What would you do if you had superpowers? In his new movie Hancock Will Smith plays a misunderstood superhero with the aforementioned name. Hancock lives in Los Angeles spending his days drinking and sleeping. He occasionally uses his superpowers to catch a bad guy or to save an old lady. Unfortunately, due to his disheveled appearance and generally inebriated irresponsibility he saves the day gracelessly. While catching the bad guys he accumulates damages to the city which do not ingratiate him to the citizens of Los Angeles. Ultimately, we learn that Hancock's irresponsible behavior is linked to a void in his past. We find that he has lived most of the life he remembers without friends or family. Without ruining the movie, Hancock eventually understands the source of his superpowers and comes to the realization that his superpowers are meant to protect people. Given his unique superpowers he has a responsibility.
When I Googled "Responsibility" it directed me to a website that gives "Tools for Personal Growth". Accordingly they presume personal growth is taking personal responsibility for your actions. Accepting personal responsibility opens up myriad opportunities to "Recognizing that you are your best cheerleader" and "Taking an honest inventory of your strengths, abilities, talents, virtues, and positive points". Conversely, not accepting responsibility results in everything from being "Overly dependent on others for recognition, approval, affirmation, and acceptance" to "Over responsible and guilt ridden in your need to rescue and enable others in your life". Wow, overly dependent while being overly responsible. One better get some personal responsibility and quick!
Personal responsibility is acknowledging that the first person you look at in the morning and the last person you look at before you go to bed is you. Realizing you are the one constant in your life. Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor in his Meditations Book 7 said, "I was once a fortunate man but at some point fortune abandoned me. But true good fortune is what you make for yourself. Good fortune: good character, good intentions, and good actions." My good friend Chris in high school said, "Look man, no one is going to come along and shove sunshine up your ass. You have to make your own decisions." Hardly an eloquent Roman statesman, Chris had the right idea. Responsibility starts with personal responsibility.
However, what about this concept of having a superpower? Or some type of gift that others do not possess? Is it your responsibility to share it with others? Does Hancock have a responsibility to use his superpowers for the good of other people? This brings up the Aristotelian notion of "ought" or moral responsibility (thanks Fr. Schall for teaching me this stuff).
In life, it is always a question of what one "ought" to do versus what one "can" do.
Some would say that Hancock or anyone with a special gift is being irresponsible not sharing it with the community. Gifts are given to humans so that they can be shared to create a better world. Not to do so would in fact be selfish. One "ought" to help.
Others would say that Hancock's gifts are to do with as he pleases. It only hurts him if he squanders his talents by drinking and grabbing at women all day. He "can" help but the world won't miss out if he doesn't since they don't know his talents in the first place.
So I leave it to you. If you were a superhero. If you had the power to fly, the power to lift trains, the power to run the speed of light, ought you use it to help others?
Or, if you had the power of education, the power of luxury, the power of finance, the power of freedom, the power of a vote. What ought you do with these superpowers?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Terza Rima
So the Terza Rima rhyme scheme is a-b-a, b-c-b, c-d-c, d-e-d with an ending of either d-e-d or e-e couplet. According to the almighty Wikipedia it is supposed to be really difficult in English since there are not enough words in English that rhyme and thus too restrictive. I'm gonna try to describe my day using this format. Hopefully in iambic pentameter.
"Uphill, here on out." The old woman squeals
as she pedals away. Her sun bleached
sun dress flows in the breeze as if to reveal
A secret. The first leg is there to teach
Children how to ride. Speckled with tricycles
like little hermit crabs scurrying along the beach.
A flat well paved and marked encyclical
path lay ahead. Opening the thick brush
to the onslaught of suburban bicycles.
Pushing harder the blood begins to rush.
The gears shift to create greater tension
making what was once easy much less such.
The Franciscans tell it as near to Ascension.
One with the road, wilderness, and creation.
"Uphill, here on out." The old woman squeals
as she pedals away. Her sun bleached
sun dress flows in the breeze as if to reveal
A secret. The first leg is there to teach
Children how to ride. Speckled with tricycles
like little hermit crabs scurrying along the beach.
A flat well paved and marked encyclical
path lay ahead. Opening the thick brush
to the onslaught of suburban bicycles.
Pushing harder the blood begins to rush.
The gears shift to create greater tension
making what was once easy much less such.
The Franciscans tell it as near to Ascension.
