I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom. General George S. Patton is as well known for his demeanor as his battle field accumen. Patton saw that the only failure was to not get up, brush off the dirt, and fight again. If one wallows in the dismay of failure, and does not actively seek to overcome the obstacles that caused him to stumble, then failure was the choice made.
In some martial arts, one of the first lesson's to be taught is how to fall. If the fall is wrong, the pain will follow. Done right, the response is to be back on your feet, ready to fight again. The worst part of falling is not the actual action of falling, but the point in time when the ground stops the motion. Being able to bounce, therefore, has it's benefits. Think of it, divers are actually falling (typically in a graceful or dramatic fashion). It is their desire to come to the surface after the dive that makes their fall a success. After all, if they do not come up for air after the dive, the act of drowning would not be a measurement of success.
In life, we fall all the time, and then get back up to fight again. It happens all the time. Kids, when learning to ride a bike, fall over again and again. The successful rider will get back on that bike, and try again. Eventually, he will attempt to do greater things; sometimes ending up with broken bones and life-threatening injuries as a result of pushing the envelope of bike riding, but the key was getting up right away after that first fall.
Look at how many marriages dissolve under pressure. They fail. Sometimes, it is truly because one of the happy couple is a drunken, rock-throwing, sociopathic escapee from the primordial ooze from which she spawned, but more often the case was the foundation for the marriage was not firmly planted to let it succeed, and both parties bear an equal culpability for the failure. Yet, those same people can go on in life, find a way to raise their kids apart from one another, and build new, healthy, sustainable marriages that last the remainder of their lives.
These are simple examples of bouncing. Learning how to bounce comes form first learning how to fall. And falling, if it is viewed as an opportunity to learn, is a valuable exercise.
18 November, 2010
29 October, 2010
Learning to Fail
"Failure is not an option." These words rather surreptitiously attributed to Gene Kranz, Flight Director for NASA's Apollo flights, reflect what can be called a "can-do" attitude. However, the truth is, failure is often a choice. Wait, is that not a contradiction? Nope, not really. One can choose failure simply through a lack of effort to succeed.
As stated earlier, life is a journey. Along the way, there are victories, losses, successes, and failures. Each of these lend insight into one's character; both externally and internally. It is so easy to find resources and guides that promise a means to find success. Some self-help guides teach principles of financial greatness. Others claim to have the secret to enlightenment; a spiritual guide to some hidden heaven far from the masses, attainable only through the purchase of 9.98 at Amazon. Diet books (Like the Seefood diet). Treatises on maximizing hair follicle retention. How to cast spells for fun and profit. The American's guide to speaking British (that's for real, and it is quite funny). Want to succeed at something, anything - there's a guide for that.
Sorely missing, however, is a step-by-step guide for failing. Yet, there are so many steps, so many great examples of how to fail. Maybe FailBlog comes closest. Nah, not really. It just shows the result of failure, sometimes at the expense of other's dignity, sanity or health. It can be both funny and offensive at the same time. So then, does one look to the Darwin Awards for guidance? Maybe, if a cautionary tale is what is sought; but in the end, the subject is typically, and irrevocably, removed from the gene pool. Again, this can be quite amusing, but saddening when one realizes the poor choices that can be made. Further proving that failure is a choice.
Who, then, wakes up in the morning and says,"Today is a good day to fail?" Before there is an argument to the contrary, this phrase is not to be confused with "Today is a good day to die." Unlike Commander Worf of the U.S.S. Enterprise, most people in modern society would not actively pursue "Death before Dishonor." The concept of self-sacrifice as a failure is not really appropriate in the current context. That, like the Mac vs. PC conversation will have to wait for another day.
Back to the topic at hand, if people do not actively seek failure, how do they choose to fail? And for that matter, why would any one want to learn how to fail? The idea of writing on the topic of failure, especially a How-To guide, seems to be a sure-fire commercial disaster. Other than family members, friends, and the weird guy staring at the light fixtures in the local Barnes and Noble, it is highly unlikely to be purchased. Is this subject matter worth exploring, and can anything really be learned in the process?
