GREAT POTENTIAL

I know a little bit about a lot and I know a lot about a little, nothing profound but there you are. My voyage of discovery has followed a trajectory that ends with the glass of water, half full or half empty. Which it is depends on a bazillion little data points, too many to put in order and decipher. In my case it’s more about the size of the glass. Mu glass is small and it doesn’t take much to fill it. Even if it were half empty I would drink from it without reservation. 

It's fair to say that my profile is very normal, middle of the curve, predictably average in nearly every aspect of human experience. Given the culture and the way I have assimilated, nothing stands out. The Human condition guarantees, being unique simply means that we are not all exactly alike. At best I am statistically insignificant.

Honestly, the little bit I do know is terribly vulnerable, subject to error. I can be, I am frequently incorrect about beliefs, ideas, information and data. It’s like trusting a good compass. It always points true except for when it doesn’t. The earth’s magnetic field gets distorted (something about the iron in the earth’s core) and the needle wanders. Good maps have (declination tables) providing where to make correction and how much is needed. If only there was a declination chart for emotional imbalance and wannabe common sense. 

When it comes to intelligence I tend to skew away from the norm. Not that I have more or less but that I think it is over rated. It has a lot of potential but I was put in my place when my college mentor cautioned me, “You have great potential but that simply means there is so much you haven’t accomplished.” 

If you’ve ever watched an 8 year-old learning to drive by trial & error, that’s civilization (that’s us) believing that he can control a 2 ton machine at 200 mph going into the 3rd turn at Daytona. The old axiom about not learning from history dooms us to employ the same flawed intelligence that yielded wars and oppression in the past. It is much more alluring to pursue what feeds the ego or makes us feel righteous rather than doing the math and follow the curve. 

Ny humanity feels special even if I’m terribly normal in a relatively safe, prosperous society. Considering over 7 billion souls around the world, I’m not so normal. I would be at least a standard deviation above the norm, maybe two when it comes to life style and material wealth. I am very lucky as I was born into it, can’t take credit for choosing the circumstances. Everybody wants to improve their station in life. Being born out of a slum in Caracas or a river bank in Mumbai, my chances for the good life I live would be miniscule. Those who say it’s about choices and that anything is possible would also tell you that climate control is all about building a better thermometer. Here I am preaching again. At least the sermon was short. No singing, no benediction today, just be glad you woke up this morning and that you won't have to go to bed hungry.