I watched a 60 Minute segment on Wynton Marsalis and his Lincoln Center Orchestra. Led by Marsalis, they go around the world touring, playing to appreciative crowds, mingling, and having fun with people of different cultures, and societies, all the while spreading the joy of music to ecstatic men, women and children. In the segment, they took a trip to Cuba, and had a wonderful time there with the people exchanging dance, musical ideas of playing, and inspiring young Cuban children to learn how to play an instrument. I watched it thinking exactly what Mr. Marsalis later spoke about in a big way. We need the arts. Not just music, but all of the arts to be fruitful. Music, Art, Literature, Plays, all have an important role. And that role is to be the bridge for people to come together.
The difference between people is so insignificant, but hyped up to be insurmountable by the people who want to keep us divided, but it's not. The differences are sometimes language, and geography, and sometimes that's it. People love, have happiness, and sadness, want good things for their families, and most just want their own piece of the world that they can call home. When we have things like The Arts we can see this aspect of people, and we can appreciate them because we can see that they are us, and that they have beauty and warmth just as we believe we have. We become intrigued, and have genuine feelings for a collective people because we have seen just what incredible things have been created by their joy, pain, or passion. It's those feelings that we can all relate to, and therefore embrace other cultures, and seek out with genuine interest people who are different, and not be afraid of them because of differences, but actually feel close to them. That's what the arts does for unity.
The Art that I am happy to be a part of is music, and I couldn't be more satisfied to love and be able to give something of myself such as this. Whatever the language, whatever the background, whatever the economic situation of people, music brings people together in ways that governments could never do in a million years. I feel as though us musicians are in a unique position to be ambassadors of people. To spread joy, and connectedness to other people, and to let them know that we are all the same. They can relate to my pain, or be elated by my happiness, because they realize that they are not alone in these feelings. The true high calling of music is to be the unspoken bridge of the souls of people everywhere. Using patterns of sound to connect and bring people together, we can really change the world, and perceptions, making people receptive to one another, and the idea that we truly are together in the universe. It sounds highbrow but it is what I truly believe about music and the arts in general, and its power.
It was fantastic to see in the segment people of different cultures laughing together, playing music together, and children being interested in playing music because of the beauty and power. I can't say enough about how when children play music, dance, draw, or are interested in any of the arts their world opens up, and they become more rounded, and open to the beauty of others. It is the arts that does that, and these children grow up to realize that everyone has potential, and can be something special no matter who they are or where they are from given the chance. Even in the worst conditions such as Havana, the people love music, and the arts, and it is a way of life to emote, and feel free.
That is why I love different types of music, and am interested in different cultures so much, and try to share so much of what I love about music. It is a tremendous passion of mine to spread joy, and be a bridge where someone can perhaps say "I like this, and I think I'll check out more on my own." That's where the music may lead to art and literature that is related, and perhaps, just perhaps get people to talk with someone who has a common interest, and people become friends based upon that. And the world just might become a smaller place, and friendlier place all because of ambassadors building bridges like Mr. Marsalis. Though I am not traveling over the world like he is, I am doing my best to be along with other musicians who may read this, an ambassador also, and build my particular bridge to people in my particular corner of the universe.
Please everyone. Share the arts. We need it to come together.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
We All Graduate: So much to learn, so little time
With all of the young 'uns graduating high school at this time of the year, and so many proud parents excited about their offspring,I couldn't help but think about when I was that age, and the journey that is life. Life is the next step in schooling for everyone, and we all graduate in some respects.
"The school of life" parallels the people in the buildings made for education in many ways., Some attend classes that are a little harder than others, some have better teachers who take the time to impart not only knowledge, but critical thinking skills as well. Some work as hard as they can, and still can't get A's while others skate through not really studying, and applying themselves, but still manage to be in with the cool crowd who wear the varsity letters. Some wind up being class clowns in life while others become the A.V. person to call when the projector is broken. Others get their kicks in life being bullies, and stomping their way through the halls while others are terrified daily just going about their business, wondering when something bad is going to happen. Some are outgoing Prom queens, and some are shy ugly ducklings who have a hard time making friends. There are cliques, clubs, teams, animosities, jealousy, and romance, all in the hallways of life also, and there are many many tests where colossal failures, and major successes will transpire. The stakes are much higher in life, because all of a sudden there is the responsibility of you, and the expectations of you are through the roof. It sometimes is a frightening thought for some that being a kid is suddenly over, and what is expected is that you begin to get your act together, be an adult, and start to use some of those tools given to you to make decisions, and act responsibly.
If I could tell any kid out there graduating 5 important school of life lessons that they need to soak up, and apply to be well rounded people in society, it would be these 5 things:
1)Be yourself, whoever that person is, and don't be a forgery of someone else. Whoever you are develop that person to the fullest 3 dimensional individual you can, and keep discovering, and learning, and trying to get better, because you are never done with you, and you are your own reward. Never worry about what others are doing. Be the shepherd of yourself, and not the sheep to others.
2)There are 2 types of people..Good and Bad. The good ones are givers of themselves, and the bad ones are takers from others. It really is that simple. It doesn't matter what race, ethnicity, religion, economic status, or sexual preferences. Align yourself with good people, and you in turn will experience goodness, and friendships. They will teach you many positive things if you listen. Surround yourself with shitheads, and you will in turn morph into one, and have lowered expectations of acceptable behavior, and you will learn how to turn your failures into projections upon someone else.
3)Somewhere in life you will have major disappointment. It is a given, and no way around it, and sometimes it will seem like all of the world is collapsing around you. That's where all of those good people you surround yourself with come into play. They will bring support, clarity, and ears when you most need them. And you will need to return the favor someday.
4)The world and people owe you absolutely nothing. Want something? Move toward it.
5)The smarter you become, the more you will realize how much you still have to learn, and the more you will realize how little time there is to learn it. Whatever you do don't stop trying to learn it because life is fast and before you know it you will be wishing that you had done something earlier. Growth is the most important aspect of learning, because you will be wrong quite a bit, and being wrong means acknowledging it and learning from it, therefore growing from it.
