No, not fate

The Adjustment Bureau has some interesting philosophy behind it. I have only seen the commercials to this movie, but it looks like it will be a treatment of an age-old theme in story-telling.

The consummate story telling this theme is from the Greek theater. Sophocles wrote a play called Oedipus the King. The theme is whether or not humans have free will to choose their course of actions through life or whether some bigger picture comes into play as in the idea of destiny or fate. Oedipus made some choices, but by the end of the play, the fate of the gods ruled his actions without his knowledge, and his actions ruined his life completely.



Earlier than Sophocles, the Hebrews had a play called Job where the world around him was controlled by a deity thus controlling Job's reactions. His immediate family was taken from him, but he ended up conceding that he didn't control anything, so he gained a new second family. The Hebrews apparently liked this theme because an even earlier story was told of a character of really humble means who rose against all odds, and not due to any action of his own, to become second in charge of a world-class empire. By being in that position, he saved a nation, and the deity controlled all the action, not humans at all.

Stories like these two exist even earlier in Sumer and in the Indus Valley Harrapan civilization. Early people, no doubt felt that they didn't control the environment around them, so their own actions fed a larger picture that wasn't controlled by them, but in conjunction with those supernaturals who did control the environment.



Two of my favorite movies of all times are You've Got Mail and, a little later, Serendipity. One interpretation of these movies would have a higher force drawing people together no matter what human actions got in the way of the drawing power. Events followed a force line that people ignored to some extent or for a period of time, but eventually the force defied people's action and the two that should be drawn together were drawn together.



I think people in general like to think that something or someone outside of themselves directs their big picture actions, but there is another explanation to events that happen much like the ones in You've Got Mail and Serendipity. People ultimately know themselves and what would make them happy. It sometimes makes them take calculated risks as in You've Got Mail. And sometimes it makes them understand the math behind intersecting lines and trajectories between two points as in Serendipity.



But the reason I like those two movies so much is that it shows it is a heart's desire backed by a steady, unfailing hope that brings one person to another .

A place to linger

I love this Robert Frost poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.



Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.



Yesterday and today will likely be the coldest days of our entire year. So, I am reminded of this poem of one the coldest days of Frost's experience in New Hampshire many years ago. And even though it is cold, my mind has made a great number of stops today in its open field of thoughts. The horse-drawn carriage stopped at thoughts of cold, bleak territory in my mind. I didn't linger there, though. I next stopped at a few places that brought to mind good memories of places and people far away and long ago. And then it traveled on to to pause at that one great spot as inviting and beautiful as the snowy woods in the poem. The horse must have thought I made a mistake because I lingered there many, many times longer than any other spot on the road.

But there was no mistake in stopping at the most lovely place in my entire mind. I let the woods of my mind fill up with the snows of the warm, pleasing scenes crossing it. It was a quiet, sacred place, full of cheerful and enjoyable snowflakes stacking one on top of another. This particular place of inner sanctum is sacred because it contains the desire of my heart, the source of warmth in the coldest of times, the spark of flame for every joy, and the need to linger in its presence when triggered by scenes of soft, white, glistening beauty.



But I have promises to keep, so I have roused my horse to continue my journey. I have miles to go before I sleep.

Wishing for warm feet

Tonight is one of the coldest nights in 25 years. Tomorrow night will be the same. A little snow blankets the ground and coats and gloves are the order of the day.

But my heart is warm. I will sleep well tonight. It helps that the air in the house is 55 degrees warmer than outside, but mainly I will sleep well tonight because my heart is warm. The one who warms it doesn't usually wear anything but shoes even in the coldest of weather. So, tonight I wish for warm feet tomorrow as the day begins for the one who warms my heart.

Not so early, not too late

I was watching Taylor Swift's biography the other day. She was one determined young person in getting her music to the right person in the right place. It definitely paid off for her. Her music has a definite style and much of it has a particular theme to it. But, that's how she has identified herself.

Today I was watching the Lakers play basketball against the Celtics. They didn't play so well in the 3rd quarter because they decided not to guard Paul Pierce very well and he put the game out of range for the Lakers to recover. In interviewing Phil Jackson at the end of the 3rd quarter, Phil said that they failed to identify Pierce [in changing the game complexion], so the game took a definite swing against them.

