Increasingly, the majority of mankind lives in some form of urban environment: at present, over half of the world’s population lives in cities. (1) Most of Earth’s metropolises, unfortunately, do not adumbrate the idyllic environments of a London or a Zurich. They are fetid coagulations of a swirling mass of humanity – think Lagos Nigeria, or Dhaka Bangladesh, to name but a few. In all of this, nonetheless — though our cities are constructed of glass, steel, and concrete – one sees nature resplendent. We notice a tree here, a shrub there, and hence, at a further distance, a fountain tumbling into a small pond with swimming fish. Most people do not want to be overly distant from nature herself.
The immediacy of life
Traveling on a scooter or on a bicycle, for that matter, is a terrifying prospect. You quickly realize how delicate life is. Unless one is meandering down a quiet country lane, the individual is exposed to danger and death on a constant basis. One error on the part of the approaching traffic holds the end of your mortal life. The other evening, for example, a motorcyclist crossed over onto my side – perhaps they had only momentarily glanced down at their phone. More and more people have the phone built into the car’s dash or console or placed between the handlebars. This is extremely distracting. It requires but a lingering second to have irrevocable consequences.
Take a moment for you
The other day, I was late – a condition which seems to define my life: late, but always on time. I was furtively “flying” down the highway to my destination. I was being passed by other vehicles during my journey; hence I assume that the perception of my velocity was my own creation. I was suddenly “arrêtéd,” stopped, by a rather lengthy stoplight. My initial irritation gave way to a state of awe. At some distance, there was a beautiful cherry blossom tree (1) in full bloom – truly magnificent! For a moment, I felt honestly embarrassed. How many times had I passed by Gaia’s example of beauty, only to miss her attraction?
Bliss
The other morning when I was out for a walk, I was suddenly overwhelmed with a powerful sensation. For a moment, just for a moment, I was taken to a very special place. Bliss: it is difficult to have one of these moments, isn’t it? You need calm, bright sunshine, and all your material needs to be met. But, do you? The answer, of course, is that you do not need anything exterior to you. The adversity and chaos that, naturally, swirl around in the physical world need you to accept them into your consciousness. Only in this way are these influences real and able to have an impact on your day or your life, for that matter.
The illusion of permanence
Now and forever: I saw this sign on a building recently. It got me to thinking: this is a concept that imbues our society, certainly from an educational perspective. I get a degree or degrees and this allows me some level of entitlement for the rest of my life. My diplomas segue into an excellent job and a wonderful existence. But, unfortunately, this is not reality.
Forgive yourself
We have all done things in life that we consider egregious, events that we would rather forget. However, you can’t. Your obligation, as a human being, is to make amends: go to the aggrieved party and give your apology, and give it sincerely. Now, many times, most times, in fact, your efforts will be rebuffed. The majority of people do not accept contrition easily. You are thus left with double the grief. The first being the realization that you have erred and the second torment is to have your pleas rebuffed. Your pain has no bounds.
To be at peace
The story of the titanic (1) is an evocative one. The passengers knew in a short period of time that the ship was going to sink and most were facing imminent death. Statistically, your chances of survival were slim. And yet, the vast majority of people conducted themselves in a respectful and polite manner. (2) Why, when the inevitable was at hand? This disaster could be used as a metaphor in our modern society – either for the inevitable environmental collapse or with our earthly extraction.
Will an education make me just?
You would think that an education would give a person some moral parameters, wouldn’t you? The more educated you become, the more sensitive you are to the needs of humanity — the concerns of the Common Good – that sort of idea. This is a truly naïve premise, however — being more educated, many times, makes you more deceitful and ruthless.
Life is absurd!
Everyone at one time or another in life reflects on the meaning of life. Why am I here and how did I get here? One of the more controversial replies to this question is given by the eminent intellectual, Albert Camus (1913-1960). He is known for his philosophy known as Absurdism. (1) This is the belief that there is absolutely no “why” to life. It is all without meaning or purpose – but go on living, why not? On the face of it, one would have to agree.
Color your world
Recently, I was just mesmerized by the color around me. I think it had to do with my new shoes. They are a deep chestnut brown that speaks of tradition and age – some would say just like my personality. Color certainly impacts all of us. Any visit to an art museum or private gallery pulls you away into an unfamiliar world – so attractive and yet so elusive. Sight has to be one of the most important senses of all for it produces images that color our world: both figuratively and literally. I am stuck on a question, however, as I walk amongst crowds of people. Are we embarking on a new shade of existence — the hue of colorlessness? There seems to be a certain monotonousness or dullness that is descending upon our world. The cell phone, and its conformity of usage, is certainly leading the charge.