Thursday, December 05, 2024
OPINION - ESSAY - THINKING
Still, that's sort of implied by the word "thinking". It's an ongoing process. Also, as we encounter "problems", things to think about, some may be new. We may not have been aware of the problem/question before, or maybe only in a peripheral way. Now, it meanders to the forefront of our mind, and, like a new acquaintance, or even a friend we haven't seen for a while, we have to learn, or re-learn, information about it.
Learning is also an ongoing, open-ended, experience.
So, our thinking about the "thing", an ongoing process, involves "learning", also an ongoing process, which means that the "conclusion" or "solution", may become a bit of a moving target.
When we read, listen to, or encounter, a great thinker, that someone or something that makes us think, we tend to expect their great thoughts to enlighten us... solve the problem, provide the conclusion which we can then use to show ourselves to be "thinkers" as well.
Nope.
Tain't necessarily so.
Usually, they just show us how much we don't know yet, and start us thinking and learning.
That's a "maybe", not a conclusion or solution.
Just thinking out loud.
Labels: donovan baldwin, essay, opinion, thinking
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
OPINION ESSAY - NEWNESS
Early in the beginning hours of a new day, a Monday, the start of OUR working week, it's NOT strange to muse a bit about "newness". Newness can be good, I guess.
What I'm thinking, is that, in today's world we ARE flooded, "inundated" by such a constant and overwhelming stream of "new" information, we sometimes forget what is "new" to us, may have been around for a long time. May already be known to many other people in fact.
Doesn't necessarily lessen the importance of the lesson (Catch that wordplay?).
The fact that we have learned a fact, or been inspired to give thought to a thought, has an importance of its own beyond the value of the information itself.
Years ago, I first read this statement by Francis Bacon (1561-1626) "Reading maketh a full man; conference [discussion or debate] a ready man; and writing an exact man."
The point being, I guess, that, just as with physical fitness, mental exercise is of value in keeping a healthy mind.
The body doesn't care how old the barbells are that it lifts, and responds to.
Lifting, moving, and examining the thoughts of others, can help make OUR minds stronger and better prepared to live in this often contradictory world.
Exercising, even with old thoughts, might just give us new strengths.
Labels: donovan baldwin, essay, opinion, thinking, thoughts
Saturday, July 21, 2018
What WAS I Thinking?
By: Donovan Baldwin
I often think about what others may be going through...things I might not be aware of.
When I was driving over the road in a big truck, I saw many (MANY) drivers do stupid, dangerous things, apparently oblivious to the situation they were creating...or entering.
Being a normal male, I would get angry and start fussing.
My team driver at the time would say, "It's just a snapshot. A picture of them at this moment."
Did you ever have a photo made that afterwards you looked at, minutes or years later, and asked yourself, "What WAS I thinking?" Or, "Could I have a do-over?" Your mind probably went to your most recent photo for your driver's license.
I think back over some of the things I've done in my life, remarks, clothes, attitudes, and one icy mountain pass in Europe on a cold, dark night in particular, and have those thoughts.
Perhaps the person was rushing to the bed of a dying relative, or a doctor on the way to save that dying person, or...well, a lot of things.
Point is, we make choices at each moment of our lives. Sometimes the choice is not the best because of youth, ignorance, blindness to facts, and other factors...some we control, some we don't.
I guess we've all made others angry or upset by these acts, but, we don't want our entire lives to be judged by the times we've been the fool.
We deserve forgiveness and so do they.
I often think about what others may be going through...things I might not be aware of.
When I was driving over the road in a big truck, I saw many (MANY) drivers do stupid, dangerous things, apparently oblivious to the situation they were creating...or entering.
Being a normal male, I would get angry and start fussing.
My team driver at the time would say, "It's just a snapshot. A picture of them at this moment."
Did you ever have a photo made that afterwards you looked at, minutes or years later, and asked yourself, "What WAS I thinking?" Or, "Could I have a do-over?" Your mind probably went to your most recent photo for your driver's license.
I think back over some of the things I've done in my life, remarks, clothes, attitudes, and one icy mountain pass in Europe on a cold, dark night in particular, and have those thoughts.
Perhaps the person was rushing to the bed of a dying relative, or a doctor on the way to save that dying person, or...well, a lot of things.
Point is, we make choices at each moment of our lives. Sometimes the choice is not the best because of youth, ignorance, blindness to facts, and other factors...some we control, some we don't.
I guess we've all made others angry or upset by these acts, but, we don't want our entire lives to be judged by the times we've been the fool.
