How do you spell recession? F.U.N.? How do you spell smoking: S.E.X.Y?
I was reading this article and it occurred to me how logical and rational some of our ideas are, but of course entirely dependent on a particular perspective.
Most of the time our perspectives are our own. What I mean is they represent our particular set of circumstances, and our perspective for what is good for us. You might not think so, but what might be good for you, might only really be good for middle class people, and thus be an utterly minority view.
The biggest flaw of many movements for good is they take themselves far too seriously. Most modern humans, besieged on all sides by heart-rending appeals and dire warnings, eventually become numb to them.
This is true. We do become numb to information about AIDS and poverty and starvation. But whose fault is that? The sender's fault, or the receiver's?
Take cigarette advertising. Sexy, seductive, cool. But the reality is your cancer risk triples and you check out of this world with Emphysema or worse.
You can try to make the idea of quitting smoking fun, or losing weight fun, or saving your money fun. Sorry, these may help you on a few given occasions, but if you're going to see measurable and noticeable results, you have to be willing to experience not-fun.
I've recently written an article on a trip to Botswana. It's a complex deal, since I have to get two others to give their input so the story is authentic. Problem is, I want to comment on the extraordinary flooding happening in Botswana right now. Not to say it is global warming but that it is worth considering. My father doesn't want it in there. I guess it's not a fun thought.
In fact fun is the driving force behind some of the biggest sites on the internet. Everything from YouTube to Facebook to Twitter runs on the juice that this intrinsic reward provides.
That may be true, but what is the driving force behind the biggest porn sites? Just because there is a major interest in something, just because we like it, doesn't justify it.
One of the reasons we're in the predicament we're in, in economic terms, in terms of the environment, in terms of energy [and I get that many still want to debate whether we really are in any sort of crisis] is because we can't face, or accept the hard choices. We're used to making choices that are convenient to us, that suit us, that suit our frames of references.
In my personal life I haven't been cycling much as I've injured a tendon in a critical area of my lower leg, where the calf and foot muscle hinge together. I have been swimming a lot. I realise that each day I don't train on my legs, is a day closer to these triathlons that have started, and the half Ironman and the Ironman. I also realise, if I start training again - as I did 2 weeks ago - I could injure myself again and have to start all over. It's not fun. But you can find alternatives. You don't have to make it defeat, you don't have to have only too responses - complacency or panic. There's that middle ground of fairly boring but consistent effort that is your private battle.
In my personal life, also, I've lost my job. I'm accused of misrepresenting myself, which, of course, I never did. A whole host of scenarios now present themselves. Some are new opportunities. For example, writing for GETAWAY is something I can now devote a full week day to...but there are also concerns. I'll probably have to leave this beautiful stone cottage where I live soon, and where will I go? I can't afford R5000 per month rent. I'm considering Nieu Bethesda, Bloemfontein where I know of 4 athletes readying themselves for the 2010 Ironman. Or Cape Town. Possibly even P.E. Why do I want to leave Johannesburg? I don't feel particularly safe here. I don't like how expensive everything is. And I feel like a different environment, particularly one where I can cycle on quiet roads in the middle of the day.
What does the above have to do with FUN? Well, a lot. Losing your job isn't a fun concept, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world. You need the discipline not to become depressed, but also not carry on like nothing has changed. A lot has changed.
If you're a cubicle slave and you have a job, don't kid yourself that just because you have a job and each day is the same, that the world out there is still the same place. It's not. Pillars are crashing down around us. Water is seeping along the floor, encircling your shoes. Maybe you're watching the news, or what passes for news these days. A hoax about a boy who was/wasn't in a balloon.
The funhouse is filled with evil clowns, but we don't want to know that. We'd rather laugh, and pretend it's funny. The real clowns then are us, if not monsters. Laughing at the world as it goes to ruin.
No comments:
Post a Comment