Innocence
Monday, April 11, 2005
Friday, April 08, 2005
Inocencia, al final (Parte I)
As part of an ongoing conversation originated and aptly hosted by someone whose contribution to the world of blogging I admire, I am hereby including my two cents, hoping to move that conversation forward and perhaps start my own right here. The subject matter starts with teens and sex. As I see it, it moves well beyond that, into the society’s perception on sex/sexuality from the cultural and the economic views and how this taints its interactions with its own component individuals and with other societies around the world.
There is a fallacy commonly encountered in the United States that assumes that we are technologically, culturally, and economically more advanced than any other country, that we lead the vanguard and that where we’ve been, others are now going. The inference here is that there is an inevitable path of development, and we are blazing the trail, unrewarded pioneers to the benefit of the backward and underdeveloped rest of the globe. This theory’s proponents see the fall of the Soviet Union as proof positive that American-style capitalism is the way to go; much in the same way that people who see the sidewalk wet are absolutely certain it must have rained—even as I stand, hose in hand and covered in soapy suds, beside my car.
This theory seems to support that a completely unrestrained, unregulated, unfettered (free!) market will naturally resolve all problems, even those not commercial in nature, given enough time and allowing for cyclic fluctuations, adjustments and corrections. Obviously, education would improve, as people soon realize that better-educated children yield more profit. Clearly, there will be sufficient investment in infrastructure, as anyone with eyes will see that a solid foundation is a prerequisite for growth. Evidently, socio-cultural and religious influences will vanish, replaced with common-sense, politically correct, situational ethics under the ongoing framework of the common good and individual success. The world will be a better place. Apple pie. Kumbaya.
A miniscule, well-nigh negligible corollary of this theory suggests that accelerated maturity is a desirable characteristic of youth, whether it is achieved naturally or artificially. We extol the prodigies. Nobody ever told Mr. Fisher to slow down (and see what happened?). Discarding the idea of maturational readiness like so much road kill, we push, we prod, we demand, outright expect a quick end to childhood while simultaneously (and ironically) standardizing our approach to the point of rendering it useless. Children who need baby-sitters are a bother; children who can baby-sit are an asset. Mass marketing requires an asymptotic approach to the elusive common denominator that is universal mediocrity. We want more out of our young, but less out of our adults.
And that is where sex comes in. Biologically, we are mature when we can procreate. The instinctive continuation of the species supercedes ethical, moral, and social directives at some point, but until that point is reached, at least behavior and perhaps even attitudes and beliefs are substantially the result of our upbringing. But the ongoing competition to see who dies with the most toys exacts an ever-higher offering from us of the thing our children most need from us: attention. There isn’t enough time to spend time with them. In a culture that celebrates single-parenting and by virtue of equality has transformed both parents into providers (leaving few if any nurturers), the ones who stand to lose are the ones for whom we are doing it all: ourselves.
I am not a social conservative by any means. I have supported every single point above as it came up for discussion a la carte, only now to realize how they compound, how they aggravated what I did not like in how my parents raised me and like all the less in how my ex-wife and I are raising our children. But we all have excuses: my parents had a war to worry about; so do my ex-wife and I, but of a different nature. I-Pods aren’t cheap, and kids must have them, or other luxuries, and we are bad parents if we don’t provide them--well, maybe not bad, but not great. Toilet paper isn’t getting any cheaper, either, or any of the other necessities. Any step that does not lead to career advancement is financial suicide.
Recently, I read an exchange between somebody in the U.S. and Chile. The general idea began with the Chilean stating that she thought Americans were crazy partly because of their incessant litigation and money-grabbing. The American replied indicating that the United States imported in 2002 about $3.8 billion in Chilean goods, which represented 6% of Chile’s GNP for that year, but only 0.06% for the United States. This means that the American economy is 100 times greater (in dollars, not quality) than the Chilean economy, despite America’s population being only 20 times that of Chile—implying a five-fold in productivity. I will not dispute the numbers here, but I fear there is a price to be paid for such efficiency, and it comes in human lives. Children’s lives. Innocence. We did not stone innocence to death; much like Midas, we buried it in gold.