Identification is important. Taylor Swift identified herself early in life, and it benefited her. The Lakers took too long to identify someone detrimental to their cause, and it cost them the game. Earlier in my life I spent a useless amount of time in identifying those who were competent, who I could learn form, or who I could be happy with. But of late, that has not been a problem. I know exactly who is competent, who I can learn from, and who causes my happiness. (This last part could not have happened earlier. It happened at just the right time). Now my time is not uselessly spent, and my satisfaction meter is much higher. I am clear about identifying sources of satisfaction.

Soul Pictures

Canada has two provinces that are north of the Arctic Circle. The Yukon is one of them, and it has quite a bit of land that is pure, frozen tundra. Few people live there. Pictures of the place are usually beautiful if you like pictures of cold, cold altitudes and alpine lakes.

If I ever find myself having frozen thoughts about my life, I know where to go in my mind to release the warmth of a smile, the sun rays of laughter, and the radiant, soothing comfort of a cheerful voice. So, while pictures of the Arctic are nice to view, I draw on actual mind pictures to surround my soul with... those of smiles, laughter, and cheer.

The best position

Inspiration doesn't hover over a person. It comes in spurts, or moments, or in flashes. Usually something external creates the flash, moment, or spurt. It improves a person for a little while.

But, there's an exception. Inspiration could derive from the inside of a person because someone believes in her or him. Then, inspiration is not something short and profound. It is a continuous quality and allows one to rise above the daily quagmire to a level above the crowd.

Continuous inspiration helps one to feel or be a cut above the crowd, and how fortunate one is to find herself or himself in such a position.

A string of adjectives and still true

In English adjectives describe nouns. That means that when you think of a person, place, object, or idea, you can alter the noun by making it more specific. Three types of specifying are allowable. You can tell how many of the noun you have, what kind of noun you have, or which noun you have. If you take an object, rainbows for example, you can tell that there is one or four rainbows; you can say that it is a full rainbow or a partial rainbow; or you can say if it is a brilliant rainbow or a faint rainbow. It's easy to know what is being said about a noun. Simple enough!



I remember a time when I was driving to a professional development session and meeting other presenters there. One of them mentioned seeing the rainbow that I had seen as well. So, we talked about it for a moment. The very next day I saw the rainbow in the sky again about the same time of day. I mentioned that to the person I had been discussing the previous day's rainbow with.



I haven't seen a rainbow in quite some time, maybe not even since that time two years ago. But I came across a cache of rainbow pictures today, and I was reminded of how adjectives work.

I was looking at beautiful, many-splendored, vibrant, cheerful, perfectly-arched rainbows.

And they still hold the same symbolism as the day we were talking about them with each other. Loved those two rainbows. Love what they represented!



And I received a double portion. Love that best of all, and it is still true!

Number 8

Today is the 8th birthday of a young man who has all the characteristics a parent would want. He has a heart for the underdog, so he helps them. He has the competitive spirit, so he participates in all kinds of sports from baseball to hockey. He has the mind and wit of a true academician. At 8 he knows more than the teacher at times. And for personality, he gets an A+. He never shies away from speaking with an adult. So today, a birthday tribute goes out to this outstanding young man.

And I just finished reading a book on the brain. In one of the chapters, some experimenting was done to see what part of the brain was involved in whether a young person reacted to scenarios being shown him or whether the young person anticipated what the scenario might bring with it - something threatening or something routine. The results were reported, but one of the conclusions was that the young person's brain responded reactionary-like or anticipatory-like based on the parenting style in his environment. So, I also want to compliment this young man's amazing mother whose parenting style (and genes) enhances this outstanding young man's many admirable traits.

No day is black

The soul drives the person. It's the part of the brain that tells me the day is worth meeting every morning, that the day will be envigorating. Or, it tells me that the day is black, that it has nothing to offer. Or, it dictates that the day is somewhere in between, that it is some shade of gray.



With someone by our sides, every day is envigorating.



The soul does not believe the day is black or some shade of gray. It believes that the one by our sides sends light into the day no matter what the shade of gray or darkness is



and that the day cannot offer up an invincible, unconquerable conundrum...

with that someone by my side.

Next stretch of the road

I have had a few premonitions in my life, but very few. They foreshadow what happens a little ahead of the actual happening. My partner and I have been working on a project for a little over a year. Today, the project was ready to be launched. It's not quite finished, but it is finished enough to begin. The rest can be added as we go. We have launched two other projects and they are successful, but not lucrative (yet). This project has much greater promise to be lucrative. Usually I have a rather cautious approach to the success of something because I have been a part of several failed attempts in business. And even though I don't have a true premonition about this project, the beginnings of this one have all the shadows of success ahead of their official start.