Perhaps. The journey of failure is a system, with many components. The dissection of this system is necessary, and each step or process should be examined closely. The interactions of the process of achieving failure, be it trivial (forgetting the stamp on an envelope in the post), large-scale (the Renault Fuego), stellar (Windows Vista), plain folly ("My Mother the Car") or tragic (the introduction of New Coke) - each has common elements. How these elements are approached, the choice of words in the evaluation, can either bring this part of the literary journey to a satisfactory conclusion, or lead to further, frustrated, failure. And that is not an option.
As stated earlier, life is a journey. Along the way, there are victories, losses, successes, and failures. Each of these lend insight into one's character; both externally and internally. It is so easy to find resources and guides that promise a means to find success. Some self-help guides teach principles of financial greatness. Others claim to have the secret to enlightenment; a spiritual guide to some hidden heaven far from the masses, attainable only through the purchase of 9.98 at Amazon. Diet books (Like the Seefood diet). Treatises on maximizing hair follicle retention. How to cast spells for fun and profit. The American's guide to speaking British (that's for real, and it is quite funny). Want to succeed at something, anything - there's a guide for that.
Sorely missing, however, is a step-by-step guide for failing. Yet, there are so many steps, so many great examples of how to fail. Maybe FailBlog comes closest. Nah, not really. It just shows the result of failure, sometimes at the expense of other's dignity, sanity or health. It can be both funny and offensive at the same time. So then, does one look to the Darwin Awards for guidance? Maybe, if a cautionary tale is what is sought; but in the end, the subject is typically, and irrevocably, removed from the gene pool. Again, this can be quite amusing, but saddening when one realizes the poor choices that can be made. Further proving that failure is a choice.
Who, then, wakes up in the morning and says,"Today is a good day to fail?" Before there is an argument to the contrary, this phrase is not to be confused with "Today is a good day to die." Unlike Commander Worf of the U.S.S. Enterprise, most people in modern society would not actively pursue "Death before Dishonor." The concept of self-sacrifice as a failure is not really appropriate in the current context. That, like the Mac vs. PC conversation will have to wait for another day.
Back to the topic at hand, if people do not actively seek failure, how do they choose to fail? And for that matter, why would any one want to learn how to fail? The idea of writing on the topic of failure, especially a How-To guide, seems to be a sure-fire commercial disaster. Other than family members, friends, and the weird guy staring at the light fixtures in the local Barnes and Noble, it is highly unlikely to be purchased. Is this subject matter worth exploring, and can anything really be learned in the process?
Perhaps. The journey of failure is a system, with many components. The dissection of this system is necessary, and each step or process should be examined closely. The interactions of the process of achieving failure, be it trivial (forgetting the stamp on an envelope in the post), large-scale (the Renault Fuego), stellar (Windows Vista), plain folly ("My Mother the Car") or tragic (the introduction of New Coke) - each has common elements. How these elements are approached, the choice of words in the evaluation, can either bring this part of the literary journey to a satisfactory conclusion, or lead to further, frustrated, failure. And that is not an option.
28 October, 2010
Back to Swimming Upstream?
Roe, Roe, Roe Your Boat. Life, for animal life as scientists currently understand, essentially starts the same way, be it for fish, fowl, or financial advisor. In theory, one would have to say it was the egg that came first, before the chicken, since it was the fish in the sea that came before the birds of the air (or livestock, since the chicken is not really much of a flyer). Some eggs have a better chance, in a nest protected by a fierce predator, while others are held in the mother until fertilization and incubation resulting in live birth. Still others have a delicious chocolate outer part with a gooey nougat center delivered by bunnies that cluck like chickens. Regardless of the model used, the egg seems to be a jumping off point for many a life and or recipe.
