You know what, I wasn't a very good person or husband tonight. It's true and it happens.
Anyway, beside that - I love my truck.
And I've been expanding my borders and watching World Cup soccer. But why have the two games I've watched so far sound as though they were played in a bee's hive? Not near a hive, and not merely the cheering of fans, but like the game was actually occurring in a fucking hive. INSIDE THE HIVE.
And I watched Karate Kid tonight. And it got me thinking... how much is too much when it comes to "compassion" for Buddhists? Is there a final breaking point? Should there be? I'm all for accepting each other, and helping each other, and giving the other the benefit of the doubt, but at what point does it end? At what point do we recognize that the world is as the world is and act in accordance. Or is the idea to change the world altogether? It seems like maybe its that second one.
And a few lines in the movie got me thinking... at one point Dre (Will Smith's son) says something along the lines of "Everything in China is old." How much of our "Westernistish" is from the fact that almost everything around us is less than 100 years old, let alone 200 or 1000. Doesn't being around 1,000 and 10,000 year old buildings and structures and history have to affect you in a different way than beind around 100 year old stuff? And does that necassarily mean that 1,000-year old stuff is better? Because doesn't that mean that 10,000 year-old cave drawings are better than anything that came after? I for one think that the "newness" of our nation means that A) we are bound to have a different outlook than the "older" world and that B) that's not necassarily a bad thing?
Having said that, I wonder if maybe we all couldn't be a little better if we were a little more Busshist? (As I write this, the Republic of South Africa - the host continent, if not nation - scores the first goal of the 2010 World Cup against Mexico. South Africa is the lowest host country in history.
I think You're right about the buddhists hopping for the second one, changing the world. Doesn't mean you sit by and let things happen, but change it in a way that aligns with your beliefs.
ReplyDeleteAs for the old things...Not all westerners are surrounded by things only 100 years old. Europeans (also Westerners) have old things too. Not as old as China, maybe, but old. (As Eddie Izzard says "It's where the history is.")
But I think being around old things does change perspective, perhaps making one linger in traditions/traditional thoughts longer because you have more reminders of how things used to be.
I don't think one is better than the other. Just different.
Europe's interesting because its a mix of old and newer stuff that replaced all the old structures that were destroyed during the war.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I forgot about all the blowing up of things. It would be interesting to look at North American vs. European vs. Asian. Of course, there is also things to consider like rank (third world country vs. first world).
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