Commentary
Wanted: i-Balance
It feels as though humanity is going through a rather confusing phase. Watching several video parodies of the latest Apple iPad has prompted me to look back on some of our achievements.
Back in the 4th millennium B.C., our ancestors wrote on clay tablets, making greater use of their brains to retain what was being instructed. Eventually we upgraded to quills and pens and leather-bound notebooks. Now we have magically come ‘full circle’ with cute touch-screen offspring that allow us to wirelessly access vast sources of information, without having to write anything down; worst of all, without having to memorise it. This has become our latest human development in brain function – coordinating our interactions on screen to conjure up a ludicrous amount of data we are hardly capacitated to remember these days. We are left wanting for more and dangerously retaining less.
Unfortunately, Generation Y seems to be in truth a Generation ADD or even ADHD, considering the constant bombardment of news, information, and distractions that seem so important to us now. Many people wouldn’t even realise how limited their attention span is as they are too busy skimming from one thing to the next – in fact, this trait seems to be a given these days.
Likewise, few of those living in the developed countries would know to tell which phase the moon is in to understand their heightened sensitivities, or find their bearings at night based on the stars. We are so married to our gadgets and internet that we have forgotten the most basic elements of survival. It is frightening, to say the least, given the geographical turmoil we are all experiencing in different parts of the world. Not to put apocalyptic fears into anyone’s heads, yet the reality is such that so many people are ill-prepared for even reading their location in a new city, without some artefact to show them colourful lines on a virtual map to get from point to point (“Turn left at the next corner. Drive a hundred meters. Turn right. Turn right. You missed it…”).
We think we have reduced the clutter by putting all our books and music into a little pocketsize hard drive with a fancy screen, and yet we panic if that expensive toy gets broken. The stress levels can be more dramatic than losing a shipment of boxes containing the same items in their original format. Just like squirrels, we have a deeply rooted habit of hoarding.
Cut.
Pan to the right side of the brain…
Picture a lush garden with waterfalls and a soft breeze tickling the tree branches. There might be squirrels.
Cue the Zen approach to life…
Whilst it seems we are increasingly drawn towards subliminal slavery to technology, we are also learning to make great use of it. Now you can sit on a bus and read up on the latest nutritional benefits of quinoa, or listen to podcasts of your preferred spiritual mentor.
A lot of us crave a more meaningful existence. Daring to explore our inner callings, decompose anxieties, break destructive patterns, understand what it really means to be human.
Not everyone is going to take off on a weekend yoga retreat, where you can make a more concentrated effort on healing body, mind and soul. I have tried this and quite enjoyed it… admittedly being yoga’d out by the third and final day (hey, it was my first time). I even took my iPod and laptop so I could get some quality writing done between sessions, and found that I never touched one or the other, choosing instead to pull out a book and read it in charming outdoor silence, with hints of a few birds possibly discussing lunch plans.
It would seem these attitudes are at opposite ends of our existential spectrum, yet there is a growing number of people who are sitting somewhere in the middle… technological advances on one hand, determination to maintain all-round balance in their lives on the other.
So, whilst I am hopeful of our natural instinct to nourish spiritual endeavours, embrace deeper relationships with one another, and harbour a more holistic approach towards our personal development… I do of course love a cute gadget that will give me a friendly reminder to step away from the computer, pick up my fountain pen to go write in the sun, and call to wish you a happy birthday. Not to mention play my favourite tunes as I’m walking towards the coffee shop.
The technology around us is advancing at the speed of procreating rabbits, and yet humankind itself can get lazy and lost in this myriad of gadgetry, thinking we are evolving through it as a species.
Therefore, I would encourage you to ask yourself if all those fancy little toys are truly enabling a more relaxed, meaningful, clutter-free lifestyle, or if they are inadvertently causing more stress than you originally anticipated. Are they truly helping you enhance as a person, or stupefying you? True balance comes from internal focus, not from shiny little objects…
World Water Worries – Blog Action Day
Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering are remembered for painstakingly breaking Eliza Doolittle’s habits so she could say, “The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain,” with no hint of her Cockney accent in the 1956 classic My Fair Lady. The truth is, it generally falls in the north of Spain, but that technicality is being overwhelmed by a greater and more concerning truth, which is that the rain is not falling as (or where) it used to anymore.
