State of Mind

I like to begin discussions with a question or two. It helps create that perfect harmony between understanding and learning. This time however, I'm feeling a bit different. Do you ever wonder if animals think? I watched four birds fly to the ridge of a roof. It seems as though they talked for a while as they chirped away. I thought that maybe, by chance, there was an argument when two of the birds flew over to a wire and perched themselves there. Were they mad? Perhaps they were disgusted with the others that they had no choice but to leave. 

Whatever the case, I perceived a situation that I believed could have been confrontational. It certainly looked that way. Who would ever believe that birds disagree anyway? So I laughed. We all have our bouts. We all have times we want to get away from the others. What is going through your mind when you make a decision? Did you ever ask yourself, “what was I thinking?” Well...what were you thinking? How could you act that way? Were you deceived? Maybe, just maybe, those birds weren't treating each-other with respect.

Could be terrible teaching. Who did you learn right from wrong from? Your parents? What if there was no right and wrong? Morality is a whip disguised as an angel! Then again, we have to try and be fair to one-another. You don't like to be treated “wrong” and neither do I. However, something signifies that other people giggle when others gain an affliction. People smile when someone's plans go a-drift. Human beings can be so cruel that they actually enjoy to watch others suffer! That is the name of the game: life. Get out of my way! Money! Who do you think you are?! That's my money! Where is my money?!

Seems to make a lot of sense to me. The more people push others down, the more they rise above the rest. Then they can act pretentious and look down their nose at the rest of the filth that is keeping this country bound to poverty. Go to work! You pathetic piece of trash, you should be ashamed of yourself! Our condescending nature creates problems and solutions. So I say, at the end of the day, “relax. Your gibberish is becoming cacophonous and irritating.” I don't pretend that people know. I surely don't pretend that they understand. But I demand that others should pay attention whether or not they “follow the rules.”

Uncalculated Measures

We are all faced with decisions in which we don't really know the outcome.  These "risks" are like moves on a chess-board--depending how good you are.  Can we every really predict the consequences of our actions whether they be good or bad?  Forget about morality for a minute.  Can we know what will happen after the fact?  How will that person react if I do this?  What if I do nothing, will it make a difference? 

We would all like to agree that we do make a difference and that we can have some sort of an idea where our decisions will lead us.  We live with the decisions we make... like them or not.  Then there is always that reflection.  Perhaps this is the hardest part.  If only we could have changed one thing--or many things for that matter!  We would be so much better off in the long-run.  If we could only change.  Why didn't you in the first place?  Was it because one is so caught up in the moment they really couldn't act any other way?  Was that person compelled to make that decision?  Should they be held accountable?  Should they be held responsible?  Well, a lot of different factors play into these questions.  If this and if that.  I don't really know.

However, I have an inclination that presented the exact same conditions; in the exact same event; with the same exact people; in the same exact environment; with the same exact characteristics that make up a personality; that person has no other choice but to act in exactly the same way in which--upon further reflection by their own inner conscious could not do otherwise!  If one was able to go back, given the circumstances that are present, you couldn't make any different choice.  But there is more: would you want to?  Sure we all make mistakes but our agency depends upon the pull of our desires and the stronger the pull, the more likely were are to act or behave in that manner.  Therefore, no matter what was at stake or for what reason, question your actions.  You may have a better future because of it.

Guilty Adventures

When people leave... when we leave our homes, we decide to go on a journey. There is a plan. There is a goal. Perhaps there are many goals? It depends where you are going. The arrival happens and we go to work. We work on having fun. There are tasks that need to be met everyday. If something doesn't get done, it must be done the next day. There are only so many days on an adventure because it's not long term. We know that it is eventually going to be over. So the tasks that are planned must be completed before we leave. However, not everything can always be completed. Only so much can be done in that certain amount of time. So we try our best to complete every goal we set for our self. The only problem is—even though we accomplished a lot of the things we wanted to do—is that at the end of the excursion we find that we really didn't accomplish everything.

It wasn't on the list. It was created during our time on the adventure because of other changes that happened to occur. Therefore, I think about the question: how can we end up being disappointed on the way back? You did everything you set out to do. Everything you planned on doing was accomplished but you created more new things after you had arrived. The original plan that you created you deviated from. It was the plan that you devised and made sure it was perfect. Spending time thinking about all of the duties and activities of this journey. But still, on the way back home you are left with a small amount of regret. And over what? You accomplished everything you set out to do, yet when you arrive home you have depressing thoughts and regrets about what you would have done differently? That isn't logical. If you thought hard for the correct game-plan and it worked, why would you be disappointed after?

We strive for routine and comfort, only to scoff at retuning to it. Perhaps, what is even more stranger is that a person was forced to go on the adventure. They were not allowed agency of any sort. Have you ever been mad to go somewhere? So that person is forced to leave, not wanting to go. Then they arrive and a different routine sets in. People like a different routine every now and then. Nevertheless, it is still a routine and the routine is to follow the plan. When plans aren't followed correctly, people tend to become frustrated and unhappy. This time, however, all boxes were checked. Everything was accomplished, yet, on the way back from the adventure, there seems to be one thing that you would have done differently. Desire doesn't make much sense because what you accomplish is never enough. People made up words like “content” to make themselves feel comfortable. People will sum up an experience by saying, “it is what it is.” Why do we feel depressed to go home? Time. The longer a person is gone from home the more they don't want to return. But that depends on where you go and the reason you are going.

And that is why some people don't even have one.