Category: post

Five hundred twenty-five thousand

Six hundred minutes,

Five hundred twenty-five thousand

Moments so dear.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand

Six hundred minutes

How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights

In cups of coffee

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand

Six hundred minutes

How do you measure

A year in the life?

How about love?

How about love?

How about love?

Measure in love

— Seasons of Love from RENT by Jonathan Larson

I’ve been thinking lately about measurements. Specifically when it comes to emotion and human interaction. Words mean things. How we use them to measure and gauge ourselves, each other, and our surroundings can be quite telling.

For instance, intimacy is always measured in distance. When we have an intimate relationship with someone we say we are "close" to them. When someone is withdrawn we say they are "distant". Of course, I’m very close to people who live thousands of miles away and there are many times I feel distant in a crowded room. Yet, such words take on powerfully descriptive new meanings in a different context.

I also wonder if we are measuring things by the proper metrics. Just as Jonathan Larson urges us to consider measuring a year with love, should we measure how good the day was by counting the number of times we smile ("A seventeen smile day!")? How about the bad by tears ("I’m having a fifty-three tear day")?

Then there are the things we can’t measure using any words that seem adequate. Like love for ones children, partner, or spouse. I know my measurements always fall short because just when I feel I can’t love my wife any more than I do I surprise myself. How can words of measure capture that?

There is no grand point to resolve here. These are just some of the ideas about this subject that have been occupying my mind lately and I felt it time to share them.

The following is the entirety of an email interview that was sent to me (and others) many months ago about religion. At the time I answered and replied back but I don’t believe any were ever published. That said, I have kept coming back to it — reflecting and clarifying my original answers. Therefore, the answers that are here now are much different in parts than those I originally responded with.

I think what exists today is a good summary of my own personal beliefs and faith, as well as my own journey and stance on religion in general. I post this here in the interest of full disclosure about my own faith. It is not intended to be anything more than that.

Here is the interview:

Do you believe in God?

No. Or, at least, not in the sense that some people do or would call a god. Certainly not in the sense of an entity or being. That said, I do believe in many of the concepts that one might apply to a god such as infinite love, patience, forgiveness and enlightenment that is far beyond our ability and capacity as humans to fully and completely realize or perceive.

Who/what is God?

In general, we humans are afraid of both the unknown and of admitting that we don’t know and may never know. Therefore, I tend to believe the idea of a god is often used to fill in those gaps, answer these questions, and free us from these fears.

I, for one, am quite comfortable with not knowing. Therefore, the best answer I can directly give to such a question is… I don’t know.

How did you come to hold these beliefs? Who or what has influenced you?

Believe it or not, I used to be a very committed “born-again” evangelical Christian. I come from a long line of Methodist preachers. The problem, of course, is that I’m also insatiably curious about the subjects I’m interested in. At the time, being very interested in Christianity led me to do deep research on all aspects of that and many other religions. This research led me to some ideas, opinions, and truths that eventually led me to a more holistic and philosophical understanding of the nature of faith and my own beliefs.

How would you describe your beliefs?

I describe my current faith practice as “Small “b” Buddhism”. Meaning that it is Buddhist in philosophy and practice without my practicing it as religion. My philosophy and practice seeks personal enlightenment through mindfulness, loving kindness, and compassion. Enlightenment, the ability to be fully present and aware in each moment, being as close to a belief in a god as anything I can fathom, with said “god” being found within.

Why hold these beliefs and not others?

My current faith is based on striving to be completely awake and aware to each moment. I believe this is an achievable human goal.

My extensive study of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism (not to mention lesser study of many more) has led me here.

What place do major religious texts hold in your beliefs?

None. Except through the fact that study of many religious texts helped to lead me to my beliefs and practice of today.

Who do you think Jesus was/is?

Jesus was a Jewish religious leader and revolutionary figure that likely lived around the first century.

This is about all we know about Jesus that can be agreed upon as fact. The closest accounts we have about his life and teaching are several sources and many years distant from it. And those “gospels” are not included in current versions of the bible. Those that we know of that are the earliest make no mention of his divinity nor report him making such. The gospels that did make the cut are most likely amalgamations from several other distant source texts and oral accounts, heavily edited, and none are actually written by first hand sources. By taking this into account, one must naturally look at what other social, political, and practical motivations are behind the authorship of such texts and take such context in their analysis.