As a child growing up in southern Spain, I used to know more or less what each season would be like, even though realistically we only seemed to have two seasons – summer and winter. In a land full of pine trees, olive groves and palm tree-riddled beaches, the colour of the landscape rarely changed from what I would call ‘dusty Andalusian green’
I remember seeing snow on the Sierra Blanca mountains maybe three times before I was anywhere near my teens. It was practically unheard of in that area, being so close to the salty Mediterranean air. In the last few years, however, it has become an almost yearly occurrence, with snow-capped mountains shining in the glistening January morning sunlight. The temperatures began to drop substantially, and I loved sitting at my desk gazing at the funny white stuff that I’d only ever heard of or seen in photographs and television programmes. I always dreamt of a White Christmas but didn’t actually have one until I was 29 and on a different continent.
Newcomers would ask me what the seasonal trends were, and eventually I had to tell them to expect anything. Usually, the rain would still fall religiously during the Holy Week processions in late spring, and the mixture of heat and humidity in August would make even the toughest locals crawl indoors with the A/C on full blast and cold beer on their minds, or cause sporadic summer storms.
There were a few drought restrictions, and water usage was made available from 1 to 2 in the morning one summer that I recall. Sadly though, the projected construction of up to 200 golf courses along the southern Mediterranean coast has chewed into the land, with many town halls falling prey to personal greed and the ability to see only as far as their own noses are concerned in terms of true sustainable community growth and development. Towns are crawling up to the water’s edge, overstepping legal requirements to push them back and preserve the natural coastline. Everybody wants to live near the water, and it never seems to be near enough. There shall be no pity when the increasing storms wash away pretty terraces and neighbours watch their expensive imported south-Asian furniture wash away, only to generate even more man-made underwater debris. I wonder what future marine biologists will make of this.
I used to tend my neighbour’s garden as a part time job. It eventually paid for the piano I proudly bought myself one year for my birthday. Besides teaching me that hard work and saving up can make for a focused and meaningful purchase, it also taught me a lot about nature and how to take care of it. I realised that poor water usage means that even if we have enough water available, we may still be wasting it and causing further harm to our surroundings. What you will see more often than not in the south of Spain (I can’t say much for anywhere else), is gardens and recreational areas being watered at midday, which is the worst time for such endeavours. Not only are plants put to risk by burning in the heat with fresh water on their leaves, thus countermining the efforts to keep the grass luscious and green, but also more water is used as part of it evaporates in the heat before reaching the ground. Gardening 101; water in the evening after the sun has gone down… the plants will be happy, and you will use less water, helping the environment all-round.
The south of Spain is currently undergoing a desertification process. This can be seen clearly in any progression of satellite imagery of the region. Scientists agree that the land is eroding, and partly because of the urbanisational rape of the region. The land is dry, property construction destroys its natural resources to protect itself from the harsh changes in temperature and climate, and therefore unable to regenerate. Paid pyronamiacs have destroyed acres of land in the past for companies to push for re-classification of barren terrain in order to feed their hungry bank accounts and build so-called ‘self-sustainable’ urbanisations (which actually require even more water usage for all the different plants they cram in to create pretty landscaped gardens for foreigners who run away from colder climates).
The rain that does fall lately is not always enough to nourish the land and fill the dams that provide fresh water to nearby populations. But recently there has been an increase in severe storms, and the damages caused are beyond imagination, because where once there was nothing but greenery, now the water pours through concrete rivers with nothing to slow it down but then open sea. Say a little prayer for those who stand in its way…
We have gone to an extreme that nobody quite dares to grasp, and those who try to propose changes and innovative concepts for water containment and optimal usage, are often pushed down by the greed and ignorance of people who should not hold such powers over decisions like this that affect us all.
In the ‘Blue Gold: World Water Wars’ (directed by Sam Bozzo, 2008) documentary, we are told that corporations are buying up ‘rights’ throughout the world in order to ‘manage’ water for everyone. Those who fear large businesses dominating any industry inevitably question their true intentions behind this move towards water sustenance. Is it a genuine interest in the world’s better management of this liquid gold, or are their potential dangers for power plays between regions and countries? After all, we know that the basic needs of a human being are what causes the greatest strife and often leads to wars. We have already gone through major conflicts over land, ideology, religion, fuel, and it is only natural – pun intended – that we should focus on humanity’s primary necessity besides oxygen (no doubt, that will be next if it isn’t already lined up on somebody’s agenda).