I guess those would be the 5 things I would tell someone about what the school of life teaches. There are many more, with thousands of nuances, but those 5 I guess are in my opinion the crux of what you have to learn, and what I have learned in my life so far. The school of life is never over. there is no summer recess, no getting out of classes, and no drinking beer in the back seat as you try to forget about it. Life is around you, and the classes continue always, even when you think they aren't. Learn all you can, and let someone younger know what the teachers are like. These classes never ever stop until you graduate. When you graduate, it means you are dead. And as far as I know, we all graduate someday.
"The school of life" parallels the people in the buildings made for education in many ways., Some attend classes that are a little harder than others, some have better teachers who take the time to impart not only knowledge, but critical thinking skills as well. Some work as hard as they can, and still can't get A's while others skate through not really studying, and applying themselves, but still manage to be in with the cool crowd who wear the varsity letters. Some wind up being class clowns in life while others become the A.V. person to call when the projector is broken. Others get their kicks in life being bullies, and stomping their way through the halls while others are terrified daily just going about their business, wondering when something bad is going to happen. Some are outgoing Prom queens, and some are shy ugly ducklings who have a hard time making friends. There are cliques, clubs, teams, animosities, jealousy, and romance, all in the hallways of life also, and there are many many tests where colossal failures, and major successes will transpire. The stakes are much higher in life, because all of a sudden there is the responsibility of you, and the expectations of you are through the roof. It sometimes is a frightening thought for some that being a kid is suddenly over, and what is expected is that you begin to get your act together, be an adult, and start to use some of those tools given to you to make decisions, and act responsibly.
If I could tell any kid out there graduating 5 important school of life lessons that they need to soak up, and apply to be well rounded people in society, it would be these 5 things:
1)Be yourself, whoever that person is, and don't be a forgery of someone else. Whoever you are develop that person to the fullest 3 dimensional individual you can, and keep discovering, and learning, and trying to get better, because you are never done with you, and you are your own reward. Never worry about what others are doing. Be the shepherd of yourself, and not the sheep to others.
2)There are 2 types of people..Good and Bad. The good ones are givers of themselves, and the bad ones are takers from others. It really is that simple. It doesn't matter what race, ethnicity, religion, economic status, or sexual preferences. Align yourself with good people, and you in turn will experience goodness, and friendships. They will teach you many positive things if you listen. Surround yourself with shitheads, and you will in turn morph into one, and have lowered expectations of acceptable behavior, and you will learn how to turn your failures into projections upon someone else.
3)Somewhere in life you will have major disappointment. It is a given, and no way around it, and sometimes it will seem like all of the world is collapsing around you. That's where all of those good people you surround yourself with come into play. They will bring support, clarity, and ears when you most need them. And you will need to return the favor someday.
4)The world and people owe you absolutely nothing. Want something? Move toward it.
5)The smarter you become, the more you will realize how much you still have to learn, and the more you will realize how little time there is to learn it. Whatever you do don't stop trying to learn it because life is fast and before you know it you will be wishing that you had done something earlier. Growth is the most important aspect of learning, because you will be wrong quite a bit, and being wrong means acknowledging it and learning from it, therefore growing from it.
I guess those would be the 5 things I would tell someone about what the school of life teaches. There are many more, with thousands of nuances, but those 5 I guess are in my opinion the crux of what you have to learn, and what I have learned in my life so far. The school of life is never over. there is no summer recess, no getting out of classes, and no drinking beer in the back seat as you try to forget about it. Life is around you, and the classes continue always, even when you think they aren't. Learn all you can, and let someone younger know what the teachers are like. These classes never ever stop until you graduate. When you graduate, it means you are dead. And as far as I know, we all graduate someday.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Complicated Easy: Working to make things work
There are quite a few things in life that are pretty straightforward, and if you look at those situations closely you could honestly say that certain things are pretty easy. It's people that make things complicated, and difficult. Example that we all can relate to:
On the highway there was some mowing going on and the sign explained that the left lane was going to be closed however far ahead. Now if everyone was smart they would begin to merge with the idea that one car would be let in a lane at a time. I would let someone in, and then the car behind me would let someone in, and so on and so on, and it would be a pretty simple transition. Slow yes, but simple, and consistently moving if everyone followed the pattern. There would be very little problems, and bottle neck would be a smooth transition, that would allow traffic to at least flow at a 5 mph crawl, but flow nonetheless. Now of course here are jackasses who see the sign, speed up, and change lanes not once or twice, but 3 times in order to get ahead of everyone else only to be stopped dead in their tracks by the cone, and now they have to edge their way into a lane that they could have already been in. But now they have caused back up, near collisions, and more angst that there should have been if they had just taken the time to be a part of the simplicity. Of course they are now bitching and moaning about a situation that they themselves were a big part in creating.
That's the hard part that quite a few people never get. Situations that have simplicity built into them and could be quite easy often times than not, take work on the part of individuals to make them easy. Ease doesn't just float down from the sky, and part things for people like the Red Sea. There is usually something that we must do to make potentially easy situations work. And the big problem is that most folks want things to be easy, yet they don't want to take part in the give and take that prompts the simplicity. Usually there really isn't a great deal of effort required to make something easy, but folks don't want to do that either. To be in a position to receive an easy situation, you pretty much have to be willing to be a part of the situation by contributing something to it. Whether it be work, cooperation with others, sacrificing ego for the greater picture, or just plain going with the flow of something. A great many people do not understand, and often you will hear, "Well that's not my responsibility" or "Why should that be my problem?", or the dreaded, "What's in it for me?"
So with those attitudes, many people take simple situations that require a minimal amount of effort to make successful , and make it the most complicated, problem ridden, tension filled moments that some will never forget. All because they believe that an easy situation should require them to do nothing but accept the situation that of course should be in their minds, benefiting no one but them. It's not rocket science nor magic. it is truth, and the truth is that 9 times out of 10 if you want a situation to work for you, there must be some effort on your part to work for it. To be selfish, such as some of those drivers were, creates nothing but harder work for the whole situation, and the illusion is that you are helping yourself, when in fact you are hurting yourself, and creating more problems for you, while you may tend to think everyone else is making it harder for you. The act of projection where your problems are actually being blamed on someone else.
