Perspective and its Problems
The best way to maintain one's perspective (at least from my perspective) is to find a way to mix what his happening at the moment with something like the long term view.
The long term view, the historical perspective, is problematic. There is so much "history" that we are forced to pick and choose the examples we use. It is not easy to see what the greater problem is then with respect to the past. Is it simply thinking that in the past, everything was simple, pure and better than the present state of things? Or, is it better to pick examples from the past that portray the present in a particular light...as "not as bad" or "more progressive" than things were before - - or "things have always been going to Hell and now is no different"?
My problem is different (although I tend to pick and choose examples from the past to prove a point for whatever reason I see fit)...I tend to block out the immediate present, the news of the moment and treat it as noise unless something really, really interests me.
Maybe I should try to get off my dispassionate, but extremely high fucking horse and try my hand at a few topics that I think my version of the long view could elucidate and leave it to whatever readers are out there to see if anything I say is worth something of a damn.
For now I have a sick kid and a sleeping chihuahua on the couch so I need to attend to them. My kid's fever just hit 101 at about 5:45am. Nurse Cookie has not left his side since the fever spiked. And that's the kind of health care reform this country needs you fat cats in Washington!!!
I don't know what sort of perspective that is, but it is mine dammit!
I'll be quiet now.
The long term view, the historical perspective, is problematic. There is so much "history" that we are forced to pick and choose the examples we use. It is not easy to see what the greater problem is then with respect to the past. Is it simply thinking that in the past, everything was simple, pure and better than the present state of things? Or, is it better to pick examples from the past that portray the present in a particular light...as "not as bad" or "more progressive" than things were before - - or "things have always been going to Hell and now is no different"?
My problem is different (although I tend to pick and choose examples from the past to prove a point for whatever reason I see fit)...I tend to block out the immediate present, the news of the moment and treat it as noise unless something really, really interests me.
Maybe I should try to get off my dispassionate, but extremely high fucking horse and try my hand at a few topics that I think my version of the long view could elucidate and leave it to whatever readers are out there to see if anything I say is worth something of a damn.
For now I have a sick kid and a sleeping chihuahua on the couch so I need to attend to them. My kid's fever just hit 101 at about 5:45am. Nurse Cookie has not left his side since the fever spiked. And that's the kind of health care reform this country needs you fat cats in Washington!!!
I don't know what sort of perspective that is, but it is mine dammit!
I'll be quiet now.
posted by edP | 5:11 AM
2 Comments:
Happy birthday, big brother! Hope it's been a good one (hope the little man is feeling better quickly also) Best wishes and hugs and such from the rainy bay area- where was actually saw a tiny bit of real sun today! Briefly.
Thanks kiddo!
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