Generally when I read blogs and news and think about the shape of things now and the shape of things to come, I end up feeling depressed. We’re going down into a sinkhole of depravity and ignorance… no one recognizes the real threats… Anyway, it usually gets me down somewhat and I have to pull away from my reading to recognize that, indeed, my own rather optimistic views about the future of humanity probably have some relevance still.
Well, in short order, today, I read a couple posts that really restored my optimism about the future. Things actually ARE getting better… we’re just going through some speedbumps on the way there. I can see that… and it’s what I’ve always thought.
At Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky discusses the fact that all our anesthesizing TV-viewing as a culture has been something of a collective “bender” where we have adjusted to the new reality of having lots of free time that we’re not quite sure how to employ yet. The expected outcome: once we grow into this new reality, we’re going to be doing and seeing great things, greater than we can imagine!
And Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred has been discussing the future in a series called Transcending Youth. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) This talks about society, but in a more personal sense… gives me the feeling that retirement isn’t really an ending, but a beginning of your ability to do great things in life.
(Though there really was no question that I’d have to pursue Great Things my whole life… I’d be too bored and hate myself if I didn’t. I am far too driven to just stop at some point, unless I have a catastrophic trauma sometime!)
Then again, perhaps I’m just at a moment to feel optimistic… who knows?
Wednesday, 30 April 2008 at 19:15 |
Thanks for the link and kind words.
In fact, you are right in your understanding of why why I am writing the series.
The progress of time and moving from one phase of life into another is an opportunity to do even more and do it better.
I am nowhere near retirement but I can see how my experiences and little acquired wisdom and understanding can make a difference.
When it’s all said and done, that makes me feel good.
Monday, 5 May 2008 at 23:20 |
Thank you so much for referring me to these two aritcles. I, too, was greatly inspired by them. Never let anyone steal your optimisim. There certainly are plenty of efforts afoot to do so, but the possible world can only come into being when we hold it in our hearts, in our minds, and act on it at every opportunity.
Stay inspired!
Ray