Of course try to point this out to some folks and you will promptly get the finger, or some degree of the statements that I presented earlier. Easy is actually that..Easy. But it takes a complicated understanding of how things work that makes it easy. The more you accept responsibility for your part in a situation the easier it will be, and when everyone accepts that role, then everything is gravy, and unbelievably harmonious. Like a nice new car engine. If you want to make things complicated alone by yourself, then by all means do so. But when you really take a good look at quite a few situations, easiness is built in. It's the human intangibles that usually take it out. Just do your part in the scheme. So follow the directions, cooperate with folks, and ask questions to see how you can make some situation better. It's all there...No easy button needed.
On the highway there was some mowing going on and the sign explained that the left lane was going to be closed however far ahead. Now if everyone was smart they would begin to merge with the idea that one car would be let in a lane at a time. I would let someone in, and then the car behind me would let someone in, and so on and so on, and it would be a pretty simple transition. Slow yes, but simple, and consistently moving if everyone followed the pattern. There would be very little problems, and bottle neck would be a smooth transition, that would allow traffic to at least flow at a 5 mph crawl, but flow nonetheless. Now of course here are jackasses who see the sign, speed up, and change lanes not once or twice, but 3 times in order to get ahead of everyone else only to be stopped dead in their tracks by the cone, and now they have to edge their way into a lane that they could have already been in. But now they have caused back up, near collisions, and more angst that there should have been if they had just taken the time to be a part of the simplicity. Of course they are now bitching and moaning about a situation that they themselves were a big part in creating.
That's the hard part that quite a few people never get. Situations that have simplicity built into them and could be quite easy often times than not, take work on the part of individuals to make them easy. Ease doesn't just float down from the sky, and part things for people like the Red Sea. There is usually something that we must do to make potentially easy situations work. And the big problem is that most folks want things to be easy, yet they don't want to take part in the give and take that prompts the simplicity. Usually there really isn't a great deal of effort required to make something easy, but folks don't want to do that either. To be in a position to receive an easy situation, you pretty much have to be willing to be a part of the situation by contributing something to it. Whether it be work, cooperation with others, sacrificing ego for the greater picture, or just plain going with the flow of something. A great many people do not understand, and often you will hear, "Well that's not my responsibility" or "Why should that be my problem?", or the dreaded, "What's in it for me?"
So with those attitudes, many people take simple situations that require a minimal amount of effort to make successful , and make it the most complicated, problem ridden, tension filled moments that some will never forget. All because they believe that an easy situation should require them to do nothing but accept the situation that of course should be in their minds, benefiting no one but them. It's not rocket science nor magic. it is truth, and the truth is that 9 times out of 10 if you want a situation to work for you, there must be some effort on your part to work for it. To be selfish, such as some of those drivers were, creates nothing but harder work for the whole situation, and the illusion is that you are helping yourself, when in fact you are hurting yourself, and creating more problems for you, while you may tend to think everyone else is making it harder for you. The act of projection where your problems are actually being blamed on someone else.
Of course try to point this out to some folks and you will promptly get the finger, or some degree of the statements that I presented earlier. Easy is actually that..Easy. But it takes a complicated understanding of how things work that makes it easy. The more you accept responsibility for your part in a situation the easier it will be, and when everyone accepts that role, then everything is gravy, and unbelievably harmonious. Like a nice new car engine. If you want to make things complicated alone by yourself, then by all means do so. But when you really take a good look at quite a few situations, easiness is built in. It's the human intangibles that usually take it out. Just do your part in the scheme. So follow the directions, cooperate with folks, and ask questions to see how you can make some situation better. It's all there...No easy button needed.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Into The Fire: Facebook enables intolerance
With all of the good things that Facebook actually does, such as spread the word of missing children, reunite family and friends who have been apart, helping animals get adopted, and just plain connecting individuals and cultures who otherwise never would have gotten a chance to share friendships, there is a dark side to this social network that I got a glimpse of earlier in this week. I know that this social network is not all full of happy peppy people. There are some rather dark souled individuals who are on this playground for nefarious reasons, and comments that I have seen from my years of being on here actually reflect the spectrum of America to a certain degree, like it or not. But the disturbing aspect for me is when folks actually believe that what they are doing is positive, and beneficial for society, when it is laced with venom..Example:
On the side of my page a request to join a page keeps popping up, and it is to me very disturbing. It is the "Burn a Qur'an on July 4th day" page. If you do not believe me then be my guest to look it up. I was curious to know what this was all about so without liking the page, I was able to view the mission of the page, and comments from those "attending" this particular event which means wherever the individual is. The mission states that Islam is an 'evil death cult" and that Islam is "Not a religion". The mission states that this event has been started to show Muslims that "They will not impose their will or law upon us" I am quoting directly from this page. As disturbing as this was I chose to look at some of the comments ranging from calling Muslim people "Sand Monkeys" (Why not use the term Sand Nigger. That's what this individual wanted to say, and I have heard this term used before in a derogatory fashion) to calling people unpatriotic, and Un- American for suggesting that all Muslims should not be lumped in with the extremists. One individual suggested that anyone holding a qur'an be burned that day. Am I the only one who finds this disturbing, and downright scary?
I consider myself a person who usually gets "it". "It" meaning the reason and crux of situations, but I need help here folks. This is disturbing because I don't get it, meaning the point other than paranoia and hatred. These very people frothing at the mouth are some of the same folks who claim to be advocates of wholesome American values, and will tout biblical scriptures at you faster than you can say "Love thy brother", But this is a sick mentality that is no better than what happened in Nazi Germany, which by the way I see no one offering to burn a copy of "Mein Kampf", which was a manifesto of hatred that wound up killing millions of people, and of course no one suggested we burn copies of "Les Miserables" because the French denied us airspace.
But my point is this. How can these folks claim to be any better than the people they claim are vicious, people with no regard for freedoms or Americans? When people take things to destroy, or burn, in order to make some weird point of patriotism you become exactly the mentality of what Nazi Germany became. Argue with me all you want, but that is one thing that I do get and clearly. How mob mentality develops into movements.
These folks are joining a very dangerous frame of mind that is devoid of tolerance and logic, and based in primal emotion. I like everyone was extremely angry about 9/11, but I refuse to jump on a bandwagon that lumps individuals into a 1 dimensional view of caricatures. Extremists were the ones responsible, and it is insulting to suggest that all Muslims are extremists. A Christian would not want people saying that all Christians are fanatics who blow up abortion clinics, anymore than I would want someone to say that all blacks are criminals, nor would someone white want it suggested that all whites are racists. These folks unfortunately will never see that logic through the froth.
