Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Somtimes The World's Just Too Heavy!



Friends, it is becoming more and more obvious to me that trying to carry the world around on one's shoulders is an exercise in futility and, potentially, is a threat to one's health and longevity.

Of late I've noted that more and more bloggers seem to be dropping out of the scene, all of them expressing the same feeling: not only are we worn out trying to change the world but we realize how little impact we are having. It's a two-edged sword.

Last night I received a malicious email from a total waste of space. Stupidly I allowed it to get under my skin. I went to bed with a pain in my heart, one that I eventually removed with medication. This morning I feel jaded, worn out by the unequal struggle.

I offer the above photograph from Innisfree to you as a peace offering. Sadly, it's a scarce commodity in this world. And I offer the following words:

"And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of morning to where the cricket sings;

There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening's full of the linnet's wings."

Yeats. W.B. From The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

15 comments:

Gracie said...

Take a deep breath - it gets frustrating at times. I think good people far outnumber a small group of radicals that just happen to be in power at the moment. We need you so...... dust yourself off and keep speaking out against these criminals.

The picture is lovely, Daniel! Hang in there.

Granny said...

Beautiful.

Please don't give it up. Even if we're just talking to each other, each of us needs to know we're not alone.

Daniel said...

So many people in this world are a complete waste of space.

Others, like yourselves, though all too few in number, are real gems.

Thanks Gracie and Granny. The world suddenly feels lighter.

Frank Partisan said...

There are ebbs and flows in blogging.

I visit blogs I haven't visited before often. Sometimes I pick a topic or country, and explore corresponding blogs.

Regards.

Nigel Bird said...

Hey Dan
It's all about feedback there is no such thing as failure. We just need to work on our strategies and keep on adjusting them until the Blue Ball starts singing from the same song sheet. It reminded me of a story about how to get results From when I was studying Milton Ericson. He said something like,
Significant therapy can often be done very, very simply, even though the therapeutic tasks look to be huge. One year a new Dean took his place at the medical school. He called me into his office and said ," I'm the new dean here and I brought with me a protege of mine. Now this protege of mine is an absolute gem because he's the most brilliant student I've ever encountered. he is gifted in pathology. he understands pathology and is very interested in slides,but he hates all psychiatrists. And he has a very sharp tongue. He will insult you from all directions. He'll take every chance he can to annoy you"
I said, "Don't worry, Dean. I'll handle him."
The Dean said, Well, you will be the first ever to handle Him."
And so the first day I introduced myself and told the class I was not like other medical-school professors. Other medical School professors thought that their course was quite the most important course given in medical school. But I was quite different.
I didn't think any such nonsense. It just happens that I KNEW my course was the most important. That was taken in by the class very nicely. And then I said, "for those only mildly interested in Psychiatry, I offer a list of about forty extra curricular references for them to read. And for those that have some considerable interest in psychiatry I offer a list of about fifty references they can read. And for those who are really interested, I offer about sixty outside-reading topics."
And then I told the whole class to write a review of a certain syllabus on psychiatry and hand in their reviews next Monday. Next Monday, that student who hated psychiatry stood in line. Each student passed in his review. That student handed me a blank sheet of paper.
I said, "Without reading your review, I noticed you made two mistakes: you haven't dated it, and you haven't signed it. So, turn it in next Monday. And remember, a book review is like reading pathology slides"
I got one of the most competent book reviews I've ever had in my life. And the dean said, How on earth did you make a Christian out of a heathen?"
I took him completely by surprise!!

A demonstration how to 'never take an insult' by refusing to see the student's behaviour as an insult, he took him by surprise by pointing out 'two mistakes' also maintaining his position of authority. And by directing the student to look for similarities between book reviews and reading slides he applied some bascic teaching principles- initiating motivation and connecting new learnings with older ones. By keeping up the pretense that the blank page was an actual book review, Ericson was also demonstrating , the 'Join the patient' principle.
(taken from My voice will go with you)

It's all about result Daniel my friend, people like you are too valuable to be ignored , we'll just have to keep on approaching from different perspectives until we start getting results.

Chin up mate.

Coffee Messiah said...

No need to take things like that too serious, since they're only done to aggravate! ; (

The pressure of so much stupidity here in the US is daunting, and unless you go into the world and change it by every day interactions, the rest seems to be preaching to the choir.

It all comes and goes for me. I attempted to let it go when I deleted the previous years posts! I figured it was time to let that aggravation quit consuming me. Honestly though, I'm still reading the publications that make me boil and keep up to date at the sad state we are in.

I do hope, as we all do, even a minor change will be on the horizon, continuing to grow! ; 0

Cheers to ya!

Daniel said...

Hey Coffee and Monica, thanks for the kind words.

I guess all humans are caught between hope and reality. In the first third of our lives we live entirely in hope. In the second third we have diminishing hope but we refuse to accept reality. In the final third we hope that reality can't find us!

Cheers.

Octavian said...

I hope to not lose my faith in the future. I seek to follow the data to its conclusions no matter how dark the path that must be followed. Even if the only one listening in myself.

Falling on a bruise said...

The blog-world contains idiots, you can either let them get to you, pity them or laugh at there stupidity and ignorance.
I generally pity them, it must be terrible to be so full of hate and spite that you feel moved enough to email a stranger and spit your vitriol at them just because they hold differing views.
It is their problem, not yours, just roll your eyes, shake your head and carry on.

Nigel Bird said...

Permission to shout hoorah?

Anonymous said...

Last night I received a malicious email from a total waste of space. Stupidly I allowed it to get under my skin.

That sucks, and I could say something trite like, "Don't let it get to you," but I know that sometimes it still does.

So let me try something a bit different... You mentioned having am impact. Perhaps these little missives of hatred are a metric with which one can measure one's impact? I mean, I get...maybe...three or four out-and-out death threats a year. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Voice said...

Daniel, don't worry! I have been at that point but I realized that if I quite and don't say what is right than I will know for sure that nothing will change. But when I fight for what is right than there is always that chance no matter how small. If you quite do not expect a change, because change can only come about if there are people striving to change.

Daniel said...

Dear Friend, I am very moved by the concern that you have expressed. To have such friends is wonderful.

I did not intend to create a problem or a worry for anyone merely to share something that I'm sure most bloggers have experienced. I'm trying to turn the event into something positive and will create another post this morning based upon my reflections.

Take care now!

Anonymous said...

I am pleased Daniel that you've come to the realization that you are not responsible for the world's ill. We can only change ourselves, others must accept responsibility for themselves.....

I know there has been a Peace Day declared somewhere by someone, and for that I am grateful...all we need now is for politicians worldwide to hear the same message....Not you and me Daniel, but "them"...sometimes it is out of our hands.

Daniel said...

I agree, Mary, but the problem is that we are both caring members of the human family and, as such, we do have a responsibility to others and our planet. Sometimes I wish it weren't so but...

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