Monday, October 30, 2017
The Me Of Now And The Me Of Another Time
By: Donovan Baldwin
I have been "me" for a long time. Long enough to realize that the "me" of any given era or moment is not always an exact replica of the "me" of another time.
This sometimes is brought to my attention by some comment made about one of my posts, articles, or poems. Usually in some form of disagreement, which is fine, by the way.
At a "negative" comment, first I feel something like "you don't know what you're talking about..."
Then, however, I think about the other person's point of view, and try to understand why they say what they say, and, unless it's entirely egregious, I try to grasp their point of view. Doesn't mean I have to agree with them or change my belief, just listen, and try to hear and understand what lies behind the words.
Sometimes, at this time, I realize that they have stated an opinion or belief that I held at some previous point of my existence. Perhaps myself as a younger man, more easily aroused to anger at injustice...real or perceived.
Perceptions, and reactions, change with age, and experience, for, if not made up of experience, action and reaction, what is age, but measurement of time.
It was once believed that age was, in some way, a rough equivalent of wisdom. Perhaps it's not wisdom so much as the accumulated scar tissue and the internal memoirs that come with having lived long...but, perhaps, not prospered.
Yet, we DO prosper in many ways, not just the material.
Maybe my "wisdom" is my perception of life.
This sometimes is brought to my attention by some comment made about one of my posts, articles, or poems. Usually in some form of disagreement, which is fine, by the way.
At a "negative" comment, first I feel something like "you don't know what you're talking about..."
Then, however, I think about the other person's point of view, and try to understand why they say what they say, and, unless it's entirely egregious, I try to grasp their point of view. Doesn't mean I have to agree with them or change my belief, just listen, and try to hear and understand what lies behind the words.
Sometimes, at this time, I realize that they have stated an opinion or belief that I held at some previous point of my existence. Perhaps myself as a younger man, more easily aroused to anger at injustice...real or perceived.
Perceptions, and reactions, change with age, and experience, for, if not made up of experience, action and reaction, what is age, but measurement of time.
It was once believed that age was, in some way, a rough equivalent of wisdom. Perhaps it's not wisdom so much as the accumulated scar tissue and the internal memoirs that come with having lived long...but, perhaps, not prospered.
Yet, we DO prosper in many ways, not just the material.
Maybe my "wisdom" is my perception of life.
Labels: age, donovan baldwin, poems, wisdom
# posted by Donovan Baldwin @ 10:23 AM 