Children in far-away countries die each day from lack of water. Some countries still do not have a healthy water system to ensure that they are not drinking parasites that will kill them later on. Also take into account the fact that in the developing world, about 90% of all waste water is then returned to local rivers and streams.
Where some parts of the world are denied rainwater, others are flooded constantly – either way many people suffer the consequences of too much or none at all. Both man and nature have inadvertently conspired to engage in sabotaging acts of violence upon us. Mother nature is tired, and humanity is short-sighted. It is not an easy task to correct either ailment, but it is our duty and obligation as individuals and communities, and for existing and future generations, to channel our attention to this crucial issue.
The next time you complain about the rain flooding your garage, think of the vast developments in your hometown that have destroyed nature’s basic cycle. Think of the cracks in the earth somewhere across the world that have not seen a drop of rain in years, and ask if anyone really cares to drill deeper and find underground water reserves that would regenerate such arid land, and who may have blocked this humanitarian effort and why. The next time you drink a glass of fresh water, remember the process it has gone through to get to you, and appreciate that in other countries, there is no such thing as water purification. Remember where we have come from in all this time, and fathom where we are going with the current tendencies.
Personally, I grew up by the water, it is where I find my peace and my healing. Everywhere I go, I seek the tantalising waves of an ocean, or the silence of sitting by a peaceful lake in the middle of nowhere in particular. I was born under a water sign. It is in the air that I breathe, it is the basic liquid I must drink to stay healthy. Interestingly enough, both our planet and the human body are made up of approximately the same 70% of water. Essentially, I am water. And so are you. What are we without it?
Written for the Blog Action Day initiative.
The Glass is… in Serious Need of Cleaning
Friday night I was out for dinner with one of my clients and his staff. We were bidding a former member goodbye and fare well in her pursuit of newer pastures green. In amongst the crowd of English & Irish expats, there were two Spanish girls who I see on occasion at the reception area where they all work. We’d never really had a chance to socialise and this proved a great night to get talking. We immediately agreed on how bad television can be for one’s mental health – how it distracts us from our so-called boring lives by showing us how bad and ugly the outside world appears to be. But my discrepancy lies in how normal and drama-free our personal worlds often are. Most of us live in ‘civilised’ areas, where there is no hint of warfare, starvation or devastating climates. Train derailments are so far and few between that yes, they are shocking when they happen, but are admittedly far less frequent than in the Asian subcontinent, for example. Most of our air traffic is quite up to date as well so no great worries about falling out of the sky either. So you could say that our lives are far less ‘endangered’ than the lives of those living in known areas of conflict. So why then, do we have this drummed into our brains, why are we constantly shown only a piece of a world that is only falling apart in selected areas? Why are we not kept more up to date on advances to improve our educational systems, provide more efficient healthcare, reduce negative environmental impact, aid the poorer members of our own communities as well as those in countries that are in conflict…
It’s all well and good to be kept informed of the ‘outside’ world, unlike many countries whose governments and media keep their population in a bubble of isolationism; but when we are shown images of the outside world, why are we only shown the bodies of those who have been murdered by ignorants in far away countries – why are we not told about agreements being reached behind the scenes to improve trade that will aid stability and development? Why are we only shown the artificially ravaged carcasses of slain African elephants but not informed about improved funding, monitoring and protection to safeguard the species and reduce ivory trade? Why are we shown only angry crowds demonstrating against a government’s policy on terrorism when said country hardly sees a bomb scare anymore and is in a delicate stage of transition between ongoing acts of violence and some form of peace?
Why have we allowed ourselves to become disinterested in all these necessary and positive issues, when we know just how badly the rest of the news affects us? You who wake up jaded at life, tired of paying your mortgage, wondering why you go to work stressed if the rest of the world seems to be eroding in violence that’s waiting to hit you… remember to take a closer look at the world you know, the world you live in day to day, and appreciate the positive things that surround you. It’s not so bad after all, is it… or am I missing something?
On Scepticism of the Famous Do-Gooders
Recently, I was talking to a friend who complained about famous artists setting up companies in tax-advantageous areas. These people are among the frontline of those politically driven to force a change for the better in terms of health and financial aid to the poorer regions of the world. I was compelled to interrupt my friend’s argument. I can understand the possible hypocrisies that arise from such behaviour, for example, “If those people have so much money then why do they live in such luxurious homes and evade taxes? Why don’t they live like the poor they claim to be defending?”
