Wednesday, May 16, 2007

The world is big. The world is small.

I bet I've blogged about this before, but I am frankly amazed at the volume of stuff available on TV. And I must say that 'stuff' in this case mostly means unmitigated crap. So much of it seems like a total waste of time and I can't believe anyone spent time, money, or energy doing it. On the other hand, the people involved surely were able to have shelter and food because of it.

TV isn't the only place where such excess occurs, of course. Once again, I know I've bitched about the cereal aisle at the grocery, ie, how many freakin forms of the same basic grains do we really need? Still, I'm sure every cereal mfgr worker is glad they have a job so they can feed their kids.

There's just too much, everywhere, all the time, too much of everything. But that's not my real world. I am not into all of that. I create my world from my interests, my choices, my actions. That's the world that counts. It's not an ego thing, it's a practical reality thing.

I am literally at the center of my own universe because there's no other way to be. I cannot be at the center of anyone else's universe. If I think I am or think I can be, then I am deluded or the other individual is without identity. Not good. Nor would it be appropriate (or even truly possible) for me to set someone else at the center of my reality.

What works is when centers decide to orbit with each other. They remain individuals, but choose to travel together. Through extensions, several people mingle around in their journeys together. Family and friends and brief acquaintances and life partners and so on, all bump around, but they are still --- and must be --- their own entities. Even if I were separated from every other soul on this planet, I would still be me, I would still be real, and whether I felt it or not, I would still be whole.

So despite the immensity of what's 'out there', what counts is what's 'in here', in me and the smaller world in which I function. The stuff that's important to me is all important, whether it's a brief moment on my timeline or a big cause which draws my attention and energy for years. What's important is what I recognize as part of my own sphere, whether I put it there or allow it to enter. Everything else is just... atmosphere. It's interesting and gives me options, but it's just not important unless I choose to bring it into my focus.

It's all a matter of which channels I select, no? So, life is kinda like... existential channel flipping? hehe And 'bad' things, like the cancer deal? Well, sometimes I run the dial and there's just nothing else on and so I go with it and take from it what I can. *shrug* I'm okay with that.

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