We deserve forgiveness and so do they.
Labels: choice, donovan baldwin, thinking
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Dealing With Things
By: Donovan Baldwin
NOTE: This article was written a few weeks ago. I'm fine now.
Odd how things affect us.
I began dealing with the effects of a cold about two weeks ago. While I have had to do things that needed to be done during that time, I didn't really want to. I felt "sick" and, without even trying, my body and mind decided that was what I was going to be.
My brain, normally active as a squirrel in Fall, actually shut down.
Normally, for me, as I went through my day, I would have dozens of ideas about things I wanted to comment on, discuss, or just cogitate about.
However, during my sick days, my brain seemed only to be able to concentrate on how I felt, and, fuzzily at that, the task at hand.
It didn't used to be that way when I was a young whippersnapper. I could be sick as a dog and still get all kinds of stuff done. The "being sick" was just part of the daily deal back then.
I don't know if it has to do with age, or being retired, and not really having to function in the "real world" on a regular basis.
That's probably part of it.
Well, good news is that the cold is easing up, and, as I was driving around on errands yesterday I thought of dozens of topics of interest.
Of course, I had forgotten all of them long before I got home, but, it's nice to know the brain is working in its normal fashion again.
Comes up with ideas and then loses them.
Frustrating as always, but, it's nice to be back to normal.
NOTE: This article was written a few weeks ago. I'm fine now.
I began dealing with the effects of a cold about two weeks ago. While I have had to do things that needed to be done during that time, I didn't really want to. I felt "sick" and, without even trying, my body and mind decided that was what I was going to be.
My brain, normally active as a squirrel in Fall, actually shut down.
Normally, for me, as I went through my day, I would have dozens of ideas about things I wanted to comment on, discuss, or just cogitate about.
However, during my sick days, my brain seemed only to be able to concentrate on how I felt, and, fuzzily at that, the task at hand.
It didn't used to be that way when I was a young whippersnapper. I could be sick as a dog and still get all kinds of stuff done. The "being sick" was just part of the daily deal back then.
I don't know if it has to do with age, or being retired, and not really having to function in the "real world" on a regular basis.
That's probably part of it.
Well, good news is that the cold is easing up, and, as I was driving around on errands yesterday I thought of dozens of topics of interest.
Of course, I had forgotten all of them long before I got home, but, it's nice to know the brain is working in its normal fashion again.
Comes up with ideas and then loses them.
Frustrating as always, but, it's nice to be back to normal.
Labels: a cold, brain, cold, donovan baldwin, ideas, sick, thinking
Monday, September 04, 2017
Where My Thoughts, And Life, Lead Me
By Donovan Baldwin
I like to "wing it" in these "morning musings", my first thoughts of the day.
I'm still waking up and, at my age, don't want to break anything, including brain cells.
So, when I start, I often have no idea where my thoughts and comments are going to take me. Even with planning; notes on the pad by my chair, or lingering thoughts from my last moments in bed, the actual pathway of thought and comment is generally as hidden to me as it is to you...until it's actually on the screen.
It's good that I can go back and edit. I can change words, structure, flow, content, and so on.
My musings are a bit like life. I know what's happened in the past, and maybe even a general idea of what's coming, but, the details are never positive until "down on paper", you might say.
Unfortunately, in life, unlike writing down musings, "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: Nor all thy piety nor wit, shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."
Here, I can diddle around with my words, and thoughts, but, in life, we are stuck with what has been set down.
While there may be other "authors" writing parts of our story, we still have great power in our input. It behooves us to write the story of our life in a more planned and careful manner.
I'm still waking up and, at my age, don't want to break anything, including brain cells.
So, when I start, I often have no idea where my thoughts and comments are going to take me. Even with planning; notes on the pad by my chair, or lingering thoughts from my last moments in bed, the actual pathway of thought and comment is generally as hidden to me as it is to you...until it's actually on the screen.
It's good that I can go back and edit. I can change words, structure, flow, content, and so on.
My musings are a bit like life. I know what's happened in the past, and maybe even a general idea of what's coming, but, the details are never positive until "down on paper", you might say.
Unfortunately, in life, unlike writing down musings, "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: Nor all thy piety nor wit, shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."
Here, I can diddle around with my words, and thoughts, but, in life, we are stuck with what has been set down.
While there may be other "authors" writing parts of our story, we still have great power in our input. It behooves us to write the story of our life in a more planned and careful manner.
Labels: donovan baldwin, life, life lesson, thinking, writing