I support someone's right to say whatever they choose in this country because it's what we believe. But spreading hatred sometimes is just not a responsible mentality, and it goes once again with the 80/20 theory of problems. A small segment of idiots who froth at the mouth may be big problems for those who want to just celebrate America's birthday, and light a few fireworks. Misguided twisted ideas of patriotism that turn from celebration to condemnation.
I know some folks might be a little pissed at this blog but I don't give a shit. Hatred is as hatred does, and anyone who participates in a day where destruction is advocated that has nothing to do with human rights, I have to question just what is truly in their soul, and what is driving the engine of their logic. Because when you decide to burn something in the name of condemnation, or fear, and hatred, you burn a part of yourself. The part that could make the world actually better. The part that wants to connect with people for solutions, the part that can call someone you don't really know "Brother, or Sister", or the part that can spread hope and love. And when people burn that part of themselves, we become no better than those seeking to destroy us, and then we are all doomed as we go down with the lynch mob mentality. Once started, it will not end where it began. It never ends, and there will always be something else to condemn, hate or froth at the mouth over.
It reminds me of the statement by Martin Niemoller:
When the Nazis came for the Communists
I remained silent
I was not a Communist
When they locked up Social Democrats
I did not speak out
I was not a Social Democrat
When they came for the Trade Unionists
I did not speak out
I was not a Trade Unionist
When they came for the Jews
I remained silent
I wasn't a Jew
When they came for me
There was no one left to speak out.
On the side of my page a request to join a page keeps popping up, and it is to me very disturbing. It is the "Burn a Qur'an on July 4th day" page. If you do not believe me then be my guest to look it up. I was curious to know what this was all about so without liking the page, I was able to view the mission of the page, and comments from those "attending" this particular event which means wherever the individual is. The mission states that Islam is an 'evil death cult" and that Islam is "Not a religion". The mission states that this event has been started to show Muslims that "They will not impose their will or law upon us" I am quoting directly from this page. As disturbing as this was I chose to look at some of the comments ranging from calling Muslim people "Sand Monkeys" (Why not use the term Sand Nigger. That's what this individual wanted to say, and I have heard this term used before in a derogatory fashion) to calling people unpatriotic, and Un- American for suggesting that all Muslims should not be lumped in with the extremists. One individual suggested that anyone holding a qur'an be burned that day. Am I the only one who finds this disturbing, and downright scary?
I consider myself a person who usually gets "it". "It" meaning the reason and crux of situations, but I need help here folks. This is disturbing because I don't get it, meaning the point other than paranoia and hatred. These very people frothing at the mouth are some of the same folks who claim to be advocates of wholesome American values, and will tout biblical scriptures at you faster than you can say "Love thy brother", But this is a sick mentality that is no better than what happened in Nazi Germany, which by the way I see no one offering to burn a copy of "Mein Kampf", which was a manifesto of hatred that wound up killing millions of people, and of course no one suggested we burn copies of "Les Miserables" because the French denied us airspace.
But my point is this. How can these folks claim to be any better than the people they claim are vicious, people with no regard for freedoms or Americans? When people take things to destroy, or burn, in order to make some weird point of patriotism you become exactly the mentality of what Nazi Germany became. Argue with me all you want, but that is one thing that I do get and clearly. How mob mentality develops into movements.
These folks are joining a very dangerous frame of mind that is devoid of tolerance and logic, and based in primal emotion. I like everyone was extremely angry about 9/11, but I refuse to jump on a bandwagon that lumps individuals into a 1 dimensional view of caricatures. Extremists were the ones responsible, and it is insulting to suggest that all Muslims are extremists. A Christian would not want people saying that all Christians are fanatics who blow up abortion clinics, anymore than I would want someone to say that all blacks are criminals, nor would someone white want it suggested that all whites are racists. These folks unfortunately will never see that logic through the froth.
I support someone's right to say whatever they choose in this country because it's what we believe. But spreading hatred sometimes is just not a responsible mentality, and it goes once again with the 80/20 theory of problems. A small segment of idiots who froth at the mouth may be big problems for those who want to just celebrate America's birthday, and light a few fireworks. Misguided twisted ideas of patriotism that turn from celebration to condemnation.
I know some folks might be a little pissed at this blog but I don't give a shit. Hatred is as hatred does, and anyone who participates in a day where destruction is advocated that has nothing to do with human rights, I have to question just what is truly in their soul, and what is driving the engine of their logic. Because when you decide to burn something in the name of condemnation, or fear, and hatred, you burn a part of yourself. The part that could make the world actually better. The part that wants to connect with people for solutions, the part that can call someone you don't really know "Brother, or Sister", or the part that can spread hope and love. And when people burn that part of themselves, we become no better than those seeking to destroy us, and then we are all doomed as we go down with the lynch mob mentality. Once started, it will not end where it began. It never ends, and there will always be something else to condemn, hate or froth at the mouth over.
It reminds me of the statement by Martin Niemoller:
When the Nazis came for the Communists
I remained silent
I was not a Communist
When they locked up Social Democrats
I did not speak out
I was not a Social Democrat
When they came for the Trade Unionists
I did not speak out
I was not a Trade Unionist
When they came for the Jews
I remained silent
I wasn't a Jew
When they came for me
There was no one left to speak out.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Reading From The Same Sheet: Like minds in motion
I had the fortunate opportunity last night to go on a radio program with my bandmates to talk about Solistic, and what we are about, and our music. When the opportunity presented itself to talk about the dynamics of the band, I couldn't help but feel pride, friendship and love for my fellow bandmates and manager. We are strong willed determined individuals with our own opnions and ways of doing things, but we are all reading from the same sheet of music. It is refreshing to be in a situation where that is the case, and I feel blessed to be in it. It made me think about how a situation like that applies not only to music, and a band but to all facets of human relationships and goals.