In the case of salmon, they start in the stream where Mom and Dad came to spawn, and later, bear food or lox. The young salmon then travel downstream after birth, hopefully slipping past the many mouths eager to feed on them, to open seas to do whatever it is salmon do until the reach maturity. Then it is time to head back upstream, avoiding fishermen and bear alike (who, in turn, also try to avoid each other, unless the bear suddenly decides the fishermen are equally good sources of meat, at which point all bets are off). Passing these obstacles, they finally return to the spot where they were spawned, and repeat the cycle. In other cases, the spawning happens out at sea, such is in the case of eels, which then head up into freshwater to grow, eat everything possible, and then go out to sea to do it all over again.
By now, one has to be wondering, what does this all mean? National Geographic had a great article on the decline of eels as a fishery? The price of Nova Lox is up at Zabar's? Evil mutant fish can swim up the sewer lines and attack unsuspecting people in the shower, or worse, on the toilet? Interesting idea, but not really the theme here. That will have to be explored later.
The point is, life is an uphill battle. Everyone starts from the same humble beginning, though the circumstances around one's hatching, uh, birth, help to shape the point at which the climb starts. Sometimes, the young are protected from the marauding attacks of gulls and grizzlies, other times, the smallest and weakest must face the journey with little or no support. At times, the chains of bondage grab hold, and retard the effort. Life goes unfulfilled, and a man cannot reach that stream and is dashed on the rocks of despair. Other times, some well-meaning interloper creates a spillway designed to expedite the journey, and the climb to the top is accelerated, only to come to the same end. It is the fortunate few that endure both the struggle and the victory that bring hope; they fulfilled the role set for them long before man had a name.
The whole thing seems fishy, and the example is but one of the struggles in nature. Man has simplified the battle, using tools and transport to overcome the challenges of the journey. In doing so, a new journey is created, a flood of new ideas and information inundates and surrounds young and old alike. Cultures, once separated by long journey's, are now bound instantly electronically, and virtually any place on earth can be reached in a matter of hours, or at worst days (especially on the Garden State Parkway or the M25). People still protect the eggs (or freeze them for later use), and try to guide the young on their own journey; in the polluted and convoluted waters of modern life. Texting, social networking, information overload are overtaking the grizzlies, and the perils once unknown a generation ago are now pervasive.
As one has completed the first cycle, spawning new life, and waiting for it swim off on it's own, how can this next generation be protected from the new perils that await them downstream?
In the case of salmon, they start in the stream where Mom and Dad came to spawn, and later, bear food or lox. The young salmon then travel downstream after birth, hopefully slipping past the many mouths eager to feed on them, to open seas to do whatever it is salmon do until the reach maturity. Then it is time to head back upstream, avoiding fishermen and bear alike (who, in turn, also try to avoid each other, unless the bear suddenly decides the fishermen are equally good sources of meat, at which point all bets are off). Passing these obstacles, they finally return to the spot where they were spawned, and repeat the cycle. In other cases, the spawning happens out at sea, such is in the case of eels, which then head up into freshwater to grow, eat everything possible, and then go out to sea to do it all over again.
By now, one has to be wondering, what does this all mean? National Geographic had a great article on the decline of eels as a fishery? The price of Nova Lox is up at Zabar's? Evil mutant fish can swim up the sewer lines and attack unsuspecting people in the shower, or worse, on the toilet? Interesting idea, but not really the theme here. That will have to be explored later.
The point is, life is an uphill battle. Everyone starts from the same humble beginning, though the circumstances around one's hatching, uh, birth, help to shape the point at which the climb starts. Sometimes, the young are protected from the marauding attacks of gulls and grizzlies, other times, the smallest and weakest must face the journey with little or no support. At times, the chains of bondage grab hold, and retard the effort. Life goes unfulfilled, and a man cannot reach that stream and is dashed on the rocks of despair. Other times, some well-meaning interloper creates a spillway designed to expedite the journey, and the climb to the top is accelerated, only to come to the same end. It is the fortunate few that endure both the struggle and the victory that bring hope; they fulfilled the role set for them long before man had a name.
