I am emerging from either the afterglow of an adventure or its aftermath. A three week adventure to the mountains, parks & basins of Colorado has winnowed down to dirty laundry in the chute and a lawn begging to be mowed. Adventure is, by my definition, any action where the outcome hangs in a balance. It can end with a boom or a bust and you stand to either gain or suffer as a result. It ain’t over ‘till it’s over and what you get is what you get. In that context, almost anything can be experienced as an adventure. Certainly, sh*t happens but then so does the excitement of a happy surprise. Likewise, some uninvited sh*t may be a blessing in disguise. The rule of unintended consequence is always at work and the Colorado adventure featured both afterglow and aftermath.
Waking up in the same place every day and reinventing the wheel makes it hard to escape the mundane: and even though we need the mundane to have balance in this life I find myself looking for ways to escape its sameness. Still, here we are. Times like now I reflect on (explore) ideas and perceptions that for one reason or another have had to wait for my undivided attention. Reflection is generally considered to be a good thing. It requires deep, patient, open ended thinking that may or may not have a clear purpose. One might think of it as mental gymnastics that keep the mind flexible and fit. The opposite of Reflective is Superficial which would be neither deep, open ended nor patient. Most of us like to think they are reflective in our thinking but if one is closed to possibility and impatient with the process then it’s just memory reinforcing what it has already concluded.
What has me thinking today is the widening breech between the virtues of my long held heroes and a surge of narcissistic indifference that typifies today’s self obsessed leaders. Kahlil Gibran is a legitimate hero. He lived and died before I was born yet still a moral presence. A Lebanese Christian, Gibran’s art, writing and reputation as a philosopher stem from a multicultural identity, both Lebanese and American. I was introduced to him in the 1980’s through his best known work, The Prophet.
In The Prophet he speaks to aspects of living in community and to personal relationships. I particularly identified with his thoughts on Love, Marriage and Children. But the rest of the book is equally profound with a humble yet demanding expectation. The section, On Buying & Selling is short but leaves no doubt as to what the issue is and where responsibility falls. His use of poetic language may pose a distraction but his intent is clear. It is a short piece, you should read it. Gibran pleads the case for writers and performers to be rewarded fairly, that every talent has value. Then to the point, “Before you leave the market, see that no one has gone his way with empty hands. For the master spirit of this earth shall not sleep peacefully upon the wind till the needs of the least of you are satisfied.”
I cannot get my head around the moral disparity between Gibran and 21st century, wannabe Winners. In my lifetime the righteous rule has been revised from: We’re all in this together, to, Win! at any cost, at all cost, by any means necessary. Neither can I frame language (God helps those who help themselves) to suggest God’s approval for corrupt business and abuse of power. Unfortunately, corrupt business and abuse of power are inseparable, Siamese twins. Gibran has a biblical, christian style and his message rings of the Beatitudes. Yet today’s aspiring moguls would tell us: Blessed are the Winners because they kick ass. By inference the weak and the defenseless should be kicked to the curb because they are losers and deserve what they get. Despots and demagogues have been digging in that hole forever but now they have an equally selfish, unscrupled army of followers.
It makes me want to pack up my little teardrop camper and melt away into a canyon somewhere or up to a high mountain meadow. I can take comfort there with food and drink, in my work and with my loved ones. Life is short and you can't take your trophies with you. So don’t squander it pissing in the wind. King Solomon shared that insight nearly three thousand years ago. But dead now, he is just another loser.
Waking up in the same place every day and reinventing the wheel makes it hard to escape the mundane: and even though we need the mundane to have balance in this life I find myself looking for ways to escape its sameness. Still, here we are. Times like now I reflect on (explore) ideas and perceptions that for one reason or another have had to wait for my undivided attention. Reflection is generally considered to be a good thing. It requires deep, patient, open ended thinking that may or may not have a clear purpose. One might think of it as mental gymnastics that keep the mind flexible and fit. The opposite of Reflective is Superficial which would be neither deep, open ended nor patient. Most of us like to think they are reflective in our thinking but if one is closed to possibility and impatient with the process then it’s just memory reinforcing what it has already concluded.
What has me thinking today is the widening breech between the virtues of my long held heroes and a surge of narcissistic indifference that typifies today’s self obsessed leaders. Kahlil Gibran is a legitimate hero. He lived and died before I was born yet still a moral presence. A Lebanese Christian, Gibran’s art, writing and reputation as a philosopher stem from a multicultural identity, both Lebanese and American. I was introduced to him in the 1980’s through his best known work, The Prophet.
In The Prophet he speaks to aspects of living in community and to personal relationships. I particularly identified with his thoughts on Love, Marriage and Children. But the rest of the book is equally profound with a humble yet demanding expectation. The section, On Buying & Selling is short but leaves no doubt as to what the issue is and where responsibility falls. His use of poetic language may pose a distraction but his intent is clear. It is a short piece, you should read it. Gibran pleads the case for writers and performers to be rewarded fairly, that every talent has value. Then to the point, “Before you leave the market, see that no one has gone his way with empty hands. For the master spirit of this earth shall not sleep peacefully upon the wind till the needs of the least of you are satisfied.”
I cannot get my head around the moral disparity between Gibran and 21st century, wannabe Winners. In my lifetime the righteous rule has been revised from: We’re all in this together, to, Win! at any cost, at all cost, by any means necessary. Neither can I frame language (God helps those who help themselves) to suggest God’s approval for corrupt business and abuse of power. Unfortunately, corrupt business and abuse of power are inseparable, Siamese twins. Gibran has a biblical, christian style and his message rings of the Beatitudes. Yet today’s aspiring moguls would tell us: Blessed are the Winners because they kick ass. By inference the weak and the defenseless should be kicked to the curb because they are losers and deserve what they get. Despots and demagogues have been digging in that hole forever but now they have an equally selfish, unscrupled army of followers.
It makes me want to pack up my little teardrop camper and melt away into a canyon somewhere or up to a high mountain meadow. I can take comfort there with food and drink, in my work and with my loved ones. Life is short and you can't take your trophies with you. So don’t squander it pissing in the wind. King Solomon shared that insight nearly three thousand years ago. But dead now, he is just another loser.
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