One with the road, wilderness, and creation.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
On Control
Anakin Skywalker, who we know will eventually be Darth Vader, is spiraling out of control. He has spent most of his young life on the path to becoming a Jedi knight. He has toiled as a mechanic, a solider in the war, and as a political pawn of both the Jedi and the Sith lords. He has seen his mother die. He has nightly dreams of the only one he has ever loved dying in childbirth. He is afraid.
The losses he has suffered in life are beyond his control. Skywalker, like the rest of us, ultimately is afraid of loss. Yoda, his Jedi master, has always warned him of becoming fearful of loss. "The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side," he says. This fear of loss consumes Anakin. He strays to the Dark Side by desiring power to conquer loss. His need is to be able to control those things that happen to him and those he loves so that loss will not happen. This need is so strong that it warps his soul (reflective in his bodily transformation) into something less than human.
In life, control makes us feel safe. To have control over your job, your relationships, your body, your future all make us feel like we are the "masters" of our lives. To have control means that things are orderly. You do A and of course B will follow. In your job if you work hard you will succeed. If you are knowledgeable about the subject you will achieve high marks. You can expect to be the person you set your mind out to become. How others see you and what they think about you relies on your ability to maintain relationships. Do the right thing. Control. Say the right thing. Control. Live in the right place. Control. Have the right friends. Control. Love the right person. Control. Then disaster strikes.
Again, Yoda points Anakin to the now famous syllogism, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." For example, fear of losing a job. You begin to hate all of those who appear ready to take it from you. You then either become paranoid about when you job will let you go or who will take it. You must take steps to eradicate those who are you competitors. Suffering. You are afraid of losing your wife. You begin to feel she is spending too much time with her male friends. You become delusional that she is cheating behind your back. You become either accusatory toward her or detract from her. Suffering.
We are afraid of losing. We are afraid of trying. We are afraid of not trying. We are afraid of failing. We become preoccupied with our faults. We become preoccupied with our choices where we could have controlled life. We become angry at ourselves and the world for not having things turn out as they should. We suffer.
"Train yourself to let go... of everything you fear to lose." - Yoda
The losses he has suffered in life are beyond his control. Skywalker, like the rest of us, ultimately is afraid of loss. Yoda, his Jedi master, has always warned him of becoming fearful of loss. "The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side," he says. This fear of loss consumes Anakin. He strays to the Dark Side by desiring power to conquer loss. His need is to be able to control those things that happen to him and those he loves so that loss will not happen. This need is so strong that it warps his soul (reflective in his bodily transformation) into something less than human.
In life, control makes us feel safe. To have control over your job, your relationships, your body, your future all make us feel like we are the "masters" of our lives. To have control means that things are orderly. You do A and of course B will follow. In your job if you work hard you will succeed. If you are knowledgeable about the subject you will achieve high marks. You can expect to be the person you set your mind out to become. How others see you and what they think about you relies on your ability to maintain relationships. Do the right thing. Control. Say the right thing. Control. Live in the right place. Control. Have the right friends. Control. Love the right person. Control. Then disaster strikes.
Again, Yoda points Anakin to the now famous syllogism, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." For example, fear of losing a job. You begin to hate all of those who appear ready to take it from you. You then either become paranoid about when you job will let you go or who will take it. You must take steps to eradicate those who are you competitors. Suffering. You are afraid of losing your wife. You begin to feel she is spending too much time with her male friends. You become delusional that she is cheating behind your back. You become either accusatory toward her or detract from her. Suffering.
We are afraid of losing. We are afraid of trying. We are afraid of not trying. We are afraid of failing. We become preoccupied with our faults. We become preoccupied with our choices where we could have controlled life. We become angry at ourselves and the world for not having things turn out as they should. We suffer.
"Train yourself to let go... of everything you fear to lose." - Yoda
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
My Favorite Poem
A Litany for Survival
by Audre Lorde (from The Black Unicorn)
For those of us who live at the shoreline
standing upon the constant edges of decision
crucial and alone
for those of us who cannot indulge
the passing dreams of choice
who love in doorways coming and going
in the hours between dawns
looking inward and outward
at once before and after
seeking a now that can breed
futures
like bread in our children's mouths
so their dreams will not reflect
the death of ours:
For those of us
who were imprinted with fear
like a faint line in the center of our foreheads
learning to be afraid with our mother's milk
for by this weapon
this illusion of some safety to be found
the heavy-footed hoped to silence us
For all of us
this instant and this triumph
We were never meant to survive.