Quite a few situations in life are very simple, and pretty cut and dry. It is people that complicate the situations. people have the uncanny ability to make things more complicated than they have to be, and then angst ensues in a situation that had not even a hint of it. The problem stems from ego, and that dreaded, "It's about me" mentality that never fails to get in the way of progress, and puts everyone on edge because it gets in the way of the big picture, and the idea of contribution to the greater whole. Or it stems from the desire for control of a situation, and be on the upper hand should something go awry. But either way, human beings screw things up quite a bit where it didn't have to be hard.
It is difficult sometimes to sacrifice ones self for a greater good, whether it be in business, a creative venture, a marriage, or anything else where there is more than one mind at work for a particular goal. There has to be the goal itself, with a particular way to gauge progress that everyone can agree upon, and if someone is not in accord with a particular situation, things must be said and aired out, and not swept under the rug. It's very easy to stew over something, and hope that it changes, but when doing that there begins to be a subliminal sabotage that happens because of the unhappiness. You will begin to put less and less into the situation to make things better, and pretty soon there is angst.
The harmony that can come from reading from the same sheet is conducive to forward motion because everyone knows what their role is within the big picture, and once you start to see the big picture take shape, you will want more harmony, so you will do the things to facilitate the harmonious atmosphere. A positive spiral all around. When people complicate the matters of harmony, there begins to be chaos because ideas and ways of doing things become compromised as approaching and dealing with one another from "an angle" become the norm. Straight shooting is definitely in order if there is to be harmony.
Life is much too short to deal with nonsense, and it's too bad that nonsense seems to sometimes rule situations. So when a nice situation comes into your life where everyone is reading from the same sheet of music, don't take it for granted, because it doesn't come along often, and for some it never comes along. But just remember your role of sacrifice, and the part of yourself and ideas that you may have to compromise to make it work. If you can get rid of ego, and understand that, and the other folks do the same, there will be in place the foundation for possible good things for all involved.
Quite a few situations in life are very simple, and pretty cut and dry. It is people that complicate the situations. people have the uncanny ability to make things more complicated than they have to be, and then angst ensues in a situation that had not even a hint of it. The problem stems from ego, and that dreaded, "It's about me" mentality that never fails to get in the way of progress, and puts everyone on edge because it gets in the way of the big picture, and the idea of contribution to the greater whole. Or it stems from the desire for control of a situation, and be on the upper hand should something go awry. But either way, human beings screw things up quite a bit where it didn't have to be hard.
It is difficult sometimes to sacrifice ones self for a greater good, whether it be in business, a creative venture, a marriage, or anything else where there is more than one mind at work for a particular goal. There has to be the goal itself, with a particular way to gauge progress that everyone can agree upon, and if someone is not in accord with a particular situation, things must be said and aired out, and not swept under the rug. It's very easy to stew over something, and hope that it changes, but when doing that there begins to be a subliminal sabotage that happens because of the unhappiness. You will begin to put less and less into the situation to make things better, and pretty soon there is angst.
The harmony that can come from reading from the same sheet is conducive to forward motion because everyone knows what their role is within the big picture, and once you start to see the big picture take shape, you will want more harmony, so you will do the things to facilitate the harmonious atmosphere. A positive spiral all around. When people complicate the matters of harmony, there begins to be chaos because ideas and ways of doing things become compromised as approaching and dealing with one another from "an angle" become the norm. Straight shooting is definitely in order if there is to be harmony.
Life is much too short to deal with nonsense, and it's too bad that nonsense seems to sometimes rule situations. So when a nice situation comes into your life where everyone is reading from the same sheet of music, don't take it for granted, because it doesn't come along often, and for some it never comes along. But just remember your role of sacrifice, and the part of yourself and ideas that you may have to compromise to make it work. If you can get rid of ego, and understand that, and the other folks do the same, there will be in place the foundation for possible good things for all involved.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Things That Go Boom: Behind the bombast
One of the hardest lessons in life to learn is that sometimes big noises, flamboyancy, and gigantic appearances are just not the best possible option. This philosophy is applied to individuals, products, and entertainment, as we often have a tendency to want to take a look at explosions and bombast. The problem with doing that is that you can easily get fooled and quickly get disappointed by what comes after the explosions and loud noises, and what is finally revealed when the smoke clears. Usually the answer is "Nothing".
No matter who you are, it is easy to be attracted to bombast. It is loud, attention getting tactics that make eyebrows raise, and mouths gape open with "Wow" effect. Whether it be folks that live and breathe braggadocio comments about what they can do, and how they are great and in demand of services, and can provide you with coolness and satisfaction just by association, or products that advertise bigger, better, stronger, faster, in loud voices, bombast is easy to mistake for quality. Bombast draws you in, and why wouldn't it because it is powerful, and colorful in ways that appeal to the basic visceral ideas that something or someone must be good because they have the balls to say so. The squeaky wheel gets oil, and bombast squeaks so loudly that folks investigate its need for attention and get sucked in by the loudness. We turn into children again who are fascinated by fireworks in the night sky. That's how bombast grabs and holds individuals because the "Boom" "Pow" and "Bam" metaphors are like magnets to our soul. The audacity, the chutzpah, and the loud words almost make bombastic things and people seem larger than life, and super. This is particularly true with entertainment as celebrities and musicians who are bombastic seem almost otherworldly because of the bragging, the flamboyant behavior, and the attention grabbing personalities, clothes and people that they seem to surround themselves with. They can't seem to shut up, and just as people do with products, they buy the individuals and see if the hype and talk is good and true, while getting sucked into a fantasy. When the smoke of their bragging, posturing, and larger than life behavior clears, it is usually revealed that there was nothing there. No substance, no foundation for excellence, and no ability to produce consistent quality. How many times have we purchased a product that was advertised to do amazing things only to find that the product performed no better than the item that you tried to replace it with. Sometimes it didn't even come close. Now there is a distinct difference between bombast, and confidence. Confidence is the inward belief of ability. Bombast is the act of trying to make everyone else believe it.