Let me be clear: I am most positively on the side of the elimination of innocence as quickly as practical and humane for the individual child. However, knowledge does not equal wisdom. We are our children’s conscience. I will further suggest that it does indeed take a village. Much like I tell kids (even my own) that if their parents didn’t teach them manners at home, they’ll get manners beat into them by strangers, I feel this applies to language, virtues, vices. I teach not just my children, but also all those other children who can see me, who can hear me. And mine learn from you. Human behavior is infectious, contagious. Globally, what we do as a country is seen by other countries and absorbed like water by the sands of the Sahara. Might is right. My country right or wrong. Love it or leave it. Apple pie. Kumbaya.
Do you know how many people saw ET? Star Wars? Titanic? Ya think that doesn’t sink in? Now more than ever the idea that acting locally affects global thinking can be interpolated into every blog thread. It’s chaos theory at its weirdest: the elimination of China’s political repression of its citizens indeed depends on my kids not bullying other kids, and not permitting those other kids bullying still more kids. The flapping of the wings by a butterfly in New York can bring about a storm in Kenya. Are there butterflies left in New York?
We talk about teens and sex like it was an isolated phenomenon. I suggest it is intricately linked to the price of grapes in Chile. I can only hope that I am explaining intelligibly enough why I think that teaching my children better vocabulary decreases their chances of promiscuity later. Self-respect, respect of others, respect of the planet, aren’t all these just the same thing? I can hear Dr. Harry Wolper shouting now: Sunombitch, it’s the Big Picture!
There is a fallacy commonly encountered in the United States that assumes that we are technologically, culturally, and economically more advanced than any other country, that we lead the vanguard and that where we’ve been, others are now going. The inference here is that there is an inevitable path of development, and we are blazing the trail, unrewarded pioneers to the benefit of the backward and underdeveloped rest of the globe. This theory’s proponents see the fall of the Soviet Union as proof positive that American-style capitalism is the way to go; much in the same way that people who see the sidewalk wet are absolutely certain it must have rained—even as I stand, hose in hand and covered in soapy suds, beside my car.
This theory seems to support that a completely unrestrained, unregulated, unfettered (free!) market will naturally resolve all problems, even those not commercial in nature, given enough time and allowing for cyclic fluctuations, adjustments and corrections. Obviously, education would improve, as people soon realize that better-educated children yield more profit. Clearly, there will be sufficient investment in infrastructure, as anyone with eyes will see that a solid foundation is a prerequisite for growth. Evidently, socio-cultural and religious influences will vanish, replaced with common-sense, politically correct, situational ethics under the ongoing framework of the common good and individual success. The world will be a better place. Apple pie. Kumbaya.
A miniscule, well-nigh negligible corollary of this theory suggests that accelerated maturity is a desirable characteristic of youth, whether it is achieved naturally or artificially. We extol the prodigies. Nobody ever told Mr. Fisher to slow down (and see what happened?). Discarding the idea of maturational readiness like so much road kill, we push, we prod, we demand, outright expect a quick end to childhood while simultaneously (and ironically) standardizing our approach to the point of rendering it useless. Children who need baby-sitters are a bother; children who can baby-sit are an asset. Mass marketing requires an asymptotic approach to the elusive common denominator that is universal mediocrity. We want more out of our young, but less out of our adults.
And that is where sex comes in. Biologically, we are mature when we can procreate. The instinctive continuation of the species supercedes ethical, moral, and social directives at some point, but until that point is reached, at least behavior and perhaps even attitudes and beliefs are substantially the result of our upbringing. But the ongoing competition to see who dies with the most toys exacts an ever-higher offering from us of the thing our children most need from us: attention. There isn’t enough time to spend time with them. In a culture that celebrates single-parenting and by virtue of equality has transformed both parents into providers (leaving few if any nurturers), the ones who stand to lose are the ones for whom we are doing it all: ourselves.
I am not a social conservative by any means. I have supported every single point above as it came up for discussion a la carte, only now to realize how they compound, how they aggravated what I did not like in how my parents raised me and like all the less in how my ex-wife and I are raising our children. But we all have excuses: my parents had a war to worry about; so do my ex-wife and I, but of a different nature. I-Pods aren’t cheap, and kids must have them, or other luxuries, and we are bad parents if we don’t provide them--well, maybe not bad, but not great. Toilet paper isn’t getting any cheaper, either, or any of the other necessities. Any step that does not lead to career advancement is financial suicide.