I say, “Why the hell not?!”
If a person has worked long and hard to get to where they are, what is wrong with making a comfortable life for oneself and still have a conscience to use those extra millions to help others less fortunate? And what is wrong with saving money on taxes when a high percentage of that money is then specifically given to those in need? Can we not help our confused governments spend our money more wisely? In fact, if you look into some charitable organisations’ accounts and deduct all administrative and assorted fees, quite often not even 10% of their generated income is actually passed onto the cause they were set up to support.
We live in different cultures, and there is little point building a mansion in the middle of the out-backs to house others who are still surviving on rubbing two sticks together to make a fire, when they wouldn’t understand how to use its many appliances (no doubt, however, they would learn). This is not to say one is less than the other, but we are admittedly on different levels, and it did take the countries in the so-called First World a long time to get to where we are now. Which is why we should have the right to live in commodity if it so pleases us. This should not, however, negate our ability to empathise or assist those who currently have less so they can move up the ladder too.
After all, the man who hunts his food in the desert may well be happier than the one worrying how to maintain his luxury home or financial assets.
But let’s put the materialistic aspect aside, for the main concern is health and wellbeing… it takes a lot of money to provide optimal aid to poverty-stricken areas. And nobody can deny there is a much healthier cash-flow in our modern-day philanthropists’ coffers than there is in those of most governments the world over. So, let the politicians do their slow bureaucratic thing to pass laws on improved education, human rights, fair trade, etc. Meanwhile, those who can drop cash with little or no stall from the lobbyists should have the freedom to do so without snide remarks from those who are starved of their faith in humanity.
“Oh, did you say this donation was tax deductible?”
Abso-f***ing-lutely…
In Memoriam
The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group
[Source: Merriam Webster Online]
The world has just celebrated International Holocaust Rememberance Day. There will have been ceremonies, prayers, intimate gatherings and other expressions of rememberance for those who perished in the horrors of persecution and the concentration camps.
The Land of Our Fathers & What We Keep Doing to it…
All Hail the Three Kings and their Landrovers…
Now, in their time, these three wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh… now they launch boiled candy, bouncy balls and other objects that weren’t intended for such use, and all in the name of fun. And the children that help them have one serious attitude! I wonder, are they pre-selected for this? Picture the following:
[Child enters casting room, stands on the small stage and clears throat while frowning adult addresses her.]“You with the pigtails and the Pikachu toy, can you look cute and innocent and launch candy like a cannon at the same time?”
“Suuuuure…”
[Child grins like Chucky…]
And then watch out for the fights between the highly competitive parents of those infants who wait reverently to catch the candy missiles…
“You took my son’s sweets, give them back!!”[wallop wallop, sound of sirens, children stay at aunt's house that night because both parents are still squabbling with their adversaries in facing cells...]
The assortment of floats featured Pikachu (I thought he’d gone to cartoon heaven or something?), a Chipmunk (where were the rest?), reindeer (I guess nobody mentioned that Santa’s been and gone?), the municipal band playing a marche funébre of sorts (no, sorry, it was a very mellow Silent Night), this year’s inevitable Lunnis, and in honour of the real meaning of this celebration we did have a token camel statue, which preceded the three final floats with their respective Kings (Paco, Miguel and José… maybe…). Oh and there was a 4×4 for sale towing one of the floats… but I forgot to take the number down in case anybody was interested…
Last photographic mention goes to the men and women who arrived last but deserve the most recognition in these events nonetheless…
PS: Do I need a signed model release for the back of that grey-haired man’s head?
On Legacies
And we can also help uncover the mysteries of those who were punished or abducted for their courage and deeds, as in the case of
Raoul Wallenberg, whose story is related on his namesake’s Foundation site.Raoul Wallenberg is the Swedish diplomat who disappeared in January 1945 after helping to save the lives of thousands of victims condemned to death by the Nazis during World War II. He was captured by Soviet troops, which took control of Budapest in January 1945. He was never seen again. Find out why he was abducted…
So I ask; how many other people with good intentions are taken off the streets? How many are beaten down by forces stronger than them in order to be silenced? And why doesn’t the media showcase more stories to prove that there are good things happening in this world?
Find your voice. Let nobody deny you the right to stand up for yourself and for others in need. You will be remembered for it…
