The Writer's Poke

I like religions and mythology more than most people, but I also like science more than most people. And, I cannot understand how someone can get so into religions and not spend time learning mythology and science. Seriously. Enjoy Christmas, but think about learning some science. And, don't ignore the connections between mythology and modern religions.

Yes, I know that most people are thinking ahead to 2011 Goals -- at least people that make goals -- but that's too far away, really. Instead, I've decided to make some 2010 Goals. Actually, I made my 2010 goals at the beginning of the year. As always, I experienced some successes and some failures. It's good to look back and examine the past, but why not focus on the now, too? Setting a beginning-of-the-year goal, while good, is artificial. We're given a new beginning each morning we wake up, and we should use the start of each day to commit to what we want out of life. So, while others are taking one last week to procrastinate on starting 2011 goals, I'm using each day this week to keep working away at my goals in 2010.

Weather services around the world adjust what is considered "normal" -- in terms of average temperatures and precipitation amounts -- every thirty years. We're now at the end of one such cycle, and so everything that was considered "normal" for the last thirty years is about to change. This, I think, is such a perfect metaphor, as each generation does the same thing with cultural norms. What was once taboo often evolves into "normal" over the course of time. Some people cling to "tradition," but the truth is that even so-called "traditions" evolve. The only constant, as the cliche goes, is change. As we enter the new year, one big political change involves the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. For years it's been considered "normal" for our military not to inquiry into the sexual activities of its members, but if any "deviant" activies came to light, an otherwise stellar member of the military coul...

Most people know that Christmas has pagan roots, right? But Christians tend to overlook this fact. I assume they do so because they believe Jesus is "real" and not like all the other "pagans" that came before him. Question: What makes Jesus real? And what makes all the others "fake"? I'm not sure how much time it's worth investigating these questions, but probably more time than the average Christian spends examining them. And maybe I'm even wrong about my initial assumption. Maybe most people don't know that Christmas (and Christianity) has pagan roots. Anyway, Merry Christmas. http://www.zeitgeistthefilm.com/

I'm sure psychologists have studied this issue, but common sense would suggest that older people tend to live in the past, whereas younger people tend to live either in the moment, or for the future. That's a generalization, of course, and I'm sure individuals have "cycles" of sorts. For instance, at the end of the calendar year, it's probably more likely to think about (or relive) the past year; on the other hand, don't a lot of us think again to the new year and the promises it holds? That's why people make New Year's resolutions after all. Life must be lived in a continual series of "nows," and to a certain extent, living too much in the past or too much for the future is like not living at all. In other words, it's the -ing -- the now-ness -- that we should pay most attention to if we truly value living. What's the most effective way to live in the now? "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me." -- William...