I have started at least three or four blogs in the past four years. And by "started" I mean I registered to start them, and never actually wrote anything.
Like other social networking tools--Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc--I always feel like these are forums for people to just blather their thoughts out into the universe in hopes that someone (please?) will listen. Always feels a little pathetic at the start.
I'm always slow to get on the newest social network bandwagon. I've primarily done it to promote my businesses and my art (the one blog I own which has any content on it is for The Slutcracker--and I admittedly hire other people to manage it). But I can't deny that I have engaged in very thoughtful discourse via the cyber social network...and said discourse often leads to further face-to-face discourse. So for that, it is certainly worth it.
So why a blog? I suppose for no other reason than that every now and then I have a bit more to say than will fit in a status update, be it a short story, a monologue, a poem, a letter to the editor, etc., which up 'til now I have shared as notes or "blogs" on Facebook or MySpace. I may eventually decide to archive those all here. We'll see how motivated I get.
The purpose of this blog? I realize many blogs have dedicated subject content. This here blog will just serve to spew out random noise that is swirling around in my brainhole (you're welcome, Aaron). If someone reads it, great. If someone likes it great. If not, I'm OK with that. I have no problem admitting that this blog is primarily self-serving in that it's a forum for me to blather my thoughts out into the universe. And I'm OK if they never land anywhere.
So there you have it. My first for-realsies post is in the works. Feel free to to read it once it's up, or not. No offense taken either way.
Excess and Ohs,
Sugar D
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Civilized Musings from a Wild Animal
Your daughter is a wild animal. So is your fiancée. And your bartender. Your favorite ballplayer, your landlord, your second grade teacher, your priest--all of them, wild. Your senator. Your parents, too.
And so are you.
And me. And the Fantastic Mr. Fox.
"Nay!" you cry, pinky out, sipping on Earl Grey. "We are but civilized!"
Yes. Civilized. Which means we have laws and we have manners. Both are self-imposed.
Sometimes we lose our manners. And sometimes we break laws. Wilderness is not safely bound by Civilization.
Concerning the events of the last week--Jared Loughner's attempted assassination of Congresswoman Giffords and the subsequent 19 casualties, and the ensuing public puzzling over "why?"--consider this: Jared Loughner is a wild animal who lost his manners and broke some laws, neither of which were imposed by him.
His particular case involved "senseless violence." The behavior of a "deranged" and "disturbed" individual.
Now switch from the news to a nature program and watch as a gentleman with an exotic accent narrates the thoughts of the simple minded creatures on your TV screen. We see two animals fight to the death--and not for food, mind you. Perhaps it was territorial--justified for "wild animals" and justified in war. Perhaps it was in self-defense or in defense of the herd--justified for "wild animals" and in defense of oneself or one's family. Or perhaps, perhaps the attacking "wild animal" was alone and terrified, with no perceivable reason to attack other than it was scared. Is that wild animal deranged? No. Because that "wild animal" is not expected to have manners.
When are we most prone to act violently (physically, verbally, or otherwise)?
When we feel threatened.
When do we feel threatened?
When we are scared.
When are we most scared?
When we are alone.
Jared Loughner was alone. And terrified. And for whatever reason, he felt the need to attack his local public servant. Or perhaps there was no reason, other than that he is a wild animal who acted on very basic primal instincts. Perhaps even he doesn't really know his motive. How often do we do something or say something without any sense of control?
"Why did you do that?"
"I don't know. I wasn't thinking."
"Why did you say that?"
"I don't know. It just came out."
And then there are all the times that we think or dream horrible horrible things, things we can't ourselves even believe, and thankfully, most of us don't act on them most of the time.
We are wild animals, unpredictable, even to ourselves. Maybe some of the wilderness has been bred out of some of us more than others. Maybe our individual "wild-streaks" are unique to our genetics. Or maybe, like many wild animals, some of us are better at being domesticated. Some of us make better pets.
The one true thing that separates the human species from the rest of the animal kingdom is our deeply indoctrinated belief that we are superior.
I'm sure this sentiment precedes Biblical literature, and the sentiment certainly exists outside of religious doctrine, but a great example of this admission is this:
Genesis 1:26 (King James)
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
This line of thinking has led to the most horrible atrocities committed in the history of this planet. Air pollution. Genocide. Deforestation. Enslavement. Oceanicide. All in the name of "civilization."
But what if that sentiment read more like this:
"Let man be one with the earth, like the fish of the sea, like the fowl of the air, like the cattle, and like every other creeping thing that creepeth on the earth."
