Trainwrecks

I’ve been pondering recently on people.  How and why do we interact with each other?  What makes us “individuals?”  The answers to these questions are curious because it seems that they are different for each person.  Because there is no consistency, sometimes it seems that some people are more powerful or respectable.  In truth, every person is great because of their unique approaches to life.  There is a recent song by the band, Weezer, called “Trainwrecks.”  The song’s lyrics are very insightful into this discussion.  Here is a link to the song and the lyrics are below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoYHOhqeyO8

We sleep all day and rock the night
We just get up to start another fight
We kiss and then we bite
We are Trainwrecks

You don't keep house and I'm a slob
You're freakin' out cause I can't keep a job
We don't update our blogs
We are Trainwrecks

People love to tell us what to do
That's just cause they're jealous of me and you

We're digging through the couch for cash
We're taking cabs cause both our cars are trashed
But we're still kicking ass
We are Trainwrecks
Trainwrecks
We're still kicking ass
We are Trainwrecks

We think it's uncool to be on time
Mooching off our friends is not a federal crime

Someday we'll cut our critics down to size
And crash a Diddy party in disguise
We fall, but then we rise
We are Trainwrecks

That's the story of our lives
We are Trainwrecks

I love this song because of its message.  The last two verses really make the message stand out:

We fall, but then we rise

We are Trainwrecks

That’s the story of our lives

We are Trainwrecks

It expresses this idea that humans, in general, are just a little messed up.  We have quirky habits and annoying tendencies that drive even those close to us insane.  Yet, the more major takeaway from the song is that these habits are part of each and every one of us and it is what makes us so unique.  It means that we were created in a one of a kind shape and continue to grow.

To add, this same idea reminds me of a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  He said this in his essay, “Self-Reliance,”

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.  With consistency, a great soul has simply nothing to do.  He may as well concern himself with his shadow upon the wall.  Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. – ‘Ah so you will be misunderstood.’  Is it is so bad, then, to be misunderstood?  Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every wise and pure spirit that ever took flesh.  To be great is to be misunderstood.

The common thought between the song and the quote is clear; humans are original, they are unpredictable, and each one is amazing because of this quality.  No matter if it is the homeless man begging on the side of the street or the rich millionaire who earned his money through hard work and perseverance, men and women from all backgrounds are amazing!  The writers of the British science fiction TV show, Doctor Who, exemplified this by showing how struck the Doctor is at the capabilities of the human race.  He always vouches for the survival of humans because he has faith in their abilities.  Because we are worth saving!  We are worth the experiences life has to offer, because we all experience them in a separate fashion.  The beauty of people comes from the distinguishing characteristics that they carry.  Therefore, we should learn to embrace our own traits and, just as important, accept those of the people around us.

Why Peace?

There are two time periods in American History which I believe are the most interesting to study.  These periods, seemingly, were also the most productive in U.S. History.  They were:  the time between the end of the War of 1812 (1814) and the Annexation of Texas (about 1846), and the time between the conclusion of the Civil War (1865) and the Spanish-American War (1898).

The first time period, mentioned above, was a time of unity in the country that had not been seen since before the Revolution.  It was a time for major reform, whether it was critical thinking, religious enlightenment, or social class.  This was the era of Thoreau, Emerson, and Whitman; the Transcendentalists.  Yet, while these men are quite notable, they were merely the teachers and a few of the makers of change which came to define this era and redefine America.

The second period was known as the Reconstruction, or the Industrial Revolution, and had a newfound emphasis on business.  This time is marked by the corporate giants and “robber barons” of Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and John D. Rockefeller.  Twain and Steinbeck, too, began their writing careers at this.

Judging by this information, things were going generally well.  What can we attribute this to?  Despite a couple of shortfalls, it would seem that there is really no connection between these two eras.  Could it have been a commitment (and, in the case of the Reconstruction, a recommitment) to do and make things work properly for the people?  I believe this is part of it, but what allowed them to focus on this, versus some war or something?

