What's Going on Here Book
Chapter 3 – Walking the Dogs in the City – Part A
As I step out the front door, following hard on the happy tails of the Furry Dog Beings, I notice the lawn on both sides of our sidewalk leading to the wider concrete public path. The lawn speaks being made up of numerous, separate slim blades communicating across the length and breadth of its root system. Each sees/experiences what all other blades see/experience; yet astoundingly, each blade is an intelligence unto itself. A reality/metaphor humanity could/should adopt.
As I step out the front door, following hard on the happy tails of the Furry Dog Beings, I notice the lawn on both sides of our sidewalk leading to the wider concrete public path. The lawn speaks being made up of numerous, separate slim blades communicating across the length and breadth of its root system. Each sees/experiences what all other blades see/experience; yet astoundingly, each blade is an intelligence unto itself. A reality/metaphor humanity could/should adopt.
Ah well. . . so much for Lennon’s, “imagine all the people. . . “, vision.
Dogs stop to pass water on the front edge of the lawn/sidewalk. I snicker: If the blades were human, they’d be cursing at their apparent misfortune. If it was rain, they’d be rejoicing in their good fortune; so, now we discover the real reason behind the human perspective of what is good or what is bad: what affects us positively is good; what affects us negatively is bad.
Taken a step further, the difference between good and evil. Arbitrary?
MM, Mr. B, and I make our way off the walk and onto the asphalt road. Interesting, no network of communication under the sidewalk or road; just a continuous state of wearing away, of destruction. Most of a city is like that: from cars to buildings, to places of business.
Green spaces with trees, a gift! Any wonder why people stop to rest and rejuvenate, albeit most not knowing or even considering why.
Roads, with their various arteries, certainly a blessing for those who must commute from long distances; yet, with them they carry a continuous megalith of vehicles–if not for exhaust emissions, all might be well. Of course, all might be well if one ignores the environmental costs of mining ore, drilling for oil, energy spent smelting/refining, and finally manufacturing the finished product.
Ah well, out of sight, out of mind.
Seen how far the Alberta Tar Sands pools of excrement extends? Figure the refining companies will clean that up and return the land to pristine conditions?
Seen how dredging from a mine broke thru its containment and ran down to finally end up in a nearby lake?
Seen how another load of politicians essentially continue to ignore both?
Gotta love progress in the name of economic advancement.
And I ain’t even walked two blocks yet.
Ah well. . . so much for Lennon’s, “imagine all the people. . . “, vision.
Dogs stop to pass water on the front edge of the lawn/sidewalk. I snicker: If the blades were human, they’d be cursing at their apparent misfortune. If it was rain, they’d be rejoicing in their good fortune; so, now we discover the real reason behind the human perspective of what is good or what is bad: what affects us positively is good; what affects us negatively is bad.
Taken a step further, the difference between good and evil. Arbitrary?
MM, Mr. B, and I make our way off the walk and onto the asphalt road. Interesting, no network of communication under the sidewalk or road; just a continuous state of wearing away, of destruction. Most of a city is like that: from cars to buildings, to places of business.
Green spaces with trees, a gift! Any wonder why people stop to rest and rejuvenate, albeit most not knowing or even considering why.
Roads, with their various arteries, certainly a blessing for those who must commute from long distances; yet, with them they carry a continuous megalith of vehicles–if not for exhaust emissions, all might be well. Of course, all might be well if one ignores the environmental costs of mining ore, drilling for oil, energy spent smelting/refining, and finally manufacturing the finished product.
Ah well, out of sight, out of mind.
Seen how far the Alberta Tar Sands pools of excrement extends? Figure the refining companies will clean that up and return the land to pristine conditions?
Seen how dredging from a mine broke thru its containment and ran down to finally end up in a nearby lake?
Seen how another load of politicians essentially continue to ignore both?
Gotta love progress in the name of economic advancement.
And I ain’t even walked two blocks yet.
