Antithesis of wisdom...

I just wish people would regard nature with the same level of reverence and devotion that they reserve for their own personal God(s). Across the globe, environmental disasters are on the rise. And when disaster strikes, the majority of people turn to their God(s) for an answer...as though God himself had some part in the climatic atrocities that are wreaking havoc on our planet. In perilous times, people often turn to their religious faith as a means of solace; and ultimately a support to get them through their own personal tragedies. This particular aspect of religion does not offend me; what does offend me, is the fact that religious people willingly allow their faith to act as a shield of ignorance; placing too much emphasis on the role that their God plays in the outcome of their lives, and not placing enough of the onus of responsibility upon their own shoulders. This is most evidently portrayed in how human beings have treated their natural environment; with complete disregard, sponging the resources of their natural surroundings. It is a shame that children are not taught more about the planet, the environment, and how we should be striving for a healthy and balanced relationship with the earth. Our presence on earth has a direct impact; resulting in a ripple effect: generations to come are affected. Its natural resources are pertinent to our survival, and yet humans have chosen to ignore their relationship with the earth, and to take its offerings for granted. In any healthy reciprocal relationship, there must be give and take. Unfortunately, humans have been consuming its resources and giving very little back in return. This onslaught of environmental disasters and climatic change is not due to our tumultuous relationship with an invisible God; the changes are due to our very misguided and schizoid relationship with the planet. As humans, we have depleted the earths natural resources. Our unforgivable mistake; that we have treated the earths natural resources(capital) as if it were income items, when undeniably they are capital items. If we had initially recognized them as being capital items, we most certainly would have striven to conserve these natural resources instead of treating them as though they were expendable. People are finally now waking up the the awful truth; that in squandering these resources, we have ultimately threatened not only our civilization, but life itself. We have wreaked havoc on this earth to no avail; the result being, our current way of life has done irreparable damage to the planet, and any healthy equibrilium between the planet and its inhabitants has been lost. Instead of looking to God for answers, people should be adopting a more scientific perspective in regard to the earths status. We are at a critical point in our civilization; garnering the appropriate knowledge to shield ourselves is no longer enough: we must apply it. We need to adopt a more minimalistic approach to our lives; strive for that reciprocal relationship with the planet: tread lightly. E.F. Schumacher was absolutely correct when he stated that ' the concentration and expansion of needs is the antithesis of wisdom; it is also the antithesis of freedom and peace', and that 'Ever bigger machines, entailing ever bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever greater violence against the environment, does not represent progress: they are a denial of wisdom.' This sentiment brings to mind the great Law of the Iroquois that states, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impacts of our decisions on the next seven generations." Can you imagine what the world would be like today if every person on this planet had shared in this vision? I reckon things would be drastically different.

the plight of an insomiac library monitor...

Oh, how I was disillusioned. Somehow I had convinced myself that signing on for a contract position at the UW library was a brilliant idea. I had entertained thoughts of whimsical evenings spent circulating the library's circumference; lovingly handling the multitude of journals and microfilms...breathing in the musty odour of aging volumes(refer to picture on the right); the outer linings of the bindings heavily laden with dust. I had romanticized my role as a Library monitor...which is easy to do, when faced with the grave yard shift; an insomiacs late night haven...complete with half done crosswords/sudokus, a clutter of empty tea cups, scone crumbs and intermitten gchat sessions. I was seduced by the prospect of dim lights, sheer silence, and the innocuous presence of studious students with their nose(s) stuck in a book. I could not have been more mistaken. The youth of today are an intolerable lot...they bear no respect towards the library's policies; nor the people who inhabit the same space as them. I made the mistake of foolishly believing that a library is still an establishment where people go to study, to learn...a quiet space...conducive to brainstorming, research, and fervent writing sessions...not conducive to rowdy pizza parties, gossipy tete a tetes, and full on make out sessions. Possibly I am just a stick in the mud; adhering to the diminishing policies of the past. Nevertheless, as dawn broke, I was bombarded by the rude awakening that this younger generation is sans manners; amongst a multitude of other necessary life enhancing skills. Unfortunately for me, that means my stay at the UW library is sure to produce a more stressful than whimsical experience, most likely resulting in several more silver hairs sprouting from my head. My only solace is between the hours of 4am and 6am, where very few students linger, and I am granted some peace of mind...and for a fleeting moment in time I can still cling to some of the romanticism I had earlier spoke of...where I can lose myself in the soft trickle of time...returning and stacking misplaced books to the appropriate book cart, jotting down entrance stats, and diligently taking note of the library's occupancy. As I write this, I realize that not all is lost...although the majority of patrons are riled up/disrespectful little twerps, the library itself is still an inspiring place to work... even if my position there warrants me to be a full fledged babysitter, there are certain behavioural management strategies that I delight in...such as shushing the students, and/or donning a rather menacing look as I traverse the library's parameters....oh the joys and woes of being a library monitor!

lightness of being

As the Spring season begins to take shape, I am looking to

shed not only my Winter skin, but also the dead weight of the previous

season from my tresses. A new beginning; aesthetically speaking that is. 2009 is proving to be a year of change(s); some welcome; whilst naturally, others are starting to show their true nature: cumbersome. I wish to rid myself of the 'heavies' of my life. I consider myself to be an emotionally weighted person...and yearn for a lightness of being. How exactly one acquires this, I have no idea. I reckon the best option for someone like myself, is to mate with someone who embodies this lightness, and therefore an equilibrium of our two natures will be established. I am reminded of Kundera's spin on Nietzsche's Eternal return, and how Kundera described lightness as a state in which nothing in our lives was ever repeated; that our very existence was fragile in nature because nothing we ever did would affect, or impact future generations...he deemed a life marked by lightness as insignificant, and not worth living at all. Hence the title of his novel 'The unbearable lightness of being'. I tend to disagree with Kundera, as I do not perceive anything unbearable in a life not repeated...I rather think it's a romantic notion; to live out ones life where every single action occurs only once, and will not be continuously regurgitated/reincarnated...no enduring mark on future generations, no apparent legacy to be left behind. The more realistic view, is that of Nietzsche: "the idea that an eternal recurrence of blind, meaningless variation—chaotic, pointless shuffling of matter and law—would inevitably spew up worlds whose evolution through time would yield the apparently meaningful stories of our lives." The act of turning meaningless to meaning... that is, after all, what we are seeking to do... is it not?

Ryan McGinley

I was made aware of Ryan via the Sigur Ros website. They chose one of the photos from his ' I know where the Summer goes' exhibit to grace the cover of their latest cd. Simply beautiful. Check him out. http://www.ryanmcginley.com/

My constant companion. He who possesses ebony fur; stricken with a shade of amber. He often lays low; contented to yield to silence, his demeanor hums softly of other worlds. At night, he sleeps at the foot of my bed; an outstretched paw intermittently taps the floorboards. I am forever made aware of his presence, and his purpose. Within the dark recesses of this mad place; I slumber in defenselessness, whilst his eyes are ever watchful and discerning; offering up slivers of light. We share a burden, he and I, the weight of the worlds woes are distributed upon our shoulders. Often, more so his than mine. Without this earnest devotion to one another, I would surely slip softly away...he washes me clean of all of my tidal pain; absorbing any fragmented remnants upon his own aspect. My only companion; he whispers while I sleep. His nighttime musings resonate a lingering sadness; his words freeze time, as they penetrate the ceiling and walls that surround.