Tag Archives: humour

The Road to Diamond, Day 187: Detached

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 3, 2025- The little card acknowledged what I myself realized, upon returning to Sportage, after exercising and picking up a couple of Tuesday Tacos at El Gordo: “You’re parked like an idiot”. The “gentle reminder” card, inserted by private security in various parking lots around the country, uses mildly caustic humour to help usually conscientious drivers remember that there is no holiday from courtesy. So, going forward, I am reminded to take the time to park properly-just as I remind myself to brush my teeth twice a day, make sure my shoes are tied and stay hydrated.

Age brings either heightened irritation with oneself and/or the doings of others, or a knowing acceptance of those behaviours and events that, in and of themselves, do no harm to self and others. Parking hurriedly, in a largely empty lot, is one of those one-offs that I can accept from myself-or from someone else, once in a blue moon. We all get tired, need to refocus and regroup, every so often.

Making decisions that immediately affect other people is another matter. “Big picture” folks often miss that aspect. Large scale decisions, from public budgeting to long-term construction projects cannot go without a reasonable (30-60 day) period of public input. Conversely, the public would do well to exercise the right to give input on these matters, by first looking at the proposal, then taking time to consider various ways in which an individual, her/his family and community will be affected-both short and long-term. The person then will be able to offer input, in a meaningful way.

Institutions, like their individual members, can get tired and need time to refresh and regroup. It is best that this is done from within-as revolutions, being often emotion-driven solutions of last resort, tend to overlook the small, but necessary, cogs and wheels that made the institution effective in the first place. This is one lesson I drew from study of the French and Russian Revolutions. Our own, having been more measured, has lasted longer, precisely because of the processes of amendment and regular public input.

It helps both individuals and institutions to remain emotionally detached from criticism, thus being open to what the critic is actually trying to convey.

Microaggressions

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Education, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal goals, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 19, 2023- Jim Morrison once offered the verse, “No one here gets out alive”, in The Doors song, “Five to One”. It became the title of his biography and a caution to anyone who acts as if they are above it all. There is no one, least of all myself, who cannot improve on both inner thoughts and on behaviour towards self and others.

This afternoon, an earnest young woman offered a presentation on “Microaggressions”, small actions stemming from deeply ingrained attitudes-many of which began to take root in childhood. Reflecting back, I recall hearing a racist version of “Eenie, Meenie Miney Mo”-not knowing what the epithet at the end meant, until Mom said she’d wash our mouths out with soap, if we copied our friends’ use of the term again. It wasn’t until Martin Luther King, Jr’s speeches began to be broadcast on the Nightly News that I figured out how deeply offensive the epithet was to African-Americans.

Still and all, behaviours which did not seem to bother other White people DID bother Blacks, and I am grateful that I was called out on them, almost immediately-and told WHY they were offensive. Anything which does not allow for equitable treatment of all people, regardless of their outward features, has no true place in the human fabric. It will take time and patience, both with oneself and with all one meets, to overcome the little affronts, which do add up-and contribute to misunderstandings, and feelings of being aggrieved.

Humour is often used in such faux pas-and the offended person is often asked, “Can’t you take a joke?” The answer, when a relationship has not been firmly established and mutual trust deeply ingrained, is “No”. Humour ought not, ever, be used as a screen, behind which one may toss darts at people who are different. The better option is self-examination, on a daily basis, and increasing one’s understanding of the deeper cultural elements that might lead to someone feeling microaggression directed against him/her.

No one here gets PHYSICALLY out alive, but we can certainly grow our spirits.

Ad Hoc Authority

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Posted by on in collaborating, Education, Inspiration, Personal Values, Striving

May 26, 2020-

I began reading the National Geographic, for the month of June, whilst doing my laundry, this afternoon. One of the opinion pieces, about the effect of satire and humour, in getting people to understand science, contained the curious statement that “most scientists” agree the GMO-foods are safe to eat-and that Jimmy Kimmel says they’re safe to eat, as well.

I have never heard Mr. Kimmel speak, about anything. When people talk about dietary or nutritional matters, their main frames of reference are: Their dietary needs and preferences; their investments (GMO foods are lucrative) and their aversion to what they see as lapses in efficiency (Small farms and organic methods are often cited as being “inefficient.”)

I also have a problem with “most…….”. It reminds me of the phrase, “They’re all doing it”. Not being a lemming, or a sheep, I have to weigh trends in my mind, before followong along. Nebulous citations, or quoting lay people, who may or may not be authoritative, or articulate, are not altogether convincing.

Many of the problems into which we have fallen, today, are the results of having followed the words of the loudest voice in the room. Ad hoc authority figures have risen up, at various levels of national life-and in other countries, as well. They set policy by feeling their way. I have to caution my readers, to revert back to conducting scrutiny, to the best of your ability, and not taking anything at face value.

Things that may, or may not, be safe, are not ascertained by saying “The scientists say it’s so!” What scientists? Working for whom? Where are their studies, and the peer reviews, published?