That brings me to what counters bombast and smoke, which is understatement. usually the folks who can do jobs, perform tasks, or have great abilities, rarely brag, advertise, or even talk about what they can do. Just as generic products have no huge "New and improved" label on the front, but read the back closely, and you will see that the ingredients on the back are just as good, or even better, or your friends and neighbors use the product and rave about it. Individuals and entertainment are similar. The understated individuals if you watch closely are not about bombast at all, because they are too busy hard at work taking care of business. And if you ask them about their work they will refer you to a body of work for you to review, or refer you to folks who have experienced what they do. Their work speaks for itself, and you make the judgment. Their philosophy is usually this: Do you like what you have seen? Great let's talk. If not, then move to someone else. There is no bombast, or smoke or loud noises. Only quality, and a body of work to be examined along with recommendations. They usually leave their assessment of what they do to be determined by what they have done, and there is no greater advertisement than that.
Whether it be products, contractors, actors, musicians, or just plain ordinary folk in your lives, beware of explosions, bombast and braggadocio. it is code for "something else is needed here". Quality does not need a helping voice. Quality is the voice itself, and quality is usually very quiet, and efficient, and boring. But wouldn't one rather have the boring efficiency of complete quality, rather than the discovery of nothing behind the smoke and explosions of bombast? Save yourself valuable time and listen closely. What you don't hear may be the best thing for you to look into.
No matter who you are, it is easy to be attracted to bombast. It is loud, attention getting tactics that make eyebrows raise, and mouths gape open with "Wow" effect. Whether it be folks that live and breathe braggadocio comments about what they can do, and how they are great and in demand of services, and can provide you with coolness and satisfaction just by association, or products that advertise bigger, better, stronger, faster, in loud voices, bombast is easy to mistake for quality. Bombast draws you in, and why wouldn't it because it is powerful, and colorful in ways that appeal to the basic visceral ideas that something or someone must be good because they have the balls to say so. The squeaky wheel gets oil, and bombast squeaks so loudly that folks investigate its need for attention and get sucked in by the loudness. We turn into children again who are fascinated by fireworks in the night sky. That's how bombast grabs and holds individuals because the "Boom" "Pow" and "Bam" metaphors are like magnets to our soul. The audacity, the chutzpah, and the loud words almost make bombastic things and people seem larger than life, and super. This is particularly true with entertainment as celebrities and musicians who are bombastic seem almost otherworldly because of the bragging, the flamboyant behavior, and the attention grabbing personalities, clothes and people that they seem to surround themselves with. They can't seem to shut up, and just as people do with products, they buy the individuals and see if the hype and talk is good and true, while getting sucked into a fantasy. When the smoke of their bragging, posturing, and larger than life behavior clears, it is usually revealed that there was nothing there. No substance, no foundation for excellence, and no ability to produce consistent quality. How many times have we purchased a product that was advertised to do amazing things only to find that the product performed no better than the item that you tried to replace it with. Sometimes it didn't even come close. Now there is a distinct difference between bombast, and confidence. Confidence is the inward belief of ability. Bombast is the act of trying to make everyone else believe it.
That brings me to what counters bombast and smoke, which is understatement. usually the folks who can do jobs, perform tasks, or have great abilities, rarely brag, advertise, or even talk about what they can do. Just as generic products have no huge "New and improved" label on the front, but read the back closely, and you will see that the ingredients on the back are just as good, or even better, or your friends and neighbors use the product and rave about it. Individuals and entertainment are similar. The understated individuals if you watch closely are not about bombast at all, because they are too busy hard at work taking care of business. And if you ask them about their work they will refer you to a body of work for you to review, or refer you to folks who have experienced what they do. Their work speaks for itself, and you make the judgment. Their philosophy is usually this: Do you like what you have seen? Great let's talk. If not, then move to someone else. There is no bombast, or smoke or loud noises. Only quality, and a body of work to be examined along with recommendations. They usually leave their assessment of what they do to be determined by what they have done, and there is no greater advertisement than that.
Whether it be products, contractors, actors, musicians, or just plain ordinary folk in your lives, beware of explosions, bombast and braggadocio. it is code for "something else is needed here". Quality does not need a helping voice. Quality is the voice itself, and quality is usually very quiet, and efficient, and boring. But wouldn't one rather have the boring efficiency of complete quality, rather than the discovery of nothing behind the smoke and explosions of bombast? Save yourself valuable time and listen closely. What you don't hear may be the best thing for you to look into.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
School Of Hard Mocks: The difficult job of teachers
The recent story of a teacher in Florida punching a student who was threatening her verbally and on the verge of physically once again raises the issue of how hard life is for teachers in schools nowadays. Next to a parent, being a teacher is the most important adult that a child, or young person will have in their lives for a long time. It is one of the most important jobs in the world in my opinion as teachers have to be babysitters, psychologists, counselors, and have to often times do their job of teaching with one hand behind their back because they now can't do "This", they can't say "That" and if they do, litigious parents will get involved, or some dog and pony show of bureaucracy will get them reprimanded or canned for just trying to do their jobs in an environment that sometimes isn't ideal.
There have always been class clowns and disruptive forces in a teacher's pursuit of running their particular corner store of education, but these days it seems as though more and more teachers have to fend for their safety, and have the possibility of getting severely hurt, and even killed. Teachers should be the most revered and respected people in the world. They are to me, but I believe a good teacher should have everyone's respect. It is a job where you don't always see the complete impact of your interactions because most of the things that a teachers has taught are retained for later uses in someone's life, and not many adults bother to come back to their teachers and thank them for what disciplines and knowledge were instilled as a youth. The future depends upon these people who shape the way a child will interact with others, and the way youth learn how to function in a world of logical decision making, and choices of behavior.
When I hear about a teacher having to make a choice of defending themselves while trying to do an important job, I am saddened, and angered. Parents sometimes are the biggest roadblocks to education, as they are quick to discipline authority figures that they can receive monetary soothing from as opposed to disciplining, and fixing a kid who treats an adult in such a manner. And when you see some of these interviews with parents, you can see why their child is such a mess.
It is totally inexcusable for the profession of teacher to be one where the high pay has to be fought for, and where there is a shortage. There should be a surplus of folks wanting to do such a thing as teaching, because of the reward, but the environment of danger, and the lawsuit crazy society, along with the idea that a teacher has to teach with one hand behind their back makes it a non option for some. I just think that it is sad, and teachers deserve more. Think about your favorite teachers and what you would be doing without their influence. Nowadays some kids mock their teachers and education in general, and stupidity is sometimes a fashion. There are wonderful kids out there who really are trying and respect their teachers, and do well in school but the ones that don't are dangerous individuals who not only disrupt classrooms but lives also. And they get away with it because they have learned to live in a world without consequences by their parents or by any authority figures. And they ruin it for everyone else.