Recently, I read an exchange between somebody in the U.S. and Chile. The general idea began with the Chilean stating that she thought Americans were crazy partly because of their incessant litigation and money-grabbing. The American replied indicating that the United States imported in 2002 about $3.8 billion in Chilean goods, which represented 6% of Chile’s GNP for that year, but only 0.06% for the United States. This means that the American economy is 100 times greater (in dollars, not quality) than the Chilean economy, despite America’s population being only 20 times that of Chile—implying a five-fold in productivity. I will not dispute the numbers here, but I fear there is a price to be paid for such efficiency, and it comes in human lives. Children’s lives. Innocence. We did not stone innocence to death; much like Midas, we buried it in gold.
Let me be clear: I am most positively on the side of the elimination of innocence as quickly as practical and humane for the individual child. However, knowledge does not equal wisdom. We are our children’s conscience. I will further suggest that it does indeed take a village. Much like I tell kids (even my own) that if their parents didn’t teach them manners at home, they’ll get manners beat into them by strangers, I feel this applies to language, virtues, vices. I teach not just my children, but also all those other children who can see me, who can hear me. And mine learn from you. Human behavior is infectious, contagious. Globally, what we do as a country is seen by other countries and absorbed like water by the sands of the Sahara. Might is right. My country right or wrong. Love it or leave it. Apple pie. Kumbaya.
Do you know how many people saw ET? Star Wars? Titanic? Ya think that doesn’t sink in? Now more than ever the idea that acting locally affects global thinking can be interpolated into every blog thread. It’s chaos theory at its weirdest: the elimination of China’s political repression of its citizens indeed depends on my kids not bullying other kids, and not permitting those other kids bullying still more kids. The flapping of the wings by a butterfly in New York can bring about a storm in Kenya. Are there butterflies left in New York?
We talk about teens and sex like it was an isolated phenomenon. I suggest it is intricately linked to the price of grapes in Chile. I can only hope that I am explaining intelligibly enough why I think that teaching my children better vocabulary decreases their chances of promiscuity later. Self-respect, respect of others, respect of the planet, aren’t all these just the same thing? I can hear Dr. Harry Wolper shouting now: Sunombitch, it’s the Big Picture!
Otro Sueño
This is a comment I left on another blog. I like it, so I'm putting it here. It is part of an ongoing conversation I'd invite everybody to join. That ongoing conversation can be found here.
I don't want to turn this into a silly conversation, but I'd like to illustrate a point with a silly story.
When I was 17, I had a dream about the Pope and Ronald Reagan. They were both new to me at the time and I liked them both. I still do.
In my dream, I came home from school early and found two limos parked outside. Now, please keep in mind that I lived in the ghetto, in San Bernardino, California (about 1.5hr east of L.A.). I walked into our appartment to find the Pope and Ronald Reagan having a normal conversation (both dressed in full regalia sp? and eating chicken. My mom was coming back from the stove, bringing another plate of chicken.
They were friendly, funny, NICE! To this day, I like them both (though I may disagree with their points of view) and find them extremely approachable and personable. I'd vote for the Pope and pray with Mr. Reagan, if I could.
Ultimately, the greatest role of rulers is to keep the status quo, despite how badly they may want to change. Change, when it comes, usually happens to them, not from them. Them's the breaks. I may never know how each of these men would feel about my life, but it is to their credit that they got me to care about theirs, and that is a plus.
I hope they're up there enjoying my mom's chicken now.
miguel Homepage 04.08.05 - 6:55 pm #
I don't want to turn this into a silly conversation, but I'd like to illustrate a point with a silly story.
When I was 17, I had a dream about the Pope and Ronald Reagan. They were both new to me at the time and I liked them both. I still do.
In my dream, I came home from school early and found two limos parked outside. Now, please keep in mind that I lived in the ghetto, in San Bernardino, California (about 1.5hr east of L.A.). I walked into our appartment to find the Pope and Ronald Reagan having a normal conversation (both dressed in full regalia sp? and eating chicken. My mom was coming back from the stove, bringing another plate of chicken.
They were friendly, funny, NICE! To this day, I like them both (though I may disagree with their points of view) and find them extremely approachable and personable. I'd vote for the Pope and pray with Mr. Reagan, if I could.
Ultimately, the greatest role of rulers is to keep the status quo, despite how badly they may want to change. Change, when it comes, usually happens to them, not from them. Them's the breaks. I may never know how each of these men would feel about my life, but it is to their credit that they got me to care about theirs, and that is a plus.