If this venture becomes a success, it will go a ways down the road in helping to complete a life's desire of mine to be financially independent. The sweetest success of all, my heart's greatest desire, would still lie a little way farther down the road, but a successful venture would make my step a little lighter while I'm walking that next stretch of the road.

Enamored with Madagascar

Madagascar, the island off the eastern side of the tip of Africa, is the seat of human development and the place where a number of earth's oldest plants and animal relatives are. It has an enchanting atmosphere because it contains the original of what is on the Earth today. To many it is the source of life.

As I walk through the days of my life, I realize that there is a source for my everyday actions and aspirations, spawning what I will become in the days to come. How enchanting is my Madagascar!

Bon et beau

Over the years words compund their meanings. The word beautiful is an example of this. It started out 2500 years ago in Latin as the word bonus, which means "good" at its root.

Roman troops carried Latin to England and the language took root there alongside Anglo-Saxon. So the Anglo-Saxons began adopting some of the Latin into their language. Bonus was one of those words, and it took two routes to get to the present. The Angol-Saxon people began pronouncing the o in bonus as oo (but spelled ou) in the Middle Ages. So, the form boun is found as in the word bounty, which has come to mean reward or something good in great quantities. During the early years of the Middle Ages, in French, the o in bonus was pronounced and spelled as eau. So, the root was beaun. But, the n was heard as an l, so there was some confusion with the root bel, which means very pretty. From there it wasn't much longer before the word beauty was born. l and n were both dropped from pronunciation, leaving beau. After the French conquered the English in 1066 ACE, a good number of words took on their French spellings even though many of the Anglo-Saxon words remained unchanged. English adopted beau (but they still kept bou in their native tongue) added the suffix -ty as a suffix carrying the grammatical meaning to indicate the word as a noun. Finally, a second suffix, -ful was added to make the word an adjective.

There were a lot of derivational gymnastics taking place for beautiful to mean what it does today. As for me, I like the fact that bounty and beautiful share the same root. If you bundle the two words together, you get the idea of someone strikingly attractive containing great quantities of goodness.

I know this person. And what a bonus!

Translation

Translation is very nice because it takes words that a person doesn't understand, that is not in the person's grasp, and makes it come to life for the person.

One of the mightiest motivators on Earth is the idea that the desires of the heart will transpire. So I get up every morning thinking that I am a step closer to my heart's desire being translated to moments in time that come to life.

Je le veux tellement! Lo quiero tan mucho!

A part of the brain for ethics?

I read a chapter in a book today of why the brain developed an ethical part to it. It was an interesting chapter. It addressed the fact that people really do want to live together peaceably, but that it has to be on its guard since there are those few people who would endanger the species because they are deceivers and would thin out the ranks. So the brain has a way to construct behavior that is considered fair. Violators of this notion of fair become easy to spot, and therefore, to control or weed out.

This does seem to support the idea that people in America have of everyone having certain inalienable rights and equality. And while equality is a good philosophical ideal, I know about pecking orders. All I have to do is visit any school of any level and I see those playing fair and those violators who have to be controlled or weeded out.

Fortuantely, another principle is in play at the same time that young people are figuring out the nature of life (and that part of the brain that deals with ethics). Cream rises to the top. Very fortunately this prinicple is more powerful and produces more people for the ranks than those who get confused about ethics and let unethical influences override the ethical developmental process.

That keeps hope alive that the next generation will not only survive but succeed, keeping the future bright for those young children who will inherit tomorrow's society.

Better, more efficient, happier

Rocket propulsion has advanced over the years. When rockets first began being launched, jet fuel propelled 2 stages out of earth's atmosphere. Then there were 3 stages, using more fuel. But, fuel is heavy. So, when the shuttle needed a boost to space, attaching the shuttle to a rocket designed just for the fuel to lift it, detach from it, and fall to Earth, became the next step in the evolution of propulsion.

Then, came the era of the space probes being sent to planets, comets, and deep space. They were lighter, so they didn't use as much fuel, and they were going so far that fuel would burn out far before they reached their destinations. So other propulsion methods were used like gravity sling. Now it has been discovered how to generate power in the probe itself to create an ionized power source having very little weight and recreating its own ionized power indefinitely.

Advancement of propulsion of rockets is exactly how indiviual wisdom in life is formulated. Wisdom, like rockets, eventually generates its own knowledge base that works to make us able to live better, more efficient, happier lives. So, when it comes to knowing what is good for our psyches and who we allow to help shape our existence, our latter judgment is far superior to our former.

