Surrender to the Phone

I sometimes get great satisfaction from surrendering. To give in to the whim of the universe, or to time, or more specifically to a phone call, when I know I need to get off the phone, but instead I stay on and let the conversation happen until it's over more naturally. I don't do this very often, but if I don't truly need to hang up, and I choose to stay on the phone, sitting in my parked car, with my mother or an old friend, I just feel better.

Lack of Blogage

I really don't see how people have the time to post. Perhaps I should stay up later at night. I am writing this now just to give this space a little stir, a little life, just to survey the dust, maybe swipe my finger across it and leave a mark, indicating it needs to be dusted thoroughly.

Ecology of Leisure

Some of the best advice I ever took was from Edward Abby, author of The Monkey Wrench Gang, who may have been echoing Bob Marley, who was undoubtedly paraphrasing some older spiritual verse. Essentially, that Life is for Living. Abby, while a hard-core defender of de-industrialized Nature, was a proponent of half-assed-ness, saying something like, "don't ever forget while you're doing this work. Take time to run through the forest like an animal. It will sustain you."

While what we call the Protestant Work Ethic (working for tomorrow) is a huge part of my rationale for doing what I do, living for today sort of makes that happen.

So, if Food, Clothing & Shelter cover the basics, and modern life requires additional energy to produce those basics, what else is left to do? We educate ourselves, we heal our ills, we work...and we play.

II.

I believe that much of what we do is in fact a pursuit of leisure - especially for Americans. Our food, clothing and shelter reflect far more opulent values than basic needs demand. Only the most ____ among us live on raw, whole foods, simple clothing and shelter. (I'm certainly no exception.) I think that all of our "basics" carry with them a rather significant Leisure-cost. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Why not live fully? It's human nature.

But after that, look at what we do: talk, garden, write, watch, play, cook, dance, meditate, sail, run, hunt, sing, draw, fight, laugh, heal, pray, sleep... This entire range of human activity seem just "immediately after" the basics, and we indeed spend a heck of a lot of time and money and energy on them.

Some questions:
-How do we value leisure activities?
-What is the impact of leisure activities - or luxury - on our environment?
-What business opportunities exist when we apply Sustainability principles to leisure activities? (Eco-tourism, etc.)

Classism vs Freedom

I always thought there was something freedom-taking about conservatism...especially when you compare it to its frequently paired antonym, liberalism.  Those worlds and words are so funny to me.  Let's play:  I am conservative.  I like to conserve things.  Like Nature.  I am fiscally conservative.   I am not a huge risk-taker.  I value tradition.  I am a Libertarian in some ways.  I believe that individuals should be able to do whatever the heck they want, with the caveat attached so long as it harms none, with the next caveat you are allowed to hurt yourself (but please don't).  So, Liberal Libertarian?  What does it mean to be a Liberal?  Does it mean that you are free?  So many of us are social liberals and fiscal conservatives.

Surroundings

Our experience is determined for the most part by temporality and worldview.   My experience in one time and location is different than whatever I experience in even a slightly different time and place.  My worldview also shapes my experience.   I can imagine that if experience=worldview/temporality, then someone who grows up poor and from the City experiences something as mundane as snow falling quite differently from someone who grows up wealthy and from the exurbs.  How different is it, even for me, to experience the dusting of snow - already quite dirty - in the City, vs out where I am in beautiful, rustic Hudson, Ohio.

Choosing Champions

When we try to recognize excellence, do we care if the person is a jerk?  (yes)

Do we care if the person or org is "proven" or just vocal?  

How do we recognize people that shine and 3/4 but for a very long time?

First One

This is my first entry into the blogosphere. May I never fear writing. Publish first. Wondering how post-modern design will work into my display. Trying out normal word shortcuts. Ah - that seems to work. Looks like this could be easy - just like wordprocessing. Pics...yes. Okay, that's enough. Hurray! Done!