|
Posted on 08.15.10 by Mr. Majestic @ 5:31 pm
Most people I know fear the awkward moment. In fact, I might go so far as to suggest that many fear this experience more than anything else in their lives. The homeless person at the side of the road … The family member with a problem to discuss … The co-worker with a differing point-of-view … We go to such pains to avoid engaging in any of these – or myriad other – situations which just might produce that awkward moment … the stilted silence … the dry mouth and pregnant pause. Truth-telling can be in short supply in our lives. Far easier to gloss-over, or avert the gaze. We “fail to notice” … particularly if confrontation may be required. Though it may hurt, though it makes us uncomfortable, the ones who step up and give it to us straight are the ones we should keep. On the interpersonal front, I think the remedy is part education and part dedication. First of all, most of us have never really thought about or bothered to try and decipher how to approach & deal with difficult conversations. And secondly – the more difficult step – most of us simply fail at making the choice to have the conversation, in spite of the awkwardness. Changing gears, getting out of our comfort zones to care for our fellow man engenders and awkwardness that is different and damaging in some very important ways. Whether or not you subscribe to any formalized (or canonized) doctrine, few of us who are sane will deny in-principle the laudable goal of charity. But is there anything which carries such universal assent in theory and so little practical application as this? Within a certain spiritual vein, one of my favorite gadflys on this subject is Tony Campolo. I have seen him speak several times, and always left convicted – but not in a miserable, guilt-ridden way. A quote:
Giving of ourselves and our resources to others, even when – especially when – it is inconvenient and uncomfortable, is part and parcel of what it means to be human and also to carry the spark of the divine … whatever your interpretation of that may be. Of course, there is the lighthearted, “fun” flavor of awkward … the teenage expression du jour. And apparently, Judd Apatow & Seth Rogen endorsed … “awkward” is now cool. Similar – I guess – to the outdated observation that it can be hip to be square. Whether approached with humor or sobriety, the fact remains that within this discomfort, this disequilibrium, we discover who we really are … and who is here with us. Running from this experience, avoiding it out of fear, is a tragedy … a compromise we can ill afford. We should run toward these encounters. We should seek them out. Awkward is real. Awkward is where life happens. Filed under: Eric on the loose ... Comments: None |
|
Posted on 06.10.10 by Mr. Majestic @ 12:56 pm
I been sayin’ it! For ten damn years, I been sayin’ it! Yes, Virginia, the college tuition bubble is real, and the cracks are starting to appear. This is one of the reasons I have never fallen prey to the “panic” I hear from a lot of friends & acquaintances regarding the future cost for their kids & family. (Those trapped in the current peak are in a tougher spot, I’ll allow.) I can never understand why people seem to think that the price of certain goods & services can simply grow ad infinitum without any relation to the market and/or economy. The same rules apply, people. Reminds me of some poor idiot who tried to lecture me once about how his used PC’s were “worth a certain amount … and once they depreciate to that level, then they just don’t go any lower …” Hmmm. On to other news. Newspace is finally breaking free. The President’s plan for NASA, a key component of which is to turn access to low earth orbit (LEO) … that’s where the space station is, people … over to private companies. NASA will buy tickets on commercial vehicles in order to get their astronauts to the ISS. And before you get your panties in a wad, NASA *already* buys tickets … from Russia. SpaceX had a perfect maiden launch of the Falcon 9. For those that don’t understand the significance, this vehicle immediately lowers the cost of access to space by at least half, and potentially by an order of magnitude. This means a LOT for the business case of many space ventures. Robert Bigelow is ramping-up to have a private space station FOR RENT (yes, literally) within five years. Of course, one can see how the SpaceX news plays into this. Further, even though the lower cost is significant, it is the simple fact of ACCESS that will make the biggest difference. Right now, a government or a corporation that would like to pursue space operations doesn’t have a PLACE to go. At any price. That is all about to change. (Sign me up.) Well … soon it will be time for our Holiday In The Sun. Summer always seems to bring about awareness of untapped potential and fresh perspective for me. Change is planned … and then plans are put into motion in Autumn. Hope may not be a strategy, but they are worthless without it. Filed under: Eric on the loose ... Comments: None |
|
Posted on 05.01.10 by Mr. Majestic @ 12:04 pm
