Lynn Neary/NPR Blog is reporting the death of Maya Angelou; arguably one of the greatest poets and individuals of our time (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/05/28/147369802/maya-angelou-poet-activist-and-singular-storyteller-dies-at-86). However, as countless people are noting she will live on through her poetry and her many other creative acts; acts and works, indeed a life, whose ripple effects will be long and strongly.
Beyond paying tribute to Ms. Angelou, I want to note here that her works and life provide a great illustration for coping with the uncertainties of life and assessing one's self and others. Time and time again she rose above very difficult situations to re-establish not just her previous normality but to climb to a greater level of success and a higher quality of life. And as her physical strength ebbed she fought properly against what Dylan Thomas called "the dying of the light..." more than many if not most people. She lived her dwindling moments to the fullest, having humbly tweeted wisdom to her followers just last week!
Ms. Angelou's example urges us to continue to work with what we have available, no matter how little it might be, to continue making progress in achieving a fulfilling life. When I think of her kind spirit, I wonder if any individual should be deemed a failure even if somehow she or he appears to succumb to life's difficulties; failing to achieve what they or others believe to be their potential for "success" despite the best effort they can muster. Except in law-like areas, I'm not sure it's ever fair to pass an ultimate judgement of success or failure on someone; and even then it's best when reasonable relativity reigns.
Theoretically, hope of living happily can continue until consciousnesses flees. Of course in reality a person's life may be so suppressed this possibility is nearly nonexistent. I suspect while Ms. Angelou's example continues to inspire others to strive harder at doing better than mere "survival," she was and would be sympathetic to those who experience such a large magnitude of life reversals that their probability of being able to "overcome" is nearly zero; another worthy example.
I think being presumptuous is a common and grave error, and that it would be horribly presumptuous to say someone "gave up" or "didn't give it their all" or "failed." Few if any could know all they faced and the relative improbabilities of overcoming such things.
May we be slow to judge others anymore than absolutely necessary, and even then not absolutely. We can plan for the best, but we live with hope only in as much as we can still sense a significant probability of a satisfactory future. And, perhaps this "sense" can slip away from any given person's without having a direct link to the effort put forth or not?
Life may have some absolute givens that are somewhat relative for each and every human being? Apparently, Maya Angelou took her particular givens and continued to work at beating the odds more so many of us; this is most commendable. Still others may face similar givens and work just as hard and still find the odds hopelessly stacked against them. Personally, I think Ms. Angelou would have us continue to sacrificially help these people in the way she so poetically illustrated.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
FINALLY, S.T.E.a.M. & NOT JUST S.T.E.M.!
While there are many dire news stories today, I want to go with the idea that all politics and news is local. I mean as long as things are okay close to home, that's all that really matters - wrong. Actually much that's local may, trust me, eventually have Universal consequences.
I just found out that the Talent Alliance of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is having a S.T.E.A.M. event on May 17th for youth of practically of all ages (http://www.talentalliance.iupui.edu/steamdays2014.html).
You see, someone has finally put the "A" in S.T.E.M. - Many may have forgotten, but the "A" stands for Arts, like liberal arts: Literature, Visual Arts, Vocal Arts, Philosophy, Pottery etc.- and some of the other areas some school systems have been cutting back on in order to focus more intensely on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The most important stuff in our entire world?
While the STEM areas have and continue to bring us wonderful stuff, I fear that without a balanced focused on the Arts we could be headed toward a mechanical existence devoid of the essentials the Arts contribute to the well being of humanity; in fact lets hear it for the study of The Humanities! Yeah! Go ahead, cheer out loud, please.
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest I'm already seeing ways in which the STEM areas are being used in ambiguous ways, opening the door for further bad stuff if left unbalanced by The Arts. Well, actually the door doesn't even have to be open for our precious privacy to be usurped by STEM stuff; they can listen to us and watch us right through the door! Or perhaps they can tell where you are or where your going by tracking the GPS conveniently installed in most cell phones and many vehicles... I do want to add here quickly before the STEM people who are watching me now come after me, that in some cases the stuff of these areas have and continue to promote the Arts.
Still, it seems to me that The Arts are still "Getting the Hind Tit" (As the Southern saying goes) in promotion and funding in today's world - or at least in the westernized parts of it. So this is why when I heard STEAM instead of just STEM, I felt like a small move was being made back in the direction of balancing the western world and perhaps, just perhaps, eventually saving its "soul" and the Universe et. al.!
As always I'd like to know what you think; good, bad or indifferent. I only ask that if you're going to write a comment, that you do it creatively...:}
I just found out that the Talent Alliance of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is having a S.T.E.A.M. event on May 17th for youth of practically of all ages (http://www.talentalliance.iupui.edu/steamdays2014.html).
You see, someone has finally put the "A" in S.T.E.M. - Many may have forgotten, but the "A" stands for Arts, like liberal arts: Literature, Visual Arts, Vocal Arts, Philosophy, Pottery etc.- and some of the other areas some school systems have been cutting back on in order to focus more intensely on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The most important stuff in our entire world?
While the STEM areas have and continue to bring us wonderful stuff, I fear that without a balanced focused on the Arts we could be headed toward a mechanical existence devoid of the essentials the Arts contribute to the well being of humanity; in fact lets hear it for the study of The Humanities! Yeah! Go ahead, cheer out loud, please.
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest I'm already seeing ways in which the STEM areas are being used in ambiguous ways, opening the door for further bad stuff if left unbalanced by The Arts. Well, actually the door doesn't even have to be open for our precious privacy to be usurped by STEM stuff; they can listen to us and watch us right through the door! Or perhaps they can tell where you are or where your going by tracking the GPS conveniently installed in most cell phones and many vehicles... I do want to add here quickly before the STEM people who are watching me now come after me, that in some cases the stuff of these areas have and continue to promote the Arts.
Still, it seems to me that The Arts are still "Getting the Hind Tit" (As the Southern saying goes) in promotion and funding in today's world - or at least in the westernized parts of it. So this is why when I heard STEAM instead of just STEM, I felt like a small move was being made back in the direction of balancing the western world and perhaps, just perhaps, eventually saving its "soul" and the Universe et. al.!
As always I'd like to know what you think; good, bad or indifferent. I only ask that if you're going to write a comment, that you do it creatively...:}
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