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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
Pathways: A Study of Shrapnel, Syndemics, and the Paths from Point A to Point B.
Point A and Point B are 100% certified Grade, er, A Certainties. The only questions seem to be a matter of when and how.
We burst into the world at Point A. Or sometimes we have to be pulled out depending on our level of infantile stubbornness. Immediately we set foot at the beginning of a Path. It is one of many Paths that eventually lead to Point B. At Point B we may exit in a brilliant flash of flame and and sound. One of our vital life-sustaining mechanisms may crap out. Or perhaps someone will bring a bloody war to our land and we die in a house to house cleansing.
In any event, we have before us a series of roads to take to get to Point B. Of course, as young infants we really don't have a clear concept of Point B, so it initially doesn't really inform our Path, other then natural fight or flight responses like "Feed Me." As we grow, however, we establish more control and more responsibility for our own orienteering. At every step of the way, it seems, there is a new turn that can be taken; left, right, left-right. Which do we choose? Why do we choose? Are we even aware of it?
Along the paths there is another phenomenon that is occuring. As we are walking our Paths, and deciding where to go (whether through instince or deliberate thought process), we are subjected to, and subjecting others to, Shrapnel.
Shrapnel are the bits of experience, events, ideas, and so on that are flying around as we walk the Paths. It's as though there are roadside bombs that are in a continuous state of detination. We walk along the path as a young child and at a certain point, we are subjected to Religious Shrapnel. Whether or not to follow our parents' deities? Whether or not to NOT follow deities. Whether or not to follow a deity different from our family's. As we are approaching the age of 18, we experience Shrapnel from education and career. Guidance counselors asking you if you want to attend the college fairs. Your Dad asking you if you are going to that ivy-league college he did. Or perhaps your Mom runs a flower shop and is expecting you to take over, after all it is called Me and My Daughter's Blooms.
There are, of course many, many other examples of Shrapnel. Of course, we aren't totally innocent in all of this. We too are part of the Shrapnel creating process. When we become parents we subject our children to expectations, wishes, and wants for their lives. As neighbors, we may be part of a collective attitude about how people's houses and yards should look. As members of Political Party X, we put signs in our yard saying, vote for Rudy Obama. We are throwing out just as much as others are throwing at us.
Do not be disillusioned about Shrapnel. It isn't all bad. There is Shrapnel of Art and Creativity. Walking by a park and seeing some folks drumming and creating music. The infective beat that is travelling across the air, that mandates that you move and groove. The lady down the road who is a brilliant artist, displaying her work at the local Sidewalk Art Exhibit. There is the Shrapnel of Happy Childlike Anarchy. Your little girl acting like a goon, and you can't help but to want to play along. Experiencing the joy in improvisational imagination, going with the flow. This is the sort of Shaprnel you WANT embedded in your flesh.
Next time, we will examine Shrapnel and how it affects the Paths we take...
We burst into the world at Point A. Or sometimes we have to be pulled out depending on our level of infantile stubbornness. Immediately we set foot at the beginning of a Path. It is one of many Paths that eventually lead to Point B. At Point B we may exit in a brilliant flash of flame and and sound. One of our vital life-sustaining mechanisms may crap out. Or perhaps someone will bring a bloody war to our land and we die in a house to house cleansing.
In any event, we have before us a series of roads to take to get to Point B. Of course, as young infants we really don't have a clear concept of Point B, so it initially doesn't really inform our Path, other then natural fight or flight responses like "Feed Me." As we grow, however, we establish more control and more responsibility for our own orienteering. At every step of the way, it seems, there is a new turn that can be taken; left, right, left-right. Which do we choose? Why do we choose? Are we even aware of it?
Along the paths there is another phenomenon that is occuring. As we are walking our Paths, and deciding where to go (whether through instince or deliberate thought process), we are subjected to, and subjecting others to, Shrapnel.
Shrapnel are the bits of experience, events, ideas, and so on that are flying around as we walk the Paths. It's as though there are roadside bombs that are in a continuous state of detination. We walk along the path as a young child and at a certain point, we are subjected to Religious Shrapnel. Whether or not to follow our parents' deities? Whether or not to NOT follow deities. Whether or not to follow a deity different from our family's. As we are approaching the age of 18, we experience Shrapnel from education and career. Guidance counselors asking you if you want to attend the college fairs. Your Dad asking you if you are going to that ivy-league college he did. Or perhaps your Mom runs a flower shop and is expecting you to take over, after all it is called Me and My Daughter's Blooms.
There are, of course many, many other examples of Shrapnel. Of course, we aren't totally innocent in all of this. We too are part of the Shrapnel creating process. When we become parents we subject our children to expectations, wishes, and wants for their lives. As neighbors, we may be part of a collective attitude about how people's houses and yards should look. As members of Political Party X, we put signs in our yard saying, vote for Rudy Obama. We are throwing out just as much as others are throwing at us.
