufacturers, and arms dealers? How would Daddy Warbucks survive? It would certainly be an improvement over a society that is so "free" it provides enough weapons for two firearms for each adult -- with so many weapons in circulation it is nearly inevitable that we'd see increasing numbers of mass shootings.
Universal Disarmament - my preliminary reading list:
Dalai Lama - Disarmament for World Peace
I've repeated this saying numerous times and cannot begin to recall where I first heard it. The closest I've come to identifying a source is in this advertisement titled "The Price of Blood" by The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York in a Good Housekeeping magazine from 1885.
[Google Books copy of Good Housekeeping magazine]
"The world owes nobody a living except as the individual collects it by work;"
I've heard folks say, when describing someone who would rather rely on charity than hard work to ensure their daily needs are met, that "he must think the world owes him a living". I suggest that there is an element of truth in the idea that the world owes you a living, at least in that you are as deserving as any other person to breathe its air and drink its water and seek a share of its food, shelter, and other amenities. It is also true that relying on the charity of others can be a precarious existence and comes with its own costs and hardships. Of course we've also heard "the good Lord helps those who help themselves", and "Lord help those who get caught helping themselves!" (and no, neither one of those statements is in the Bible).
Success is not guaranteed to always arise from these, but you will find it often does. Many of the things we need or desire are not available instantly or immediately, patience will help you save the money or follow the steps of the process to get there; active waiting (taking whatever steps you can now toward reaching your desired but distant goal) helps maintain your sense of calm expectation.
When I was young my mother helped me learn to bake cakes. The recipes we used often included an instruction to beat the batter for 300 (or more) strokes (before electric mixers were common household appliances) rather than the "mix at medium speed for three minutes" we see in more recent recipes. There I was with a mixing bowl full of goopy cake batter and a mixing spoon in my hand, counting out the number of times that spoon made its cycle through the bowl. There were no shortcuts, the cake wouldn't bake properly if you didn't take the time to beat it properly, so I counted each stroke, persisting until the full number was reached. Many times we must keep working at something until we finally achieve it. Don't give up until you've reached your goal. Another word related to persistence is practice, we know that many of the skills that enrich our lives are perfected only through much repetitive refinement.
You may encounter obstacles or opposition as you pursue your version of success. Perseverance is the determination and bravery to continue on in the face of difficulties and overcome whatever obstacles you may encounter. Strategic adjustment of goals might be required but perseverance does not abandon hope. It is perseverance that is spoken of in this chorus sometimes used in The Salvation Army:
"And in the battle's blazing heat,
When flesh and blood would quail,
I'll fight and trust, and still repeat,
That Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus cannot fail!"
(Apparently the chorus is derived from the second half of the third verse of the song "Oft have I heard thy tender voice".)
[Oft I Have Heard Thy Tender Voice]
Note that it might also involve pain.
But, you might say, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Patience, persistence, and perseverance go far but don't forget another "P" word: Possibility. Is it realistically possible? Is it worth the effort it will require?
Not even in response to violence perpetrated by others. Violence is not the right choice. Violence is not a just choice. Do not commit commit acts of violence.
Overturn the Citizens United decision. This will require a constitutional amendment.
[What is Citizens United? | An Introduction]
Don't think that there is one underlying unifying principle or some absolute truth that simplifies and organizes all else. Often you must balance seemingly contradictory ideas to navigate your way though the minefields of politics, economic survival, and even your love life.
We'll ignore all the various technical definitions of entropy,
and use a simplified synonym: "disorder", and perhaps we should include "decay". Anyone who has been responsible for the care and upkeep of a piece of property will recognize that as time passes various forms of decay and disorder occur: the roof needs to be repaired or replaced, the walls need to be painted, the landscaping gets overgrown with weeds, the water heater breaks and must be replaced. Even our own bodies, as they age, are subject to these processes. Constant care is required to keep the physical parts of our existence functioning as desired.
While it's true that life is messy, we (at least most of the people I know) are happier when our lives are less chaotic, more structured, more orderly. This is exemplified in the "General Order" that I posted in our house when our youngest grandchild visited recently: Tidy Up Before You Leave.