There lies the answer to these periods’ successes; there was no war.  The first period of time that was addressed is the longest period that America has been at peace, thirty-two years.  The second period was the second longest, at thirty-three years.  Now, one could make the point that today, we are making more progress than we did in these past eras, but are we, really?  I’m talking in the sense of original thoughts.  Today, we focus almost all of our energies on regurgitating and improving that which has already been designed.  In my mind, two new versions of the iPad in one year are not nearly as impressive as the dishwasher, escalator, and diesel engine in twelve years.

The point I am trying to make here does not deal as much with the disadvantaged as it does about what is right and progressive.  Progress, of course, will breed positive action for the disadvantaged, eventually, but the main point in all this is to address what we could accomplish without unnecessary war.  The current budget of the US asks for 663 billion dollars for “defense.”  Compare this with the United Nation’s estimate of 195 billion dollars to end world hunger, yet we can’t seem to bring ourselves to do something actually good for mankind.  What could we accomplish?  This is the real importance of peace.

The Circle

The circle is a masterpiece.

What do you think of when you see a circle?  Generally speaking, it brings to mind a perpetuation of things, such as the circle of life.  However, the circle also symbolizes deeper meanings.  Think about how you would draw a circle?  If you just drew a quick one on a piece of paper, chances are that you would end up being uneven on more than one part of your shape.  Therefore, I believe that the circle is the most difficult shape to draw well.  Likewise, a well-rounded life is a most difficult way to live.  Why is this?  Perhaps the difference is ignited with the distinction of straight and curved lines.  A shape with straight lines, such as a square or a triangle, has clear and defined intervals of change.  As such, one can trace exactly where change has to be or has been made.  However, with a circle, there are no such intervals of change. 

If you look at a circle, it can represent a much more accurate spectrum than a line.  Take good and bad.  If you put “good” 180 degrees away from “bad” on a circle, then they seem pretty far apart.  However, sometimes someone who is trying to show good-will at an extreme level can end up doing harm and someone who is trying to be terrible can end up doing something good.  Sometimes the extreme actually becomes the opposite point of view.  This is often true in life, but two great examples come in popularity and politics.

We can apply this to real life.  It is easier to go through life when there are clearer boundaries of what we perceive as positive and negative actions.  It is another thing entirely when these boundaries flow together, because it challenges us on what we believe to be true.  However, the flowing boundaries of a circle are like a path less travelled, and are the most fulfilling.  We find the most joy and feel the most accomplished when we have completed them.  Many people follow the already well-worn path of the majority, exiling themselves to a life of boredom and unhappiness.  The challenge is to overcome the easiness of falling into that lifestyle and reap the rewards of persevering.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”     ~Mohandas Gandhi

In his quote above, Gandhi was implementing a rhetorical device known as, “a call to action.”  Gandhi was stressing the idea that if change is to be made to corrupted school of thought, then someone must take the initiative.  People are always talking about how certain organizations and programs need to be changed.  But in what way would appease “you”!  How would “you” go about enacting change?  The problem is, we all want things to change, but never enough to actually begin the process.  In order to see the change you want, you must be the change you want.  Are you willing?  Do the poll below:

http://poll.fm/2pi3u

What Are the Rules?

Right now, I am in the middle of reading the book, Winter’s Bone, by Daniel Woodrell.  It is an absolutely fascinating piece of literature written very much in the styles of Mark Twain and John Steinbeck.  There is a quote in this book which I believe is one of the greats.  Its application comes in every part of life and allows for some understanding and some forgiveness of the men and women who do wrong, or maybe just did not do what was quite right.  When you see a homeless person on the side of the street, think of this quote and allow your perspective on his/her situation to change:

     “Nobody here wants to be awful,” he said….  “It’s just nobody here knows all the rules yet, and that makes a rocky time.”  (Woodrell 37)

What's For Dinner?

     Who fixed your dinner at the restaurant you ate at recently?  It wasn’t the manager of the place or the waiter who took your order, but the cook.  One of these cooks is Dan.  Dan is khakified.  He’s the type of guy you wouldn’t notice, you don’t acknowledge his role in society and you don’t care.  Dan doesn’t walk out the front door every night like the customers.  No, he leaves work through the backdoor, going home to his family with the money he has earned, a lifestyle of living paycheck to paycheck.

