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Author Topic: Sobering Observations  (Read 13298 times)
Mofo Rising
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« on: June 16, 2011, 03:45:19 AM »

This is a thread for small observations you make that call to attention something that is larger than you first thought.

I was watching a Looney Tunes Golden Collection disc today, and I heard one of the commentators bring up the Iraq war.

It made me realize two things simultaneously. The current popular movie watching technology, DVD, has been around for over a decade. All the stuff we now take for granted, director's commentary, deleted scenes, etc., has now been around long enough for us to not even notice it anymore. My teenage years were spent with VHS, which had none of that, and I'm aware that there are many on this board who remember when even VHS was a revolution.

The other more sobering observation was that the Iraq conflict is now almost ten years old. That Looney Tunes disc was released in 2003 or so. We've been living with the Iraq situation for longer than I've really noticed.

I don't mean to bring this up in any sort of political way; I'm not arguing any agendas here. I'm just saying this small observation really brought it all home for me when I least expected it.

So, Iraq war aside, are there any small observations you've made that really struck you? Maybe something that illustrated how old you really are, or just how much the world has changed?

Last aside, it amused me to find those Looney Tunes were all made in the '40s through '60s. I thought they were all new when I was a kid.
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« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2011, 06:47:48 AM »

We've been watching this TV show, Earth 2, while eating supper.  It's a short lived sci-fi show from 1994-5.  I was bored the other day so I looked up the actors on IMDb, see what else they've been in, how their careers are going, that sort of thing.  There's a girl on the show, J. Madison Wright, who was 11 when it was made.  She seemed like a pretty good child actor, really played her part well.  Then I see she died 5 years ago.  Had some weird heart problem, actually had a heart transplant (the guy who played her father on the show did some fundraising to help out with her medical expenses), and was apparently doing just fine for several years after that.  Then she got married and a couple of days later had a heart attack and that was it.

That's always pretty sobering.  You think you're going along just fine, then some one-in-a-million thing goes wrong with your body and it's all over.
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Flick James
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« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2011, 08:39:20 AM »

Yes, and that's a sobering thought. We have developed a war culture. Kids growing up now don't know that we actually exist as a peaceful nation from time to time.

I recognize the need for defense. I think our country needs to focus on defense and less on intervention. That's my opinion, and I know others will differ with it. That's fine. But it is very depressing when you think that our whole culture is growing to accept a war economy, which we will be paying for for many generations to come.

But the most depressing part is what our involvement has brought home to roost. For all of our intervention in supposed defense of the U.S., our culture is changing here. It's the simple theory of cultural blowback, one of the simplest concepts around. We saw it with Korea and Vietnam, and now we're seeing it with the middle east. I have nothing against people of other cultures, but every time we go over to a foreign nation, to a culture so vastly different, and in many ways contrary, to our Western ways, and invade it, we invite that culture here. It happens over and over, and we're seeing it now.

Look, I know that some here think the wars in the middle east are justified, right, necessary, etc. I don't. The cost is too high and the resulting change in culture here is just not worth it. That's my opinion. I know some may scoff at the comparison sometimes made of the current U.S. to the fall of Rome, but I don't think the comparison is ridiculous. Rome was so busy overextending itself with foreign expansion that it just plain collapsed. That wasn't the only factor, certainly, but some of the others, like political corruption and the influence of contrary cultures, are happening as well.

But what do I know?
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« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2011, 09:13:03 AM »

War is nothing new.
This country has been at war since it's inception 24/7.
We all know the big wars-but the War of 1812,the war (actually the genocide) against the Indian Nations,the Spainish American War,all the little covert wars the CIA wages indirectly-Nicuragua,El Salvador,Iraq,Iran,Isreal-we are a killing nation.
Not to say we're alone on this-but we didn't become this powerful by being nice.
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« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2011, 04:05:43 AM »

Yes, and that's a sobering thought. We have developed a war culture. Kids growing up now don't know that we actually exist as a peaceful nation from time to time.

Sorry for not keeping alive threads I started.

When I graduated high school, 1996, and was being actively pursued by the military, we were still nominally a peace-time nation. Knowing what I know now, I would gladly sign for the armed services. I didn't do it then, because I was the angry counter-cultural kid. Post 9/11, we're still not officially at war, but I don't think there's anybody who would deny the concept that we are in the middle of a hot war.

Not a shot at the armed services, I respect all who've served more every day, even if I don't agree with their leaders.

On a more personal sobering observation, I recently started running again. I always loved running, but I stopped doing it because I was lazy.

So I started running again. And I'll go out and run for about an hour. The thing is, after I spend that hour running, I will literally not be able to run for at least another day after that. I want to run, don't get me wrong, I look forward the strenuous effort. But my legs will not cooperate. I literally can not run again until my legs heal themselves.

I love running, but my body will not let me do it. That's sobering.

As another sobering observation, I work with the public in customer service as my job as a library employee. I was talking with an elderly lady who was telling me that she just gets so frustrated at not being able to do things anymore. I went with my go-to punchline, "Say what will you about growing old, it's better than the alternative." The alternative, of course, is death. She immediately countered with, "I'm not so sure about that."

The idea that death may be preferable to senescence, that's sobering.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2011, 04:16:03 AM by Mofo Rising » Logged

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« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2011, 07:32:18 AM »

As another sobering observation, I work with the public in customer service as my job as a library employee. I was talking with an elderly lady who was telling me that she just gets so frustrated at not being able to do things anymore. I went with my go-to punchline, "Say what will you about growing old, it's better than the alternative." The alternative, of course, is death. She immediately countered with, "I'm not so sure about that."