[see General Orders for Sentries for some background]
It is a general principle that I try to follow, and a habit that I try to build in various parts of my life. In recent years I have tried to follow a pattern each day: before I leave my bedroom in the morning I make up my bed, ensure that yesterday's garments are in the laundry bin, my clothes for today are laid out and ready, and that any books or other personal effects that I've used are stored in their appropriate places; then to the bathroom to shave and wash, and again before leaving the room, clean the sink and toilet and make sure that any other things I've used are returned to their proper places; back to the bedroom to dress, then on to the kitchen where the general pattern is to clean up as I go along so that I'm not faced with a pile of dishes, pots, and utensils to be cleaned after the meal. Enjoy the meal, put away the dishes I used to prepare it (which have now had time to dry), wash up the dishes I used at the table, wipe down the counter tops and appliances as needed, and then I'm ready to leave the kitchen and enjoy the rest of the day. There is nothing praiseworthy or laudable about this plan, I imagine that many of us were trained by our parents (or drill sergeants) to organize our lives in a similar manner. (It took me many years to build these habits, my younger days were less structured.)
In thinking recently about the contrast between consuming and producing, the effects of entropy again came into focus. I have been trained throughout my life to be a consumer: buy something, use it up or wear it out, and then buy again. I have tended to treat even houses and cars this way, use it until it breaks then replace it. My grandparents, and even my parents, who lived through the Great Depression had a different view of things: beyond the "use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without" ethos of that time, they generally expected to not only maintain but to make improvements to their property. They understood that consumption can only come after production -- and this is true not just of agricultural goods -- and that one must produce more than you consume in order to overcome the effects of entropy: inevitable waste, friction, and inefficiency. Don't forget that in some parts of your life (when you were very young, when you are afflicted with illness, and when you are old, as examples) your capacity to produce is likely to be diminished, so when you are able you must produce more than enough to satisfy your immediate needs -- store some away as savings and in building good relationships with your family, friends, and neighbors.
To begin, see above comments about point of view.
"The mark of the educated man is not in his boast that he has built his mountain of facts and stood on the top of it, but in his admission that there may be other peaks in the same range with men on the top of them, and that, though their views of the landscape may be different from his, they are nonetheless legitimate." -- E.J. Pratt, poet (4 Feb 1882-1964)
Wanna waste some time? See if you can discover who first said that.
"You can smile when you can't say a word". The first thought I had when I started thinking about smiling is this song.
I'm certain my children will remember it, though I'm guessing the grandchildren will not.
You'd better smile when you say that. When I started looking for the source of this oft-repeated warning I had little success. There are several places where people use the line: "You'd better smile when you say that, pardner. Them's fightin' words where I come from.", which is exactly the way I remember it.
But they all seem to be repeating the same line they've heard from someone else. It seemed to me that I might have encountered it in an old movie, but this is the closest I've come in that direction:
[clip from "The Virginian" movie at Youtube]
The movie was adapted from the novel "The Virginian" by Owen Wister, which includes the phrase "You want to call me that, smile!".
["The Virginian" novel at Wikipedia]
This seems to be the source of the version I remember, as well as a variety of others.
There are at least two ways to think about this statement. First, it may be less painful to learn from the experiences of others, for example if I see you burn your hand by touching a hot stove I can avoid making the same mistake. Second, when you do experience some pain or difficulty in your life -- as you inevitably will -- look for the lessons you can learn from it.
This section is where I pretend to be a philosopher. Or, at least it's stuff I started to work on but haven't yet decided to abandon.
There are some ideas that form the foundation or the background of our discussion. We have to start somewhere, with some sort of "first principles" or basic assumptions.
[The Universal Declaration of Human Rights]
This encapsulates much of what I feel is important to hold as "given" or "stipulated" as we discuss the material below. Note well that some of the ideas included in the Declaration may or may not conflict with conclusions we reach during our discussion. See also Daily Bread regarding the duties associated with those rights.
[James Card - "What Is Love?"]
It is not my intent to base our arguments upon holy scriptures, except to the extent that we can agree that they may contain, in some way, "wisdom of the elders". This is here primarily to make plain my background in the Christian church and the influence that has in my thinking.
Stuff we want to think about.
[My unfinished essay on "Freedom"] subject to substantial revision (someday)
There may be things we agree on; they'll end up here.
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