I just can’t shake the image of silent groups of automata playing with their cell phones at virtually every public venue: streetcar, bus, subway, airport, train station, etc. — surely life is not “this” boring! I assume that the phenomenon extends into the private sphere, as well. Just to confirm that my perception is not flawed, I constantly look over people’s shoulders to see what they are doing. In my observation, they are either playing games or chatting with their friends or texting messages. There is nothing more profound occurring. There is no great search for enlightenment, no inquiry to the mysteries of life: there is a complete void. You want to scream: “Come on! Give it a rest and get to work!” Get to work on what, you are asked? The answer, quite simply, is the development of you. No one will put “you” together, but you. “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a big fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men, couldn’t be Humpty together again.” Are we surprised? I think not: Was he pushed off the wall? No, he fell. He was 100% responsible for his actions. It is the same with every individual.
We always end up in that great conundrum: now what? The Internet and all forms of instant time wasters, television, boring conversation, airport security checks (you get the picture), place us at a crossroads. Either will fall back into a state of mental stagnation or we push past the blockage to somewhere beyond. I am reminded of Edgar Degas’ haunting painting, “The Absinthe Drinker,” (1) the only thing lacking is a cell phone on the table. But “all is not lost”:
Innumerable force of Spirits armed,
That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost power with adverse power opposed
In dubious battle on the plains of Heaven
And shook his throne. What though the field be lost?
All is not lost—the unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield;
And what is else not to be overcome?
John Milton, Paradise Lost (2) (I.101-109)
Satan and his stunned and shocked adherents are recovering from their epic fall from Heaven — Beelzebub is trying to be encouraging. The Prince of the Devils describes the rebellion against God and tells his followers to know that, at the very least, the Almighty’s peace and quiet has been disturbed, and (we) … “shook his throne.” Satan calls this fight a “dubious battle.” But, there is never any question that the Lord (justice) would triumph. This, of course, is according to one interpretation.
All individuals face the same dilemma: unless a person finds his flow, to quote Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0cMiX4sMvI), (3) we are faced with a life of great ennui, especially in our Digital Age.(4) This does absolutely not have to be the case. That being said, we must refer back to our DBA (Don’t be a Wage Slave) model: education + experience = expertise. There is no “shortcut” to achievement — and, nor should there be. Would you want to visit a dentist with a year’s experience or ten year’s: you choose? I think that whether you are sixteen or sixty, you must come to the realization that “time” is like gold passing through your fingers. It presents all the wealth of the universe but is impossible to grasp and made stationary. It can only be touched and experienced. Nice: but where do I start? Two small suggestions were given to me the other day: Firstly, awaken each day with gratitude. You have been gifted one more day of the “really real,” also known as consciousness. Secondly, on a more facile note – leave your cell phone off the table. Or even better: turn it off. Appreciate time and all its magnificence. The great bard, William Shakespeare (1564 -1616), leaves us with a thought: Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.
A closing thought: The other day, I was in a restaurant. There was an old man seated opposite me. He was staring blindly into his glass of wine. There was no look of pain or sadness or joy or exultation in his features. All was vacuous and bland: was there a person behind the mask? Let us hope so. But, any form of passion was oddly absent.
To sum up: This week, we spoke about passion and the Digital Age. Where has it gone and some practical tips to get it back?
An amusing occurrence: When I first came to Taiwan, I had never driven a scooter. Somehow, my hand-mind coordination had difficulty adjusting to which hand controlled the brake and which one the gas. One day, as I pulled into the front of our building, confusion engulfed me. I accelerated as opposed to stopping. I hit the front of the apartment and fell over – the motocha still in full flight. Finally, a small hand appeared through my throng of assembled onlookers and turned the machine off. The fingers were those of a nine-year-old child. Humbling: to say the least.
This week, please reflect on where your passion lies.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: It is impossible to give someone passion. It is, sadly, unique to each being. All we can do is present a life, my life, as an example — no more and, certainly, no less.
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