Photo of Willbe in the snow, having the time of his life, by Deb. Willbe’s needs are simple and consistent.
Deb created this delightful monochrome image by sculpting away portions of the photo and color. Photo by Deb.
“It’s not the daily increase, but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” Bruce Lee.
Simplifying one’s life is a healthy philosophy, but it’s not always easy.
Years ago, I read a wonderful book, entitled, ‘Amusing Ourselves To Death: Public Discourse In The Age Of Show Business.’ by Neil Postman. It is actually a long essay, on the impact of technology on epistemology. What are we surrounded and impacted by all the time, right now, a surfeit of new technologies, most of which were spawned by the invention of the digital computer (Thanks Alan).
Goodreads describes this book as a, “…groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse…,” which is reflected in the chosen cover for the book. I don’t agree with their assessment. Neil Postman’s treatise is not about television per se, in fact it starts with the dramatic impact of the printing press on the general state of human knowledge, as education was opened more widely to the general populace.
Deb, the artistic photographer. Deb took that photo on the front of my Aortic Patient book with her iPhone, in fact. Selfie by FitOldDog with permission.
Mr. Postman provides an insightful analysis of the impact of technology on epistemology; television is but a recent, and increasingly defunct, arrival on this scene.
Surely, the spoken story, a form of linguistic technology, has played a greater role in the nature of our understanding of knowledge than the television, or any other digital device for that matter?
That said, our new toys, which are leaving television far behind in their wake, including the iPhone used to both take and edit the adjacent images, are threatening to run the show.
You see them everywhere! People not talking to each other, just glued to their phones.
The answer?
Calm down, and put the phone down for a while, and look people in the eye!
Meditate regularly.
When life seems to be getting out of hand, enjoy a nice cup of tea.
Read good books.
Be patient and kind with yourself.
Work hard and play hard.
That’s it, really, and the best of British Luck.
Oh! Yes! Willbe said, “If all else fails, go for a run in the snow and bark at a squirrel.”
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