The Sorts of Issues We’re Confronted with in this World

Originally Posted on February 26, 2005 Last Updated on November 20, 2006

It’s amazing how strong we all have to be to simply survive in this world. And it’s no wonder that for so many of us, that’s all we’re doing, simply surviving.

When a father discovers that his son has just taken a permanent marker all over the walls in a creative outburst, the innate drive that comes up is to scold the boy for destroying something, though a clear mind can realize that nothing has been destroyed at all. The exact opposite just occurred, actually. Why is that not the initial response, when logically it is so obvious?

But there are so many more pressing and demanding things in life. Putting up fronts to appear strong so that others can be weak around you, all in the name of wanting them to be able to depend on you even if you can’t on yourself. And then that strength gets distorted, a person can easily begin to feel that they are in some sort of power role, completely forgetting that the original intent of being strong for that person was to help them, not control them. This is all just human nature, perhaps, but then human nature is the very length of fabric I’m having issues with these days. What is it that makes me want to hold up a house? Is it my responsibility to make certain those around me are completely satisfied, or is it just enough to live and allow the satisfied from the dissatisfied to separate into two streams and flow around me or away from me as they choose?

Someone mentioned to me last night how amazingly good we have it. He explained to me everything that was going good for him in his life, and it wasn’t really anything all that significant. He hadn’t won the lottery or got a record deal or even landed a dream job. He wasn’t distraught over the fact that he had very very little money or that the impending weight of the world was looming just above his head. His examples of the sorts of good times he was having were more focused on “I hooked up our wireless router today” or “We have enough wine and cigarettes to last the night.” He’s not a bodhisattva, but he could fit in at a table full of them and you’d be hard pressed to pick him apart from the lot.

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Discussion

chad was marco 27 Feb 2005

that’s a post i like, but i guess that would be obvious. i learned a lot about mobile and modular homes the other day. it was fun. i just need a patient teacher. i learned everything my mom had to teach, but sadly almost nothing from my dad. very sadly, i guess. like i could cry right now and not like, oh, too bad. we need to teach OUR kids the pursuit of happiness and then build from there. everything will then take care of itself. you can’t try to teach them politics first?!?!?

yeah, re: the relationship dynamic. it makes me uneasy when i see it for what it is. i see myself and so many presumptions and self-perceived pretensions.

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ClickNathan 27 Feb 2005

ah. That’s interesting, about your parents. I don’t think I learned really much of anything from either of them. “Work hard and do a better job than you need to,” is what my old man imparted to me. I did, but I didn’t take it as far as he would.

“Love your children as if your own life has ended and now your only goal is to help them live theirs,” is what my mom taught me. I’m trying hard not to believe that right now.

But I’m imparting a whole new philosophy on my own child. It resembles much more a conversation that we as a bunch of 20-somethings might have with eachother, rather than a teacher student sort of the thing.

Of course, Tristan is a friend who I can send to his room when I disagree with his political ambitions.

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