If I can spark the occasional smile of amusement or trigger a line of thought once in a while, that’s enough. In the long run, it’s all dust. (That latter commentary was more on the thought-provoking than the amusing side of the equation.)
That’s a tough one because while I see value in communities, I’m also concerned that there is a rising trend toward tribalism and nationalism that will not be good for anyone — not to mention a shift toward virtual communities where anonymity and disconnect lead to people to act as though they were raised by hyenas. (I do know that, in reality, that’s an insult to the marvelous hyena, but I think it makes a sort of point for the non-hyena expert.)
I’ve been amazed at how India manages to have an intense sense of community in such a vastly super-tribal environment. (I’m using “supertribe” in Desmond Morris’s sense — i.e. a community which is too big for everyone to know everyone else, and which has a group dynamic that reflects that fact.) But it’s not as though there isn’t a dark side to this intensity of community — patriarchy, sectarian conflict, disempowered societal segments, etc.
America, by comparison seems to be experiencing a dearth of true community, which is driving people toward virtual “communities,” and in virtual communities people seem to fall into the shittiest versions of themselves. Not to mention the lack of community’s contribution to what I’ve heard called a “mental health crisis.”
I guess my preferences would be that community be: 1.) real and not virtual. 2.) that it exploit the advantages of diverse membership instead of wallowing in homogeneity and group think. 3.) that it doesn’t create overclasses and underclasses. And that, 4.) Community norms minimally negate individual freedoms.
That said, I’m not at all sure that the above criteria can be reconciled. Maybe the tradeoffs are too strong. Maybe – in our super-tribal world – the closest-knit society will always be the most xenophobic [fearful / disliking of outsiders,] and maybe tolerance and egalitarianism will always be accompanied by societal degradation. I have observed a strong inclination for people to think of compassion as a zero-sum game.
As I said, a tough one.
Why do you blog?
A quick and easy fix of creative output.
That said, by the original definition of “blog,” it could be argued that I don’t blog and never did much of it, as my posts are not of a journaling / thoughts on “X” variety and rarely have been.
If I’m being entirely honest, everything that’s come out of this enterprise has been of selfish motive — even those activities that seem like they have broader purpose. For example, I started book reviewing because: a.) I found it disheartening how many books I read that I had virtually no recollection of a couple years down the line, and b.) because, while I felt I knew good writing when I read it, I couldn’t really say what it was that made it good or bad without taking a more analytical look into the matter. (And I was pretty sure good writing wouldn’t come to me osmotically — merely by reading good writing — if I didn’t understand why it was good writing.)
I started recording classic poems to get a better sense of the sound quality of well-crafted poetry (and to become more comfortable with the sound of my own voice.)
I guess the honest answer is that I hope to be smarter and more capable as a result of the practice. It is continuing education, a fostering of the Beginner’s Mind.
I’m doing the Vipassana Meditation 10-day course starting tomorrow. I’ll be out of contact (and thus not posting) until September 11, 2016.
For those unfamiliar with the course: no phones, no books, no notebooks, no interaction with anyone but the staff and teacher, and no exercise. If it’s not meditation, it’s probably not allowed.
Wish me luck.
I won’t be posting much more this month. I’ll be out wandering about and learning some muay thai.
These aren’t necessarily in any order.
1.) Trekking the Great Himalayan National Park [June]:
2.) Teaching kids at KAMMS and Socare [September & October]: I finished my RCYT course in April and have been teaching kids when I have a chance:
3.) Completing Level I Examination at the Muay Thai Institute [September]:
4.) Riding camels at Pushkar and Jaipur [November]:
5.) Boating on the Ganges in Varanasi [October]:
6.) Wandering around a coffee plantation near Chikmaglur [April]:
7.) Completing the Level III and IV reviews in Kalaripayattu [February & August]:
8.) Touring the Glenloch tea factory in Sri Lanka [May]:
9.) 108 Surya Namaskara Against Child Trafficking [March]:
10.) Junk boat tour of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam [December]: This may be jinxing us to put it on the list, before we’ve been (we leave tomorrow) but I’m optimistic that our three weeks in Vietnam will be awesome, and I’m told Ha Long
What to expect in 2016? Lilla and I will be moving back to the States around mid-year. (To where, exactly, remains a mystery.) In January and February I’ll be doing an RYT-300 course to round out my 500 hour yoga teacher certification. I plan to make at least one more trip to Thailand to MTI for Level II. I’d also like to complete the 10-day Vipassana meditation course before returning. Lilla and I are thinking about another Himalaya trek for the summer.
I’ll also be continuing to work on press handstand progression, as that’s been a focus for me of late and I still have a ways to go.
This is my 1,000th post on this site, and I’ve finished it just in time to get on a plane and leave the country, rounding out my blogging year with a nice round number. It’s been fun, and I’ll be back in early January to crank it back up.
Here’s a photo of where I’ll be.
I’ll be traveling in Southeast Asia for the better part of a month. During this time my posts will be sporadic at best.
However, upon my return I should have plenty of photos and a few stories from my visit to Malaysia and southern Thailand. In addition to hanging out on the beach and visiting temples, shrines, and restaurants, I’ll spend a couple of weeks training muay thai and bjj in Phuket.
Best wishes,
From Wikipedia; Source: Pai Spa http://www.pai-spa.com
This blog will be on a 10-day hiatus as I will attending a 30 hour course on Thai Yoga Massage over the next week and a half by the Inner Mountain School of Healing Arts at the Fireflies Ashram in Bangalore.
Cheers.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 