Beautiful when it happens

Every so often in life's journey people enter it that have profound effects and light up the night sky. Sometimes it is parents who encourage and support. I had two of those. Sometimes it's a professor who taught distinctly and truthfully. I had one of those. Sometimes a friend comes along who sticks through thick and thin. I have one of those. And, sometimes it's someone very amazing who brings brilliance to the path.



6 1/2 billion people on earth. Amazingly a handful stand out enough to think of daily or influence me to become better than I would normally be.

Our highest thoughts

Alla. Arriba.

There's a new series on CBS called Off the Map. American doctors are dedicating their time and healing talents to a little known place in South America. They help the people in a very poor rural area with all their health problems. One way the rural population gets from one place to another is with a cable strung from one mountainside to another or to the valley below with a little chair hanging from it. But, the people are proud of their mode transportation. It has served them well in the absence of roads and cars. In the initial episode of the series, one of the natives of the land was asked how he planned to go to some people who needed medical help. He pointed to the cable above and shouted the Spanish words meaning, "There. Above."

When thinking of times that might represent the rural places in events that come our way, and we need that healing thought to go on, all we have to do is look to those zenith moments and that person who brought the happiest episodes of our lives. Our minds immediately bring up the healing pictures of those stretches of time and elevate them, shouting, "Alla. Arriba..." so that we look up and receive glimpses of our most elevated hours.

Language of a liar

I have been following the disappearance of a teenager from Colorado City on the news for the last week. Finally, tonight CBS showed two interviews of the parents. So, I put my forensic ears on while the interviews were going on to listen for lies.

The biological father used language that repeated itself, the tell-tale sign that truth is being told. His actions matched the words he was saying. He was going to malls in Odessa, Midland, and Big Spring to pass out fliers to find his precious daughter.

The mother used language that did not repeat, the sure-fire sign that lies are being told. Her actions matched. She was worried about her own credibility with the media and community. She's living with a boyfriend that has at least once threatened to kill both mother and daughter. She and her boyfriend hosted a New Year's party even though the daughter had been gone for a long time at that point.

Even without the matching events to go with the language, the words of the mother ring as loudly as a bell begging for someone to completely exploit every aspect of her story about the events causing her daughter to be missing. She knows a lot of information that she is withholding. The language of arousal and fear are borne in her utterances - arousal that people are snooping around her for the truth and fear that if she is not careful, she will be found out.

As the story unfolds, we'll see where it leads. But, I am predicting at this point that the road to truth goes through the mother, not the father. I would bet that she knows who, when, where, and how. I hope someone soon exploits the knowledge that she has so that justice can be served.

Whatever happened to nas, nat, nevre, no man?

Winston Churchill is reported to have been interrupted once after saying that a particular situation was not acceptable when he said, "That is a problem I won't put up with." The aide interrupting Churchill reminded the prime minister that it wasn't proper to end a sentence with a preposition. Churchill rephrased his statement, saying "OK, then, that is a problem up with which I will not put." Oh, Churchill made the right transposition of words, but there is something so unnatural about that correction. And, in America, the natural way to speak is by ending a sentence with a preposition, regardless of what English teachers who wear ankle-length skirts and tennis shoes say about proper grammar.

I think it is arrogant beyond belief for a very small percentage of the people to decide what is proper when 98% of the speakers of English in America have decided what is going to be practiced. A sham if you ask me. There are other inane rules like the one about the preposition. Try to remember not to split an infinitive the next time you speak, or write for that matter. And don't put a negative meaning word twice in a sentence (the double negative) even though there is this example from Anglo-Saxon English, "nas, nat, nevre, no man" [four negative words - translated to mean something emphatic like "not one, single, solitary person"]. Somewhere the skirt and tennis shoes crowd elitely and haughtily decided to change the rules of our English speaking forefathers. And there are a great many other examples that could be cited.

I understand about conventions, in both language and life. I know why they are needed to a certain extent. I don't have to like it, but I understand. They seem to convolute what is apparently simple sometimes, but I see the big picture.

End of time

The end of time is used mostly to refer to a very future point in which the time-space continuum disappears. For religious people that would depict a judgment day scenario, for scientists, the death of the sun or collision of the Milky Way galaxy with another galaxy.

But, the end of time can happen while a person is alive if a situation so pleasant and desirable happens that time goes unheeded. I know that certain small events occur for a couple of hours or so in which people don't notice time, so they say time flew by. But, I am speaking of living in a situation in which time really is not paid any attention to, not merely for a few hours, but for months and years.