Because we are not better than the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, the cattle, or any other creeping thing that creepeth on the earth. Nor are we better than the earth. Or one another.
Nonetheless, the vast majority of humans believe themselves superior. And how do we prove we are superior? We pledge to stop acting like wild animals. We practice manners and create laws to enforce the practice of manners.
But sometimes, sometimes we can't help it. Sometimes we are just animals. And then we are punished. And kept in cages. Because humans have been granted divine dominion over the animals.
Humans are animals
Humans have been granted divine dominion over animals
Therefore
Humans have been granted divine dominion over humans.
Jared Loughner might be inclined to agree.
Am I suggesting we should all start acting like wild animals?
No.
I'm saying we don't have a choice.
I am a wild animal. And so are you. And the Fantastic Mr. Fox.
And so are you.
And me. And the Fantastic Mr. Fox.
"Nay!" you cry, pinky out, sipping on Earl Grey. "We are but civilized!"
Yes. Civilized. Which means we have laws and we have manners. Both are self-imposed.
Sometimes we lose our manners. And sometimes we break laws. Wilderness is not safely bound by Civilization.
Concerning the events of the last week--Jared Loughner's attempted assassination of Congresswoman Giffords and the subsequent 19 casualties, and the ensuing public puzzling over "why?"--consider this: Jared Loughner is a wild animal who lost his manners and broke some laws, neither of which were imposed by him.
His particular case involved "senseless violence." The behavior of a "deranged" and "disturbed" individual.
Now switch from the news to a nature program and watch as a gentleman with an exotic accent narrates the thoughts of the simple minded creatures on your TV screen. We see two animals fight to the death--and not for food, mind you. Perhaps it was territorial--justified for "wild animals" and justified in war. Perhaps it was in self-defense or in defense of the herd--justified for "wild animals" and in defense of oneself or one's family. Or perhaps, perhaps the attacking "wild animal" was alone and terrified, with no perceivable reason to attack other than it was scared. Is that wild animal deranged? No. Because that "wild animal" is not expected to have manners.
When are we most prone to act violently (physically, verbally, or otherwise)?
When we feel threatened.
When do we feel threatened?
When we are scared.
When are we most scared?
When we are alone.
Jared Loughner was alone. And terrified. And for whatever reason, he felt the need to attack his local public servant. Or perhaps there was no reason, other than that he is a wild animal who acted on very basic primal instincts. Perhaps even he doesn't really know his motive. How often do we do something or say something without any sense of control?
"Why did you do that?"
"I don't know. I wasn't thinking."
"Why did you say that?"
"I don't know. It just came out."
And then there are all the times that we think or dream horrible horrible things, things we can't ourselves even believe, and thankfully, most of us don't act on them most of the time.
We are wild animals, unpredictable, even to ourselves. Maybe some of the wilderness has been bred out of some of us more than others. Maybe our individual "wild-streaks" are unique to our genetics. Or maybe, like many wild animals, some of us are better at being domesticated. Some of us make better pets.
The one true thing that separates the human species from the rest of the animal kingdom is our deeply indoctrinated belief that we are superior.
I'm sure this sentiment precedes Biblical literature, and the sentiment certainly exists outside of religious doctrine, but a great example of this admission is this:
Genesis 1:26 (King James)
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
This line of thinking has led to the most horrible atrocities committed in the history of this planet. Air pollution. Genocide. Deforestation. Enslavement. Oceanicide. All in the name of "civilization."
But what if that sentiment read more like this:
"Let man be one with the earth, like the fish of the sea, like the fowl of the air, like the cattle, and like every other creeping thing that creepeth on the earth."
Because we are not better than the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, the cattle, or any other creeping thing that creepeth on the earth. Nor are we better than the earth. Or one another.
Nonetheless, the vast majority of humans believe themselves superior. And how do we prove we are superior? We pledge to stop acting like wild animals. We practice manners and create laws to enforce the practice of manners.
But sometimes, sometimes we can't help it. Sometimes we are just animals. And then we are punished. And kept in cages. Because humans have been granted divine dominion over the animals.
Humans are animals
Humans have been granted divine dominion over animals
Therefore
Humans have been granted divine dominion over humans.
Jared Loughner might be inclined to agree.
Am I suggesting we should all start acting like wild animals?
No.
I'm saying we don't have a choice.
I am a wild animal. And so are you. And the Fantastic Mr. Fox.
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