Do not be disillusioned about Shrapnel. It isn't all bad. There is Shrapnel of Art and Creativity. Walking by a park and seeing some folks drumming and creating music. The infective beat that is travelling across the air, that mandates that you move and groove. The lady down the road who is a brilliant artist, displaying her work at the local Sidewalk Art Exhibit. There is the Shrapnel of Happy Childlike Anarchy. Your little girl acting like a goon, and you can't help but to want to play along. Experiencing the joy in improvisational imagination, going with the flow. This is the sort of Shaprnel you WANT embedded in your flesh.
Next time, we will examine Shrapnel and how it affects the Paths we take...
Monday, March 19, 2007
Welcome to the Prison...
So, the cats from pd.com, EB&G, etc. know what I'm talking about when I talk about the Black Iron Prison, or BIP for short. However, I'm sure some blogspotters will happen upon this place once in awhile and have no idea of what I'm talking about. So, it may serve my purposes to give a brief primer.
So, to me, the BIP is a metaphor to describe the individuals relationship with the universe. STOP THE PRESSES!!! What??? Okay, so it gets a little sticky for those not into gobblety-gook philosophizing. You should go find a Lindsey Lohan blog before you get sick.
Step #1 in understanding this, do not focus on the words "Black" and "Prison" too much. You'll depress yourself and end up listening to MCR. Nobody wants that.
Step #2: Visualize.
Visualize yourself in a prison cell. You are surrounded by iron bars. This is the scenery in your cell, the bars. It influences you on a daily basis, because, it is what you experience on a daily basis. It shapes you. This is the BIP. The bars are the experiences of your past. It is the environment(s) you grew up in. It is the stuff that happened/happening to you. One bar is your evolving tastes in music. Another bar is your relationship with your Mom and/or Dad. Another, your education. Another, teevee (TV). Basically, they are culminations of input, and they have/are shaping your landscape.
So, what's the deal with the BIP? Well, here's where "Prison" comes into play. It refers to the potential of the BIP. Some, see the BIP, understand what it is, what it does, how it impacts. Essentially, it allows the viewer to be in a better position to be him or herself, because they understand more about themselves. That's right. Because, understanding the landscape of your environment gives you more possibilities when it comes to navigating through life.
There are others, who do not see the BIP. They do not see how their surrounding, their bars, have and are shaping the person they are or are evolving into. This type of person is more prone to giving up the wheel, defering the navigation responsibilities to someone/something else. They, unknowingly, can become a full-fledged, fully integrated cog in The Machine(tm).
stay tuned.....more on The Machine(tm) to come....
So, to me, the BIP is a metaphor to describe the individuals relationship with the universe. STOP THE PRESSES!!! What??? Okay, so it gets a little sticky for those not into gobblety-gook philosophizing. You should go find a Lindsey Lohan blog before you get sick.
Step #1 in understanding this, do not focus on the words "Black" and "Prison" too much. You'll depress yourself and end up listening to MCR. Nobody wants that.
Step #2: Visualize.
Visualize yourself in a prison cell. You are surrounded by iron bars. This is the scenery in your cell, the bars. It influences you on a daily basis, because, it is what you experience on a daily basis. It shapes you. This is the BIP. The bars are the experiences of your past. It is the environment(s) you grew up in. It is the stuff that happened/happening to you. One bar is your evolving tastes in music. Another bar is your relationship with your Mom and/or Dad. Another, your education. Another, teevee (TV). Basically, they are culminations of input, and they have/are shaping your landscape.
So, what's the deal with the BIP? Well, here's where "Prison" comes into play. It refers to the potential of the BIP. Some, see the BIP, understand what it is, what it does, how it impacts. Essentially, it allows the viewer to be in a better position to be him or herself, because they understand more about themselves. That's right. Because, understanding the landscape of your environment gives you more possibilities when it comes to navigating through life.
There are others, who do not see the BIP. They do not see how their surrounding, their bars, have and are shaping the person they are or are evolving into. This type of person is more prone to giving up the wheel, defering the navigation responsibilities to someone/something else. They, unknowingly, can become a full-fledged, fully integrated cog in The Machine(tm).
stay tuned.....more on The Machine(tm) to come....
Re-emerging from the Internet Mothballs.......
So, I started this blog a few years back under a different moniker. This was pre-Discordian thymes. I figured it might not be a bad time to resurrect the wreck and see if I can do anything constructive with it. You can sample some of my old poetry and other stuff. But, for the future I'm hoping for this to be the construction yards for the crassness that rattles around in my cranium. I've got the Multiply thing happening too. rwhn.multiply.com That's where I'll focus my attention to the "music" side of things. So that's where everything's at. Lessee how it goes....
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