That's pretty unimaginable. So, should a person find himself/herself in such a situation, (s)he would be the most contented, fortunate person on earth because the rest of the people are waiting on the judgment or death of the sun.

And so... unimaginably... do you have the time? ... I really don't know.

Idylls making me a king

Idylls, like any word in English has more than one meaning. It started out having two meanings, one for love a things simple, but picturesque, the other for a poem that depicts the charming life of rural living. These meanings originated back in England when living in a beautiful countryside was the rule rather than the exception. An idyllic life was standard for most people.

While the Civil War was raging in America and life was far from idyllic, Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote the classic Idylls of the King, a poem about King Arthur, his knights, and the beautiful Guinevere. It was a series of 12 idylls (short poems) that highlighted different events or different knights like Lancelot. After Idylls of the King, the word took on a new meaning. No longer was the word idyll just a poem about the charm of country living but about the charm of knights riding across the enchanting countryside with a noble cause. And, of course, one could not miss the way the poem opened by speaking of the charm that the beautiful Guinevere brought to the entire country. The following lines are taken from the beginning idyll after the dedication. Arhtur is riding into battle with his knights and sees Guinevere for the first time.



But Arthur, looking downward as he passed,
Felt the light of her eyes into his life
smite him on the sudden... [suddenly gazing on him]

Arthur fights the battle, but after it was over, he cannot get the young maiden's eyes out of his mind. Finally, he knows that she inspires him to be a better ruler, as in the lines below.

And, reigning with one will in everything

We might have power on this dark land to lighten it,

And power on this dead world to make it live.

After Idylls of the King, idyllic could mean simply something or someone charming or someone who helps someone else live life in beauty with hope and power, as the last lines above bear out.

Growing up, I thought that idyll and ideal were synonyms, a modern spelling replacing an archaic spelling. Although they share a few semantic domains, they are not synonyms. Ideal means something perfect or something only dreamed of. Idyll can now mean something pastoral, a poem of something pastoral, something or someone with charm, or the charm of someone who adds beauty and power and hope to bring light to "dark land" and life to a "dead world." So, if someone is living an idyllic life, what kind of life is he living? A country life? A charmed life? A life with someone who helps him live beautifully with power and hope? Of course, Tennyson used them all as a triple pun.

I don't know how many idylls will be in my life's poem. But, I do know that the most recent idyll contains a line or two about inspiration as if drawn from Tennyson's poem. It would otherwise be a dark land. Instead, I am living an idyllic life.

The masterfully pieced story

I watched a video today called Journey to 10000 BC. It pieced together quite a number of discoveries from 3 different fields in order for the historian to tell a cohesive story. It started with an excavation of a mammoth, moved to some of the bones found in various spots in North America for the short-faced bear and the saber-toothed tiger, then ended with projectile points for spears found in Clovis, NM. Then it depicted ice coring that showed a lot about atmospheric changes from 10000 BCE. Finally it portrayed different scientists discussing a couple of theories based on geologic finds as to why the people of 10000 BCE disappeared from view. It was masterfully pieced together to tell a cohesive story of the people who lived at the end of the last ice age. Since we don't have written records to tell us of the time, scientists are compelled to label their ideas as speculative, open to interpretation, but plausible.

When it comes to seeing Journey to 2011 MH (Matters of the Heart), I can piece together some fantastic events and emotions that make the current story cohesive. Without them, though, the story fails. The story bogs down and is stripped of any life. It would be a speculative story, not worth telling, and should disappear from view. But with those events and emotions, the story is full of life and rich beyond measure.

Who would want a story of mere facts and events devoid of fantastic events and emotions? Any day of the week, I want those fantastic events and emotions that make my current story rich beyond measure. The story then becomes desirable, not merely plausible.

Where the palm trees grow

The boulevard leading into and away from the Harlingen airport is lined with palm trees. There are palms adorning the terminal entrance as well. Something about the palm trees lining the entrance and the terminal take a person's mind to relaxing, comforting thoughts. They invite one to continue right on down the boulevard to the white sand beaches of South Padre Island.

Flying or driving into Orlando is a sight to see. Everything is lush and green. The main roads surrounding the airport are planted with many different kinds of trees and plants. But the way leading to Disney World is breathtakingly beautiful. The lanes sport palm trees all the way from the center of town to the amusement park. It makes one feel that there is no other moment to be lived in than the present one. Breezes are warm. Thoughts are of relaxation and pleasure.

