blog.deanland.com

The Mind Wanders and Wonders

Issues of perspective, time, growth, and aging have been on my mind. Much of the time, of late, I find myself pondering these purely ethereal and abstract concepts. Perspective over time is often tantamount to maturity of one's worldview, or possibly, simply the aging of the person and their soul, their copula, their very being.

Perspective is a curious measure or analysis, as it ages with the individual. "From my perspective," one will say, when describing their position, be it personal, moral, physical, or of rank or order.

Time is the big issue. Time changes perspective. It heals wounds (some, anyway!). It erases some scars, and lessens others as it elapses. Time marches on. As a measurement or instrument --a veritable constant-- it is undeniable. "Time is a manmade concept," some may say. I ask them to repeat that. Then I tell them it took about seven seconds for them to say that twice, and no, I didn't make that up. Manmade or not, it exists. It is just there. Do something, do nothing, doesn't matter -- time goes on.
Or, to put it another way, life goes on.

The passage of time, the measurements of such passage, and the events which serve as markers or calibrations of measurement seem to be speeding up. This, I am told, is a matter of aging. Aging seems to get faster in the same amount of time in which it once moved slowly. Thus it would seem the perception of time is then relative, although time itself is ever the same rate basis or pace. A day is a day is a rose is a rose. Time is time, time is constant, time is always elapsing at an equal and unchanging schedule.

"This week went by fast!" "Has it been a year already?" "Your baby is how old?" "That light took forever to change!"
These reactions represent different aspects of the idiosyncratic, personal, and peculiar perceptions of the passage of time. I'm too old and frankly to cynical and slightly jaded to engage in the trusty old psychedelic "time-space continuum" discussion. Hazy rooms with incense and peppermints faded from my reality many moons ago. (moons, another way to measure the passage of time, heh heh)

Growth and aging are areas of interest and concern as various milestones occur. My son has his Bar Mitzvah. My daughter will be having a "Sweet 16" party in February. I am rounding the corner toward a significant number birthday in 2002.

The difference in perspective, sensation of the passage of time, various forms of growth, and a variety of issues related to aging are on my mind. The mind wanders. The mind wonders.

There are family members passing away. The generation shift, that of which is the eldest, which generation is coming into its own in a certain contemporary sense, and the way in which communication and the sharing of perceptions can be so very different in so many ways and places -- these are what occupy my mind a great deal of late.

No deep conclusion, mind you. No earth-shattering revelation or epiphany to share. This is not meant for that fin de siecle in the Sunday NY Times Magazine, so there's no pressing need to make some point of great note or personal significance. Just pondering, musing, and not really going anywhere too very concrete with this abstract set of observations of the intangible (or is that the other way around?).

One last thought: why is it MOTHER Nature, and FATHER Time?
____________________________________________________________________

Of late the topics of e-mail Spam, junk mail (snail), telemarketing, and other intrusive behaviors has been bandied about in some professional and personal conversations. It is certainly popular and politically correct to detest spam. At some other point I will offer up an essay about this. But for now, if you want a neat spam-deterrent utility, here's the place to go. Grant Barrett gets credit for creating this Spam Filter, and I thank him for giving me permission to use it. Grant's blog can be found at http://www.monickels.com/. Check it out, there's lots to see, plus the Spam Filter.

____________________________________________________________________

The world of weblogs and bloggers is growing like mad. A benefit of this development is the sharing of creative, useful, interesting, or even mind-bending sites, links, and such. To that effect, I've been using the endspace as a coda of sorts, to offer a neat site at the end of each blog entry or update. If you want to suggest a useful, creative, entertaining or mind-bender of a link, let me know. Please!