     Let me tell you about Dan.  I sat down with Dan at McDonalds.  At first I did not recognize him, being all cooped up to escape from the bite of winter and deeply involved with his studying of the Bible.  As a matter of fact, he spotted me, and moved from his spot for my convenience.  As we began to converse, I realized how deep his faith was, embedded in him unlike most people I have met.  But this was not the kind of attitude expected from a former drug user and dealer.  Yes, as Dan told to me, a high school buddy of his had approached him around the age of twenty-two to leave his job as a short-order cook and sell drugs with him in Atlanta, Georgia.  Seeing this as a great opportunity to “get rich quick,” Dan jumped at the chance.  Soon, he was moving drugs from city to city, state to state, but found himself wanting a change after a period of time.  He moved to Middle Tennessee and began to cook some more, but found himself back on drugs and selling drugs.  Eventually he was caught and served some time in jail; however, once he got out, he decided to try and put his life straight.  Unfortunately for Dan, he went to get his driver’s license back and they told him it would be three-thousand dollars.  Well, Dan did not have that kind of money, so he went to Atlanta to sell more drugs.  The worst came to Dan at this point, a life-changing event; Dan had an epileptic seizure.  He was found by the side of the road by a policeman, who thought Dan was dead.  He rushed him to the hospital in time to save his life and from that moment on, Dan was a changed man.  He resettled in Middle Tennessee, began cooking again at various restaurants and then found Jesus.  When asked what do you want someone (the world, you kids) to know about you?, he responded, “That I love Jesus and that Jesus will help you through any obstacle that you come in contact with.” 

     Now Dan has a Bible study with one of his friends once a week, he helps manage a community garden, he is currently counseling his neighbor on the Bible to help him get rid of his neighbor’s drug addiction, and the most interesting thing he does is walking once a week through the ghetto and simply picking up trash.  This act is important to Dan from the view that he is, “just helping out by demonstration.”  He does all of this while working a full-time job at a restaurant and making very little money.  Certainly, it would seem only fair that Dan was given credit for his good deed, but he does what he does without the incentive of publicity.  As Dan says, “in every walk of life there’s an opportunity,” you just have to “be a willing-vessel.”  This attitude is one which all should strive to create in themselves and one which should be noted as a great accomplishment for those who succeed.

Fried Chicken

Yesterday, I attended a Christmas lunch day for some of the less-fortunate people in town.  The lunch allowed people to come eat some fried chicken and also, if they brought their kids, pick up a present for them, pre-wrapped and all.  I came for about forty minutes, talking to a few people and helping out a little when I was needed, but most of the time there I was standing and watching those who were receiving the food and gifts.  Just watching these men, women, and children interact was moving.  They came and enjoyed the company of friends and strangers alike, regardless of age or skin color.  The people were laughing and were engaging and you couldn’t help but feel a part of some unified group, standing together and for the good of each other.  Later, as I was reading in William Sloane Coffin’s book, Credo, I came across this quote, “The primary problems of the planet arise not from the poor, for whom education is the answer; they arise from the well-educated, for whom self-interest is the problem.”  The quote allowed me to put a thought into words; that the group of mixed and messy people who were sharing lunchtime together have little self-interest in terms of personal gain.  Sure, some steal and do drugs, but many times this is merely to meet the bare essentials which their family needs to survive, or to cope with some pain unimaginable to us.  It is true that if these men and women were better educated there would be less negative activity, but when you grow up in the environment of a broken family, drugs, and theft, it becomes nearly impossible to get out of that style of living.  Carl Marable, the lunch organizer, stopped a girl going in to eat and said, “How long ‘till you graduate?”  The girl responded, “I don’t know if I will,” and continued to walk inside.  Mr. Marable yelled after her, “You better graduate and alert me so I can give you twenty-five dollars.”  With no response from the girl, Mr. Marable turned, looked at my father and said, “You think she’ll graduate for twenty-five dollars?”  My father jokingly responded, “I wouldn’t,” and laughed.