Pictures of the countries along the equator are so inviting. They beckon a person to come and enjoy the climate and the easy atmosphere found in its forests and beaches. There, palm trees' broad leaves sway in the sunshine laden with coconuts, mesmerizing one with those laid-back feelings.

As the new year begins its unveiling of events, I have palm trees lining my thoughts. Well... not really palm trees, but mesmerizing thoughts that take my breath away. They yield the same effect as the warm breezes, relaxing atmosphere, and coconuts and broad leaves gently swaying in the sun. These pleasurable thoughts are blended into my soul, stored deep within, trapped in the chambers of my heart. No matter what happens this coming year, there will be nothing better than the palm trees lining my thoughts today.

Happy New Year

Here the old year ends. Here the new year begins. The trail is laid bare behind us. The trail is still hidden before us. My wish for those on the trail - satisfaction from accomplishment. Happy New Year!

Fabric defined

Myelin is a lipid that covers an axon in the brain. Its presence means that an electrical impulse carrying a thought has been triggered a great number of times. When an axon is myelinated, it means that the group of thoughts represented in the synapses surrrounding the axon have been visited and revisited. Thoughts that don't get visited much don't get myelinated. The myelination process ensures a thought's preservation.

Thoughts that are myelinated can be considered memories I guess. But, really those thoughts are visited so often that they seem like they were just formed yesterday. I have those thoughts, the ones that seem like they were just formed yesterday. They're intense. They're the stuff of my dreams and wishes and greatest desires. They give me peace in the early morning hours when I wake and start pondering life's moves. They keep me going because they provide life in an otherwise mundane world. They elevate my performance.

That's why these myelinated thoughts have become a part of my fabric, indelibly imprinted, ready at a moment's notice to be
revisited. :)

Proof in the pudding

I was watching Craig Ferguson last night when he was trying to take the audience back in time. To do so, he wanted to refer to a book. He began this exercise in recall with, "For those of you who remember what a book is... " I couldn't believe my ears. Ever since the year 2000 I have been predicting the death of reading and writing. I started a book to that effect, but other endeavors at the time took me away from that effort. I predicted then that a 10-year war would happen from 2007 to 2017 between those who hang on to the past and archaic ways and those who move forward (particularly in education, but in law as well). It's now underway. At the war's end it will be clear what the next phase for recording stories and business transactions will be. The status quo will either be vindicated or decisively buried.

In the year 2008, just one year after the war started, GE announced that they had figured out how to transmit holographic images. They thought it would take 3-5 years to make a device to record and store the images that have been transmitted and then make it commercially feasible. To me that was the verification I needed to substantiate my prediction. 2011 might just see such a device. When this device appears it will be both the death knell and the death nail for reading and writing in the functions we use it for today.

And when people in a society start joking about things that the young people don't know, it is an indication of the beginnings of what is real because what appears in popular language is slightly behind the reality of the event being talked about. I've been waiting for a long time for popular language to start reflecting signs of the reality of the disappearance of reading and writing. Thank you Craig Ferguson for providing the first sign.

And then came the real clincher. In this morning's Midland Reporter Telegram, the editorial cartoon pictured two adolescent boys wearing hooded sweatshirts with smart phones in their hands. The taller boy, still looking at his phone, commented to the shorter boy, "The guy who invented Facebook is Time magazine's Person of the Year." The shorter boy didn't even look up from his phone and replied, "What's a magazine?"

For those who have heard me talk about this matter - I'm just saying...

A chapter of time

This week is typically the week of greatest reflection during the year. Radio stations play the top songs of the year so that you can get closure for these songs and move on to the next great songs during the next chapter of time, the next year. Television specials show the stars who have died during the year. It also airs reruns of the best talk shows or the most watched episodes of all the series from the last season. Car dealers try to get rid of the last of their 2010 models. Retail stores are trying to clear their inventory of last year's fashions. We get a great big dose of the year we are finishing causing us to reflect on what the year has meant.

Self-reflection is good. It causes us to see some of our behaviors and it either makes us pleased so that we repeat those behaviors or makes us displeased so that we change those behaviors. It helps us cast or recast events that have happened so that we can extract the meaningful portions of those events for recall or allow the less than meaningful portions to die the memory death.

This kind of pruning is good. It builds our characters one year at a time. It also allows us to compare the times from other years with the times we have had in the current year. It allows us to rank the year's experiences against previous years. That exercise highlights one year above others and puts one year above all other years. 2010 was a good year in a number of ways. It will be a springboard year to other years, I am sure. But...

For 2009 I am eternally grateful.