Everything else about Jesus is accepted through faith by those that choose to believe it. Which I am in no way disparaging. I think the heart of Christianity and the narrative of the biblical Jesus and early Christian church is incredibly beautiful. Rich with compassion, forgiveness, loving-kindness, and respect for the human condition. Its central goal is towards the enlightenment (salvation) of individuals through such practice. There are many corollaries with what I believe in today (not to mention, yet again, the importance of it to my own journey).

In fact, I believe that such faith is a natural human trait (and likely genetic). We must believe in something. We must have some level of faith in something. That even those who identify as atheist at least have faith that God does not exist, etc. They at least must have a firm unwavering belief in science and verifiable fact.

What place do your spiritual/religious beliefs hold in determining your moral standard?

High. That said, I don’t know if it is a cart/horse sort of relationship. My values and morals coexist with my faith practice symbiotically. They support each other equally.

Do you hold others to the same moral standard? Why/why not?

I try not to. While I do believe that there are some universally agreed upon beliefs of right and wrong, these are few. Often time these are cultural more so than universal. Not to mention that sometimes conditions guide and change such things. Everyone must arrive at such standards on a personal level based on such factors (and many more).

What do you consider the greatest drawback to your beliefs/views/convictions?

I’m not sure. I don’t believe I can identify any that I would have any sort of control over so why dwell on them. Instead, I place such energy on action, growth, and change.

What do you consider the greatest advantage?

Peace. My faith and practice brings me peace.

How do you view those who disagree with you?

People must believe in something. If they choose to believe in something other than what I believe then what matter does it have to me. I treat them with respect and kindness and, if engaged in a discussion about faith I welcome it and try to listen and be open to their views (sometimes I fail at this though).

Do your beliefs influence your familial relationships, immediate and other?

They influence my relationship with the world as a whole.

Do your beliefs shape your work and writing in any way?

As this is who I am, they likely do.

Do they influence the way you live your daily life?

See above.

The next time you are ready to take a vacation, let everyone know you will be gone. Perhaps in some exotic locale, deep in the wilderness, or far off the grid. So far that you wont be able to check your email, answer your mobile phone, or "check in" on any social networks. You wont have any vacation photos to share when you return because you’ll be leaving your camera behind. Perhaps drop the hint that the place you are going is so cool, so hip, that to tell any stories about it when you return could never truly describe or in any way live up to "being there".

Then, no matter where you go, no matter how much opportunity to do otherwise really does exist where you are going, do exactly that.

The only person you need to check in with is yourself and the people you are with. The only camera you need to preserve these memories are your eyes. The only call you need to answer to is that of the wild beyond. The only thing you need read are the signs pointing you to your destination.

Because, once you have done this, you are truly ready to experience something that you have probably not had for a while — freedom. That is a destination all on it’s own. Even if you go no where at all, you will have had more of a vacation, in the true sense of the word, than you likely have in years.

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What if, one day, no one showed up to the Internet¹? What if no one updated their status? What if no one checked in? There were no photos uploaded. No pushing publish. Nothing.

Then, what if, no one ever returned? Ever.

The truth is, we don’t need the Internet. The Internet needs us. Because, it is mostly made of us. Our words. Our pictures. Our creations. Our art. Our experiences. Our thoughts. Our opinions. Our feelings. Our endeavors. Our truths.

And, because it is made of us and our work, we should bring to it all that we are and all that we are capable of.

I’m a full-time independent writer who shows up here every day in the hopes that I can help make the Internet the best it can be. If you enjoy what you read here, please consider a free will donation of any amount.

Stop. Right now. Just stop.

Stop!

Just take a second to appreciate how amazing this all is.

This is traveling to you through a series of wires and beams of light. Over air, land, sea, and outer space. With a language translated into several different languages only to then be translated back to you, anywhere you can access it, in near real time. Less than a second after I tapped a button with my finger on a device that is small enough to fit in my pocket you could read this from any other point of connection into this network on the planet.

The thing is, those in their 30s and above have a unique memory. We have a solid memory of a time before any of this was possible and today when it all is. We have memory of a time when to call another country required turning a rotary dial so many times and was so expensive that most of us sent paper letters instead — except for the most urgent of news. Now, we can type or record video or sound and have it reach thousands or millions or billions all over the earth, instantly, for free.

Those born today will not remember a time when none of this was possible. This is the new normal. They won’t see it the same way. To them, what we have lived through will be something they read in a history book.

