Observation vs. analysis, magic bullets and action. Yes, there are some deep thoughts that have been going on amid the sniffling through the flu and cold that swept through SF recently, and facing my imminent entry into a new decade. On the train today, I noticed a quote in a Time article a fellow passenger was reading (yes MUNI was that crowded where I didn't even have to read over a shoulder, the page was just right in my view!) about the wave of internet tools out there (Twitter, Utterz, instant message...blogs are downright old school) being used to report on the presidential campaigns being waged. The reporter noted these social media tools favored "observation rather analysis" which is what I think is good and weak about the barrage of ways we can communicate past basic face-to-face communication (which we all know can be incredibly flawed). People get the news and spread their views like never before...but are we taking action? What does effective action look like?
I have a job that gives me time to read the news and views of all the people using social media and I see equal parts outrage, escapism and proactive behavior in the face of the world as we know it 2008. My conclusion again: There are no magic bullets right now for global warming, imperfect lives, conditioned thinking and rampant addiction- be it to money, coffee or drugs (I'm thinking of the red flag of Heath Ledger's death now: all those pharmaceuticals to try to make him feel better. What were the doctors and people around him thinking?). I feel very very fortunate that despite my own life's challenges I've been given some access to some great practices, spiritual guidance, techniques and activities to help me get through. Small changes every day add up. Practice, yes, leads toward, if doesn't outright make, perfection.
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