The year we make contact. Which is more important: connecting with yourself … being honest with yourself … “knowing” yourself; or connecting with others … serving others … loving others? Is it possible to genuinely have one without the other? Are they yin & yang? Speaking of connecting, perhaps this is the year our culture will “make contact” with a sense of purpose, and begin to resolve some of the fear and self-destructive behavior endemic to our time & place. My, how the New Year always seems to give birth to such big dreams. Given after all … He loved the lucre, filthy & otherwise. But we all get cash from chaos, don’t we? The Demas of Bunyan (and Paul) “loved this present world”, and so – it may be said – did Malcolm. A bit of Andy Warhol, and a bit of Marshall McLuhan, he never stopped being an original. The Great Rock-n-Roll Swindle. Like his unfinished 1978 film, you could say his life was also prematurely ended. It all brings to me a certain sort of melancholy, thinking not only that an era of transition is well-and-truly gone, but also that the figures & hallmarks of that era are departing, too. Gawd, we’re old. Spring rain. Plenty changing with careers and kids and lives ’round here … so I’m hoping that the showers and breezes portend a refreshing new phase for us – and all of you. I’d promise to write more, but I’m sure posts will still be occasional. Plenty of new-space happenings this year. Look for the first Falcon 9 launch in the next few weeks, as well as test flights from Virgin Galactic. Should be an exciting year in the ‘verse. Oh, and be sure & check out the story over at Neo Neocon. She has a great tale, and plenty of thoughtful dialogue. Peace, out. Filed under: Eric on the loose ... Comments: None |
|
Posted on 10.17.09 by Mr. Majestic @ 11:31 am
In evolution they call it “punctuated equilibrium“. Basically the idea that long periods of apparently incremental change are marked by sudden dramatic leaps forward. I think perhaps people age the same way. As children, we go through phases where we seem to change little, and then suddenly, one summer … Same for adults. That cousin or uncle, who seemed to never change, and one year, at the holidays, they become “old” seemingly overnight. Of course, for us, witnessing these shifts, we experience disequilibrium. The world tilts. ‘Passages’ was the book, I believe. Seems like it made the rounds when I was young. I recall my creative writing professor discussing different types of ‘story’ – one of which was “Rite of Passage”. The past few months have seen the passing of family members, battles with illness and disease, and our little dears growing up. And I still can’t master the rhythm to playing and singing this damned song. I’ve always struggled with change … from seasons to addresses to friends. My coping mechanism tends toward a melancholy that I have come to embrace – cherish? – as I take the time to “process”. Funny, how our eldest, a child borne of the heart but not of blood, wrestles with the same burden; and all I can do is try to convince her I know. Why is it that so much of the most beautiful in life winds up being found in the most difficult? I love Bob Dylan’s line:
I believe I’ve said that before. Also noteworthy that the source of that line serves as some of the best food for my personal processing. (There has to be a soundtrack!) That and a little Rich Mullins. Well, I’m rambling, now. “Processing” I suppose. LOL Although I am continually reminded just how little I actually “know” (in the grander scheme), I do hope that everyone learns to take the time to appreciate these moments … these changes … these milestones. They are, I think, the rhythm – the beat – of life. Each another’s audience. Filed under: Eric on the loose ... Comments: None |
|
Posted on 09.01.09 by Mr. Majestic @ 9:48 pm
So – how does one eliminate (or prevent) the root of bitterness? I had this relationship once … it lasted years. It wouldn’t be honest of me to imply that it was all bad, but at the very least it was almost continually co-dependent. Overall, it wasn’t healthy – for either of us. In the end, I simply felt used. “That’s okay, man ’cause I like the abuse!” (The lyrics are particularly illustrative. You have no idea how many times I have sung them while thinking of this relationship.) How many of you out there have been in those shoes … where you know you should go, but you just keep staying? Like Pacino (as Michael Corleone) said: “Just when I thought I was out – they pull me back in!” And perhaps that’s where the bitterness starts. You finally make a way out … and you’re free now … Or are you? Letting go. Forgiving … ourselves. For me, it isn’t like I am haunted … at least I don’t think so. But the fact is that I still have contact … interaction … and the thing I have trouble facing is “living” the idea that I’ve moved on, when I am forced into “doing life” with the object of my disaster. How to get past that? I suppose – like anything – it is a choice. A matter of the will. We decide to grow past it, or we elect to carry the burden … in a way, we love it more than freedom. I need to think on this some more … Oh, yeah: And don’t forget – to give me back my black t-shirt. Filed under: Eric on the loose ... Comments: None |
| Next Page » | previous posts » |
- Capt. Mal Reynolds