If I was this woman, I would have done the same thing, and that kid wouldn't have gotten up.
No need for idiocy in schools. That's what schools are for. To prevent idiocy in the future. Sadly some kids and adults have skipped those classes..Repeatedly.
There have always been class clowns and disruptive forces in a teacher's pursuit of running their particular corner store of education, but these days it seems as though more and more teachers have to fend for their safety, and have the possibility of getting severely hurt, and even killed. Teachers should be the most revered and respected people in the world. They are to me, but I believe a good teacher should have everyone's respect. It is a job where you don't always see the complete impact of your interactions because most of the things that a teachers has taught are retained for later uses in someone's life, and not many adults bother to come back to their teachers and thank them for what disciplines and knowledge were instilled as a youth. The future depends upon these people who shape the way a child will interact with others, and the way youth learn how to function in a world of logical decision making, and choices of behavior.
When I hear about a teacher having to make a choice of defending themselves while trying to do an important job, I am saddened, and angered. Parents sometimes are the biggest roadblocks to education, as they are quick to discipline authority figures that they can receive monetary soothing from as opposed to disciplining, and fixing a kid who treats an adult in such a manner. And when you see some of these interviews with parents, you can see why their child is such a mess.
It is totally inexcusable for the profession of teacher to be one where the high pay has to be fought for, and where there is a shortage. There should be a surplus of folks wanting to do such a thing as teaching, because of the reward, but the environment of danger, and the lawsuit crazy society, along with the idea that a teacher has to teach with one hand behind their back makes it a non option for some. I just think that it is sad, and teachers deserve more. Think about your favorite teachers and what you would be doing without their influence. Nowadays some kids mock their teachers and education in general, and stupidity is sometimes a fashion. There are wonderful kids out there who really are trying and respect their teachers, and do well in school but the ones that don't are dangerous individuals who not only disrupt classrooms but lives also. And they get away with it because they have learned to live in a world without consequences by their parents or by any authority figures. And they ruin it for everyone else.
If I was this woman, I would have done the same thing, and that kid wouldn't have gotten up.
No need for idiocy in schools. That's what schools are for. To prevent idiocy in the future. Sadly some kids and adults have skipped those classes..Repeatedly.
Monday, June 6, 2011
As The Crow Used to Fly: The not so straight interactions of today
I am constantly reminded of the interactions that we have with one another. It is sometimes like small battles that we engage in to understand and be understood by others, and occasionally there are disconnects, and words said, and things assumed that don't get straightened out when they could have or should have. That is life between us humans. We sometimes never realize what we say or do, and it sometimes festers and boils over on another end and there is never a productive outcome. Too many times people focus also on the bad aspects of interactions rather than the positive, because the negative aspects produce such visceral feelings, and visceral feelings sometimes govern us more than our reason.
As this world gets smaller and smaller, and people are used to e-mailing, texting, Facebooking, or tweeting, or whatever way there is to communicate, or deal with folks, face time, or dealing with one another "As the crow flies" dwindles. Problems are sometimes created by the off center way that we deal with one another, and the problems get compounded by the lack of person to person problem solving. We have all been guilty of saying or doing something unaware that offends someone, or makes someone question our actions. The truth is that none of us read minds, and when that happens someone needs to say something to make someone who's unaware now hip to the problem. We as human beings love to hold on to pride, and certain self righteous leanings where even the most honorable person may choose to maintain a grudge. Friendships are easily put to the test when this occurs, but part of the problem lies within the fast paced world we're in where it's easy to distance ones self and create a major time disconnect, so now what could have been solved by a simple meet now is under the rug growing larger.
The fine line between friends and enemies is already a delicate frayed one, and with the road blocks of technology abound people can fall onto the negative side of that very easy, taking with them communication, desire to air out grievances, and resentments that grow to be unwieldy and hard to melt. Years ago people would call one another, or meet somewhere where a particular situation could be hashed out. There may even be yelling, or some other high energy exchange, but it got purged. Now, even as the world gets closer, it is easier to make someone disappear, and ignore them, or keep them at bay without really talking to them. So in a world where communication is enhanced technologically, it gets lost personally.We seem destined to be folks who deal with one another on a daily basis of sideways interaction, always trying to correct what we have texted or written, and not understanding what each other are feeling. Through the glass we will be to one another, and strangers who don't know how to hold meaningful conversations face to face. It is not all the way there yet, but it is slowly getting there. The children of today will be the communicators of tomorrow. And the only things that they will have to say to one another is "OMG" and "LOL". Human interaction has been and is still the most frail barrier to be broken by us. Do we really need any more help to misunderstand one another?
As this world gets smaller and smaller, and people are used to e-mailing, texting, Facebooking, or tweeting, or whatever way there is to communicate, or deal with folks, face time, or dealing with one another "As the crow flies" dwindles. Problems are sometimes created by the off center way that we deal with one another, and the problems get compounded by the lack of person to person problem solving. We have all been guilty of saying or doing something unaware that offends someone, or makes someone question our actions. The truth is that none of us read minds, and when that happens someone needs to say something to make someone who's unaware now hip to the problem. We as human beings love to hold on to pride, and certain self righteous leanings where even the most honorable person may choose to maintain a grudge. Friendships are easily put to the test when this occurs, but part of the problem lies within the fast paced world we're in where it's easy to distance ones self and create a major time disconnect, so now what could have been solved by a simple meet now is under the rug growing larger.
The fine line between friends and enemies is already a delicate frayed one, and with the road blocks of technology abound people can fall onto the negative side of that very easy, taking with them communication, desire to air out grievances, and resentments that grow to be unwieldy and hard to melt. Years ago people would call one another, or meet somewhere where a particular situation could be hashed out. There may even be yelling, or some other high energy exchange, but it got purged. Now, even as the world gets closer, it is easier to make someone disappear, and ignore them, or keep them at bay without really talking to them. So in a world where communication is enhanced technologically, it gets lost personally.We seem destined to be folks who deal with one another on a daily basis of sideways interaction, always trying to correct what we have texted or written, and not understanding what each other are feeling. Through the glass we will be to one another, and strangers who don't know how to hold meaningful conversations face to face. It is not all the way there yet, but it is slowly getting there. The children of today will be the communicators of tomorrow. And the only things that they will have to say to one another is "OMG" and "LOL". Human interaction has been and is still the most frail barrier to be broken by us. Do we really need any more help to misunderstand one another?