The whole thing seems fishy, and the example is but one of the struggles in nature. Man has simplified the battle, using tools and transport to overcome the challenges of the journey. In doing so, a new journey is created, a flood of new ideas and information inundates and surrounds young and old alike. Cultures, once separated by long journey's, are now bound instantly electronically, and virtually any place on earth can be reached in a matter of hours, or at worst days (especially on the Garden State Parkway or the M25). People still protect the eggs (or freeze them for later use), and try to guide the young on their own journey; in the polluted and convoluted waters of modern life. Texting, social networking, information overload are overtaking the grizzlies, and the perils once unknown a generation ago are now pervasive.
As one has completed the first cycle, spawning new life, and waiting for it swim off on it's own, how can this next generation be protected from the new perils that await them downstream?
Who's Name Is It Anyway?
A rose by any other name is still genus Rosa. Wondering why the name "Chain of Unconsciousness?" It is a long, convoluted story, but for the sake of clarity (if possible), it must be told. Be forewarned, following this train of thought may be as tricky as trying to understand the legal jargon in the small print of a credit card application; having acetaminophen on hand may well be in order.
The term, streams of consciousness, refers to a narrative mode or performance that tends to represent a series of events and thoughts flowing from the source, linked together by extemporaneous events and causalities. In other words, random thoughts joined together by a chain of events. Speaking of chains, one of the inputs into this wellspring of nonsense is the job, or, in the words of Mr. Dom Valicenti of New Jersey, "Journey of Bondage." (OK, credit has been given, and is well deserved). Since this is meant to be a nonsensical flow, or spew (Thanks, FJ, as if you thought you'd get away with that little remark!), it just seemed to be more fitting to use the term "Streams of Unconsciousness."
Alas, this is not to be. Why, one might ask? Because of the book and unrelated song of the same title. Not to infringe on anyone's copyright, the search for a name needed to capture the inanity of it all, with a need to bind it all together. Well, Prometheus was bound in chains, right? Liver paté, anyone? In a rare moment of clarity (probably reinforced by the cleansing process of a shower), the name became clear. The concept of streams of consciousness has a rather loose connection to string theory, but strings of unconsciousness sounded stupid. Strings are flimsy, weak; like a plot on any Disney Channel sitcom. Chains are strong. They hold titans. Ship's use chains attached to anchors to hold position. Chains can be made of daisies. Uh, scratch that last one.
In the end, "Chain of Unconsciousness" won out. Random ideas, linked together at some point, between meaningfulness and absurdity, most of which have absolutely nothing to do with one another. There must be something to it, this Written Attention Deficit Disorder (WADD), because someone has just reached the last word in this entry, and wondered "What the McPizza®?"
25 October, 2010
Chain of Unconsciousness - A swim upstream
Life is a journey; enjoy the trip. What follows is not a collection of drug-induced ramblings (unless of course, one considers caffeine a drug, in which case, the previous assertion would be patently untrue), but a monologue of a life evolving. A modern Odyssey, complete with a loyal and suffering Penelope, a gifted but troubled Telemachus, with the addition of the daughters Faith and Justice. Be forewarned, yon seekers of great wisdom; the keys of success and vast knowledge may well leave the reader sorely disappointed; any evidence of such is purely accidental, and any exercise of such information may pose substantial risk to one's health, sanity and credit rating. Of course, the sirens' song is tempting the reader onward, hoping the author will share some deep insight into the meaning of Taylor Swift's latest album (though she has essentially detailed her songwriting process herself), the details of a new green technology that will save mankind (dilithium crystal fusion), or a scathing treatise on what is wrong with American politics (politicians). What is to be revealed depends on the reader's frame of reference; the only certainty in the contents is the use of mono- and poly-syllabic words made up of vowels and consonants. Any further conjecture or contemplation would be futile. Before the journey can begin, it is time to jump in the water (feet first, please, no diving!). Never mind the swirling waters of Charybdis...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)