I hope they're up there enjoying my mom's chicken now.
miguel Homepage 04.08.05 - 6:55 pm #
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Cuerpo Vacio
Cuerpo de Lagrimas
El cuerpo pide mas
que carne
amor
y quiere mas
que un beso
cuando el hambre
llega.
El alma siente
mas que un corazon
cuando se va la luz.
Y vos que sos
tan solo
carne y corazon
no calentas
el alma
no llenas
el cuerpo.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Memoria
Memoria
Bendito el dia que llegaste a mi vida,
Dandole forma a mi alma intangible
Y realidad a una ilusion increible
Evocando una memoria lejana y perdida.
Me enseñaste a dormir desnudo y a soñar sin pena;
Me enseñaste a gozar mi vida e ignorar la ajena;
Me enseñaste, amor, lo que el amor no puede
Y lo que sin deber con gusto a diario cede.
Amarga despedida, sin pretenciones de olvido,
Diciendo gracias no solo por existir,
Sino tambien por haberme hecho sentir,
Aunque solo un momento, que yo tambien he existido.
Monday, April 04, 2005
This I Believe
Sancho Panza y su amigo. No naci en este pais, sino en otro, pero aqui formule mi personalidad de adulto; aqui hice mi vida y para bien mas que para mal estoy contento con ella. Todo aguanta mejoria, pero creo que es inutil vivir del arrepentimiento.
Creo que el mundo necesita mas idealismo:
--amar sin esperar ser amado,
--ayudar sin esperar ser pagado,
--vivir sin esperar ser necesitado.
Creo que no tengo que estar loco para ser Comunista y Catolico a la vez.
Creo que algun dia mis hijos me perdonaran mis pecados, y espero Dios siga su ejemplo.
Creo que solo un tonto espera que la historia lo absolvera.
Creo que si soy loco, no soy el unico, y todos se beneficiarian de un poco de locura de vez en cuando.
Dicese que el que gana la guerra escribe la historia, pero creo que la verdad esta escrita en cada grano de arena, en cada gota de sangre, en cada piedra que marque una tumba fria, aunque ya no recordemos el nombre del que su paz disfrute. El futuro es el nieto del pasado.
Tal vez la sangre sea mas espesa que la amistad, pero se seca mas rapido al salir de las venas. Creo que el que habla del valor de la vida lo hace solo porque la usa como moneda para pagar por lo demas—el que la vive no la vende.
Se que el viento no siempre sopla en la misma direccion, y pienso que solo un mal marinero se deja llevar solo por el o la corriente. Se remar. Y, cuando es necesario, bajo el ancla. Se esperar.
Pero a veces camino cabizbajo, con mi propia nuve, el gris del mundo entrecortado por el prisma de una lagrima. No soy mas fuerte que nadie mas—ni mas debil. Creo que la memoria de los momentos amargos nos dan mas dulzura en los momentos felices. No quiero vivir en la estepa tranquila y aburrida; quiero valles y montañas, dulce sol y terribles tormentas. Quiero nadar en las tibias y claras aguas del caribe y ser barrido por sus huracanes—no porque los quiera, sino porque estoy dispuesto a enfrentar lo peor para vivir lo mejor.
No tomo para emborracharme, aunque a veces lo haga. Bailo aunque se burle el que baile bien, porque disfruto yo mas de mis ataques epilepticos sin desperdiciar mi tiempo fijandome en el. Creo que solo tontos juegan la loteria, pero se que el que no la juega nunca gana.
Quiero morir llorando, no por triste—por feliz!
Friday, April 01, 2005
No news is (often) good news.
This is a case where no news is EXCELLENT news.
see? the thing is that most april's fools days somebody i know (and not always the same person) makes a total and complete fool out of me, mostly publicly, and sometimes in a painful, gotta-go-see-about-that-bruise kinda way.
but not today.
it might be premature, but it is as it is so far today.
i would say hallelluiah, but i don't know how to spell it.
IN THE MEANTIME, [comment removed by author]
My name is Miguel and I approve this message.
[link removed by author]
see? the thing is that most april's fools days somebody i know (and not always the same person) makes a total and complete fool out of me, mostly publicly, and sometimes in a painful, gotta-go-see-about-that-bruise kinda way.
but not today.
it might be premature, but it is as it is so far today.
i would say hallelluiah, but i don't know how to spell it.
IN THE MEANTIME, [comment removed by author]
My name is Miguel and I approve this message.
[link removed by author]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