Friday, June 3, 2011
Have You Any Dreams You'd like to sell: Aspirations in reality
Everyone has dreams. It's in all of us to have a desire to do something that we would like to do, and picture ourselves doing it like we are watching a movie. We daydream, plot, write out, draw up, and create ideas in our heads about how it can possibly happen. The hard part is the physical aspects of moving forward to making it happen, because in our heads we never see the snags, setbacks, problems, and issues confronting the dream, because most of the time we are seeing the end result in our dream and not the middle passages of it. Starting is easy, imagining getting there is gratifying, but it's the middle that messes everyone up because that is the hardest part to keeping the dream in motion.Sometimes your particular dreams may seem unrealistic to other people, but if you have them, them you must stick with them. To lose your dreams are akin to losing yourself, and your sense of sustained hope, so you must keep them, but to achieve them, you must have one thing..A base of grounded reality in how to achieve it.
Most times if you ask someone about their dream, they can give you details about what it is, and what the end results will look like when they get there, but most of the time, they can't tell you what they believe the detailed steps are to do it.And that is the most important part of dreams. The ability to map out a reasonable course of action based in reality. When you set a dream no matter how simple or lofty, you need to map out specific steps to get there that are in increments, and can easily be measured. If you bypass basic steps you will begin to fail because you will not have put forth a logical step by step procedure. Having a step by step procedure guarantees that you will have a reasonable gauge to go by. progress takes patience which is why the steps should be small, because it can be awfully discouraging to think that nothing is getting done, and that feeling can happen if the steps are too big. In dreams, baby steps are the best plans, because being meticulous is crucial in the journey of a dream. Sloppy plans will breed sloppy actions, and a sloppy result, which can of course breed sloppy failure.
Sometimes the dream involves finding other people to make it work. Well there's a whole other dynamic, because you have to find like minded people who believe in the same dream, and whatever steps are being taken to get there, are agreeable by all harmoniously. That's where communication is key, because if someone disagrees with the process, or something within it, it needs to be discussed, and purged, in order to go forward. Collective dreams are the absolute hardest because of the different personalities involved. But if there is communication, and everyone has the same goal, the nuances can be gotten over. If there is disagreement then obviously people may get interchanged in the course, but harmony is the most important aspect in collective dream.
Another hard pill to swallow is dreams failing. That is life, and the most successful folks in the world have failed miserably at one point, so the failure is disheartening, and can be a blow, but the blow shouldn't be fatal. Quite a few folks give up though because sometimes dreams take money to achieve, and if one loses their money on the failure of a dream, it can mean the end of planning for a long time. So that is understandable, but where there is a will, there really is a way. The hard part is just getting the emotional drive back after a failure such as that, because it can seriously put out a fire in one's soul.
And lastly, a dream has to be flexible because the conditions to make it happen might change, you might change, or some fortune in the process might make a change necessary, so the more flexible that the dream is, the better you will be able to adapt to it. The based in reality idea is key because you have to be able to say to yourself, "This can be done this way, and with these steps and persistence the end result can be what I imagine." So usually if you can apply the steps of your dream to someone else, and you can nod your head and picture it being done by them, it can usually be done by you. Never give up on a dream, because your sense of self is at stake if you do. Dreaming is not just for kids or dreamers. It's for everyone who has hope to do something that defines them, and satisfies them. Have you any dreams you'd like to sell? Then sell them to yourself, because their value always increases with time.
Most times if you ask someone about their dream, they can give you details about what it is, and what the end results will look like when they get there, but most of the time, they can't tell you what they believe the detailed steps are to do it.And that is the most important part of dreams. The ability to map out a reasonable course of action based in reality. When you set a dream no matter how simple or lofty, you need to map out specific steps to get there that are in increments, and can easily be measured. If you bypass basic steps you will begin to fail because you will not have put forth a logical step by step procedure. Having a step by step procedure guarantees that you will have a reasonable gauge to go by. progress takes patience which is why the steps should be small, because it can be awfully discouraging to think that nothing is getting done, and that feeling can happen if the steps are too big. In dreams, baby steps are the best plans, because being meticulous is crucial in the journey of a dream. Sloppy plans will breed sloppy actions, and a sloppy result, which can of course breed sloppy failure.
Sometimes the dream involves finding other people to make it work. Well there's a whole other dynamic, because you have to find like minded people who believe in the same dream, and whatever steps are being taken to get there, are agreeable by all harmoniously. That's where communication is key, because if someone disagrees with the process, or something within it, it needs to be discussed, and purged, in order to go forward. Collective dreams are the absolute hardest because of the different personalities involved. But if there is communication, and everyone has the same goal, the nuances can be gotten over. If there is disagreement then obviously people may get interchanged in the course, but harmony is the most important aspect in collective dream.
Another hard pill to swallow is dreams failing. That is life, and the most successful folks in the world have failed miserably at one point, so the failure is disheartening, and can be a blow, but the blow shouldn't be fatal. Quite a few folks give up though because sometimes dreams take money to achieve, and if one loses their money on the failure of a dream, it can mean the end of planning for a long time. So that is understandable, but where there is a will, there really is a way. The hard part is just getting the emotional drive back after a failure such as that, because it can seriously put out a fire in one's soul.
And lastly, a dream has to be flexible because the conditions to make it happen might change, you might change, or some fortune in the process might make a change necessary, so the more flexible that the dream is, the better you will be able to adapt to it. The based in reality idea is key because you have to be able to say to yourself, "This can be done this way, and with these steps and persistence the end result can be what I imagine." So usually if you can apply the steps of your dream to someone else, and you can nod your head and picture it being done by them, it can usually be done by you. Never give up on a dream, because your sense of self is at stake if you do. Dreaming is not just for kids or dreamers. It's for everyone who has hope to do something that defines them, and satisfies them. Have you any dreams you'd like to sell? Then sell them to yourself, because their value always increases with time.
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