Therefore, it is up to us to not take it for granted. To treat the Internet and all surrounding technology with reverence, respect, and care. To stop, every now and then, and take some time to appreciate it.

And, then, to get back to work and start making it even better. To fuel the innovation, ideas, and giant leaps that will give the ones behind us something to stop and be just as amazed by. To write the next history.

I’m a full-time independent writer who does my part in writing the next history by bringing you things to think about every day. If you enjoy what you read here, please consider a free will donation of any amount.

I collect Buddhas. Buddha statues mainly. But I have a rule. I never buy them for myself. They must be given to me. Because it’s not just about the statues. It is about those that gave them to me and when and why. Each one tells a story.

I set up this MacGuffin of only collecting them as gifts, in part, to collect not the Buddhas but these stories. I want each one to be special and be connected to a place, time, and person. In this way the statue becomes a prompt to a deeper memory. Hopefully, one filled with sentiment and meaning.

Yet, is this not true of all things we acquire? Even the seemingly mundane? I can tell you where and when and why I bought the jeans I’m wearing. My sweater and my boots too. The iPad I’m typing this on has a story attached to it. As does the app I’m using to write it.

The fact is every interaction has a story. Some more memorable than others. Some we create with purpose. Others are the detritus of a life lived. Yet all are essential in weaving the fabric we call “us”.

"We find truth in the things we come back to. The longer you hold onto what you love the more you realize that it is something you truly love. In that sense you dont define your passions your passion defines you." – Patrick Rhone – Clark Loves Me.

I was honored to be among the artists, photographers, designers, and writers to be featured in Clark Patrick’s ongoing Clark Loves Me series. Therein, he profiles artists of all stripes by photographing, interviewing, and detailing the essence of their work.

Clark is an amazing guy and we clicked on a level that happens rarely but is so rewarding when it does. This was less an interview and more of a verbal jam session between two artists who are passionate about The Work™ and all that encompasses it. His own work is as artistically pure as any photographer I’ve ever met. He uses a mixture of photographic equipment and techniques that literally span the history of the medium. The photos you see in the feature were taken with a modern digital camera through an antique lens and camera box that were both well over a hundred years old. Thus, the artistry is not only about the finished product but the entire journey to create it. I could have spent hours just watching him work.

I don’t even remember saying the quote above but I’m glad Clark captured it and included it in the story because it distills so much of what I believe to be truth. He did such a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of my work by communicating what he took from it which, for a writer, is the highest honor.

Just because you used to love something, does not mean that you are obligated to keep doing it long after you stop loving it. In fact, you are likely doing that something a disservice by not pouring your all into it.

Worse still, you may be preventing someone, somewhere, from doing that something you are doing and no longer loving. It could be something that they would really love and you are taking up their space.

So, if this is you and you are no longer in love with what you do, stop doing that.

I love my iPhone and all of the apps that help me communicate, manage my day, or entertain me during my free time. But I love my pens and paper even more, and if I have the choice, they are going to win almost every time.

via There's An App For That … And I Don't Want It — The Pen Addict.

I, too, choose paper for many, many, things for and for many of the same reasons. I love writing with pen and paper and, for certain things like my task lists, paper works far better for me. I have tried to keep a task list digitally but pen and paper are always my sensible default.

You see, tasks on paper keep me accountable. It is physical. It’s in my face. Left on my desk I can’t ignore it. Every time it catches my glance it taunts me. Waiting. Wanting.

Digital lists are where tasks are easily forgotten for me. They become yet another junk drawer to hide the mess of an all too complicated and busy life. This is not to say they don’t have their time and place. I occasionally will switch to one on the rare occasions the paper is not enough to manage it all.

That said, I always switch back to pen and paper for such things as soon as I can. They keep me honest.

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I used to be afraid of posting here daily.

I was afraid what I have to say would not be good enough.
I was afraid that people would make fun of me.
I was afraid no one was reading anyway.
I was afraid I’d never be able to keep up.
I was afraid it was too hard.
I was afraid I would not find the time.
I was afraid I did not have enough ideas in me to write about.
I was afraid that I would miss a day (or two, or three) and let people — especially myself — down.
I was afraid no one would care — myself included — if I did.
I was afraid I would fail.

Interestingly, I still have all the same fears. The difference now is that I face each one and do it despite them.

Your free will donation of any amount helps to support a full-time independent writer in his daily battle against the fear. Thanks for reading!