The idea that death may be preferable to senescence, that's sobering.

That's a biggie.  Sad to say I know what she speaks of, all too well, and I agree.
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« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2011, 08:53:46 AM »

Some of that, I guess, has to do with your expectations of the afterlife.
I believe in heaven, and I believe I am going there, so death is robbed of some of its sting for me. 

However, that being said, I don't want to go there just yet!
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« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2011, 09:11:31 AM »

Some of that, I guess, has to do with your expectations of the afterlife.
I believe in heaven, and I believe I am going there, so death is robbed of some of its sting for me. 

However, that being said, I don't want to go there just yet!

Why not? My understanding of the concept, from when I was a Christian, is that this time on Earth is the closest to Hell as one who is bound for Heaven will ever get, and conversely, the closest to Heaven that one who is bound for Hell will ever get. If I believed that I was destined to go somewhere that was far better than where I am, I would be welcoming it with open arms.
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« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2011, 10:18:21 AM »

Some of that, I guess, has to do with your expectations of the afterlife.
I believe in heaven, and I believe I am going there, so death is robbed of some of its sting for me. 

However, that being said, I don't want to go there just yet!

Why not? My understanding of the concept, from when I was a Christian, is that this time on Earth is the closest to Hell as one who is bound for Heaven will ever get, and conversely, the closest to Heaven that one who is bound for Hell will ever get. If I believed that I was destined to go somewhere that was far better than where I am, I would be welcoming it with open arms.

Because along with the hope/expectation of heaven, God gave people a love of life here and a sense of purpose that few people completely fulfill. Until I know my purpose here is fulfilled, I won't be ready for heaven, no matter how glorious it may be. The fear of death is removed, but the desire for death is not given in its place.
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« Reply #9 on: July 11, 2011, 10:47:21 AM »

Some of that, I guess, has to do with your expectations of the afterlife.
I believe in heaven, and I believe I am going there, so death is robbed of some of its sting for me. 

However, that being said, I don't want to go there just yet!

Why not? My understanding of the concept, from when I was a Christian, is that this time on Earth is the closest to Hell as one who is bound for Heaven will ever get, and conversely, the closest to Heaven that one who is bound for Hell will ever get. If I believed that I was destined to go somewhere that was far better than where I am, I would be welcoming it with open arms.

Because along with the hope/expectation of heaven, God gave people a love of life here and a sense of purpose that few people completely fulfill. Until I know my purpose here is fulfilled, I won't be ready for heaven, no matter how glorious it may be. The fear of death is removed, but the desire for death is not given in its place.

While I don't believe it personally, that's an acceptable explanation. Thank you.
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« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2011, 11:39:39 AM »

Good explanation, Def!
While I love the thought of looking on the face of God, I also want to see the faces of my grandchildren.  I want to get my PhD.  I want to find a perfect Folsom point.  I want to see the Gothic Cathedrals of France, and the Sistine Chapel in Rome.  I want to play ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM!
  Eternity will be plenty long to enjoy heaven.  I figure I have 30 - 40 years left on earth, if I'm fortunate, and I want to make the most of them!  Then, when I am old and full of years, I'll lay down this life and embrace glory!

Of course, all that being said, if I get taken out by a chunk of frozen waste from a jetliner's lavatory this afternoon, life has been fun already!
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« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2011, 01:12:23 PM »

Death isn't scary.  The idea of being old, helpless, senile, and laying on a bed in a nursing home in my own filth certainly is.
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« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2011, 01:34:55 PM »

Death isn't scary.  The idea of being old, helpless, senile, and laying on a bed in a nursing home in my own filth certainly is.

Yes. That scares the crap out of me as well. The whole aspect of being alive but not in control on my faculties is what scares me the most.
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« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2011, 02:36:53 PM »

War is nothing new.
This country has been at war since it's inception 24/7.
We all know the big wars-but the War of 1812,the war (actually the genocide) against the Indian Nations,the Spainish American War,all the little covert wars the CIA wages indirectly-Nicuragua,El Salvador,Iraq,Iran,Isreal-we are a killing nation.
Not to say we're alone on this-but we didn't become this powerful by being nice.

I don't really disagree with your overall sentiment, RC. However, the difference here is that this is an ongoing war with no forseeable closure, that is going on 10 years. WWII: 4 years. WWI: 4 years. Civil War: 4 years. War of 1812: 3 years.

Vietnam is the only exception, and that one shares similarity to the current situation, at least in terms of ambiguity of purpose.

I'm just saying it's sobering, that's all. Some seem to think it's not a big deal.
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« Reply #14 on: July 11, 2011, 03:50:22 PM »

Over the past few years, I have really noticed how quickly the years have passed (and are passing) by.  I have vivid memories of mundane things (like nights out with my friends) that seem like they occured 5 or 6 years ago.  But when I really think about them I realize they occurred 20 or more years ago.  I have a group of friends that I consider to be my "new" friends . . . yet I met them around 1990 when I was in my late 20s.  Even my teenage years don't feel like they were very long ago . . . but 3 decades has passed since then.  I'll be 50 years old in 2014, but I don't feel anywhere near 50.  I still enjoy playing games, reading comic books, and generally acting like a kid.  The years have really been whipping past me . . . a decade goes by like the snap of a finger.  Very sobering stuff.
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