And when the sun rises we are afraid
it might not remain
when the sun sets we are afraid
it might not rise in the morning
when our stomachs are full we are afraid
of indigestion
when our stomachs are empty we are afraid
we may never eat again
when we are loved we are afraid
love will vanish
when we are alone we are afraid
love will never return
and when we speak
we are afraid our words will not be heard
nor welcomed
but when we are silent
we are still afraid
So it is better to speak
remembering
we were never meant to survive
by Audre Lorde (from The Black Unicorn)
For those of us who live at the shoreline
standing upon the constant edges of decision
crucial and alone
for those of us who cannot indulge
the passing dreams of choice
who love in doorways coming and going
in the hours between dawns
looking inward and outward
at once before and after
seeking a now that can breed
futures
like bread in our children's mouths
so their dreams will not reflect
the death of ours:
For those of us
who were imprinted with fear
like a faint line in the center of our foreheads
learning to be afraid with our mother's milk
for by this weapon
this illusion of some safety to be found
the heavy-footed hoped to silence us
For all of us
this instant and this triumph
We were never meant to survive.
And when the sun rises we are afraid
it might not remain
when the sun sets we are afraid
it might not rise in the morning
when our stomachs are full we are afraid
of indigestion
when our stomachs are empty we are afraid
we may never eat again
when we are loved we are afraid
love will vanish
when we are alone we are afraid
love will never return
and when we speak
we are afraid our words will not be heard
nor welcomed
but when we are silent
we are still afraid
So it is better to speak
remembering
we were never meant to survive
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sidecar
I am not a famous writer. However, as the taxi pulled up to one of the oldest hotels in the city I felt like Hemingway or Fitzgerald arriving in Monte Carlo. Needless to say I don't think Fitzgerald ever wore a clip-on bow tie. Yet with all my faux cosmopolitan accoutrement I was in for a fantastic evening with surprisingly delicious company.
Bellying up to the bar in my penguin suit I looked at the overpriced menu and scanned who my date would be tonight. Would she be the elegant but simple Vodka Gimlet? Would she be a fiery and temperamental Old Fashioned? Or would she even be the loud-mouthed surly knockout known as the Alabama Slammer? I had dated all of these once or twice before. I was sick of their predictabilty.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw her. There, sandwiched between the genteel Mint Julep and the lively Mojito she stood. The Sidecar. Passed over for more well known, media hyped, sexier drinks she is rarely taken out regularly. However, through the course of the night, I realized this Cognac based gem would light up my life.
According to legend she originated in Paris during the disruptive period of World War I. American soliders in need of a little rest and recouperation would return from the frontlines of the battlefield to the bistros of Paris. There an army captain developed the drink. He named it after the sidecar with which he was chauffered to and from the bars and clubs of the city.
She is deceptively simple yet attractive in her cocktail glass. The bartender set the glass in front of me chilled and dipped in sugar. In his shaker he pours one part Cognac, one part Cointreau, and one part lemon juice. Sealed with the jigger he shakes repeatedly while my anticipation swells. Strained into the glass she is ready for the evening. She even comes with a garnish of lemon rind to add flair to her slender body.
As we danced the night away I enjoyed her subtle sweetness with a slight tartness which was plesantly received. She did not have the bite of other bourbon or whiskey women I had in the past. And she wasn't typical or commonplace like the vodkas of my memories. Unique, colorful, and sophisticated the Sidecar is one date I'll ask to take out again.
Bellying up to the bar in my penguin suit I looked at the overpriced menu and scanned who my date would be tonight. Would she be the elegant but simple Vodka Gimlet? Would she be a fiery and temperamental Old Fashioned? Or would she even be the loud-mouthed surly knockout known as the Alabama Slammer? I had dated all of these once or twice before. I was sick of their predictabilty.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw her. There, sandwiched between the genteel Mint Julep and the lively Mojito she stood. The Sidecar. Passed over for more well known, media hyped, sexier drinks she is rarely taken out regularly. However, through the course of the night, I realized this Cognac based gem would light up my life.
According to legend she originated in Paris during the disruptive period of World War I. American soliders in need of a little rest and recouperation would return from the frontlines of the battlefield to the bistros of Paris. There an army captain developed the drink. He named it after the sidecar with which he was chauffered to and from the bars and clubs of the city.
She is deceptively simple yet attractive in her cocktail glass. The bartender set the glass in front of me chilled and dipped in sugar. In his shaker he pours one part Cognac, one part Cointreau, and one part lemon juice. Sealed with the jigger he shakes repeatedly while my anticipation swells. Strained into the glass she is ready for the evening. She even comes with a garnish of lemon rind to add flair to her slender body.
As we danced the night away I enjoyed her subtle sweetness with a slight tartness which was plesantly received. She did not have the bite of other bourbon or whiskey women I had in the past. And she wasn't typical or commonplace like the vodkas of my memories. Unique, colorful, and sophisticated the Sidecar is one date I'll ask to take out again.
Monday, July 07, 2008
International Relations
For ten days I have been the the President of the United States of America. The world's superpower, I have had complete hegemony over my domain. Given my complete domination of the other countries of the globe I wield an exorbitant amount of power.....I have the food.
However, I must take care to placate my dominion lest all hell breaks loose. The countries I must deal with have their own wants, desires, and personalities. Some are so volatile that I must take great care in managing relationships amongst them. Let's look at the countries I have had to manage.
The United Kingdom is a large Black Labrador. He is loyal, trusting, and a friend. He realizes that his economy of shelter, survival, and food are based upon my good will. Thus, he will reluctantly do my bidding without protest. The United Kingdom sometime will go off on his own expeditions without my knowledge. An example would be digging holes in the yard or chasing squirrels as his own special Kyoto Protocol. Things that piss me off but I know don't amount to much.
China is a large Australian Shepard. He sticks close to me not out of loyalty but due to his dependence on my energy (again food) and my ability to deal with the other countries of the nation which he either despises or could care less about. He is a constant. I know he is there and that I must keep him afloat since those who have elected me (my parents) will be frustrated if he decides to stop cooperating. He is essential to my staying sane.
North Korea is a miniature Australian Shepard. He remains one of the most difficult countries I have dealt with to date. He is simply schizophrenic. My attempts at giving him shelter, food, and affection are either met with glowing approval or barking and antagonism toward the other countries. He will cling to the UK and China constantly knowing he can get away with nipping at them without a punishment. However, after repeated injuries the UK and China will sanction North Korea by snarling at him. He then is put back in his place and goes along with the rest of the group.
Finally comes Iraq who is a 9 month old miniature Australian Shepard. She is my own personal problem. None of the other countries care much about her and almost laugh at the way she refuses to do what I ask of her. Every now and again the UK or North Korea will help me by chasing her inside for dinner or catching her attention but she is ultimately a recalcitrant country. Yet I'm uncertain as to the origin of her disobedience. Is she thwarting my will due to her utter stupidity and not understanding what is ultimately good for her? Or is she staying in the yard and running from me because she knows that she can do what she wants given she is my ultimate responsibility and I cannot neglect her?
However, I must take care to placate my dominion lest all hell breaks loose. The countries I must deal with have their own wants, desires, and personalities. Some are so volatile that I must take great care in managing relationships amongst them. Let's look at the countries I have had to manage.
The United Kingdom is a large Black Labrador. He is loyal, trusting, and a friend. He realizes that his economy of shelter, survival, and food are based upon my good will. Thus, he will reluctantly do my bidding without protest. The United Kingdom sometime will go off on his own expeditions without my knowledge. An example would be digging holes in the yard or chasing squirrels as his own special Kyoto Protocol. Things that piss me off but I know don't amount to much.
China is a large Australian Shepard. He sticks close to me not out of loyalty but due to his dependence on my energy (again food) and my ability to deal with the other countries of the nation which he either despises or could care less about. He is a constant. I know he is there and that I must keep him afloat since those who have elected me (my parents) will be frustrated if he decides to stop cooperating. He is essential to my staying sane.
North Korea is a miniature Australian Shepard. He remains one of the most difficult countries I have dealt with to date. He is simply schizophrenic. My attempts at giving him shelter, food, and affection are either met with glowing approval or barking and antagonism toward the other countries. He will cling to the UK and China constantly knowing he can get away with nipping at them without a punishment. However, after repeated injuries the UK and China will sanction North Korea by snarling at him. He then is put back in his place and goes along with the rest of the group.
Finally comes Iraq who is a 9 month old miniature Australian Shepard. She is my own personal problem. None of the other countries care much about her and almost laugh at the way she refuses to do what I ask of her. Every now and again the UK or North Korea will help me by chasing her inside for dinner or catching her attention but she is ultimately a recalcitrant country. Yet I'm uncertain as to the origin of her disobedience. Is she thwarting my will due to her utter stupidity and not understanding what is ultimately good for her? Or is she staying in the yard and running from me because she knows that she can do what she wants given she is my ultimate responsibility and I cannot neglect her?
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