Survive, Strive, & Succeed
“Biker Logic”
Free Minds; Free Men
The essential individual being is by its nature a physical creature. That
is to say, man is most prone to action or movement. The mind functions
in concert with the body; so the human mind is designed to implement action
or movement.
Our minds develop and grow best when they are free to associate and disassociate concepts, words, and ideas. In other words, we think best when our thoughts are free.
In today’s world, raw physical action is questioned and in so-called developed societies, most physical activity is monitored or “managed.” Consider the close supervision of boy’s acting out or “horsing around.” Consider the video cameras in our public restrooms, convenience stores, and factories. Ponder the alarming increase of prescription drugs.
Taming Wild Thoughts
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, almost 50% of all
Americans over 22 years take at least one prescription drug, with women
taking more medications than men. The three most common drugs are sleeping
pills, pain relievers, and anti-depressants. Among folks over 65 years,
close to 60% consume at least three drugs a day.
Consider, that “approximately 5 million American children take a
psychiatric drug today to treat hyperactivity and inattentiveness. Paxil
and Zoloft, but also Wellbutrin, Effexor and Serzone, are now being employed
for a wide range of children's so-called behavioral problems. Ritalin is
now prescribed for children as young as 2 and 3 years.” “(Source:
Lawrence H. Diller, M.D., Salon.Com, Mar. 2000.)
“In London, England, British authorities have placed great faith in CCTV
as a crime control device, installing an estimated 1.5 million police cameras
along the country's streets, buildings and mass transport systems.” (Source:Wired
Magazine Nov, 2002))
Closer to home, we have had numerous book burnings, the most notable book burning was in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 2001. There the Rev. Jack D. Brook invited church members to a public book burning. Brock stated he considered the Harry Potter books to be "an example of our society's growing preoccupation with the occult. The Potter books present witchcraft as a positive practice, while the Bible expressly condemns all occult practices." In my opinion rather than censoring “bad thoughts,” they must be countered with stronger (and more rational) positive thoughts and ideas. Religious fundamentalists therefore should not try to eliminate contentious views but provide persuasive arguments to the contrary.
Then there is the sad story of Bush’s spying and wiretapping of everyday Americans. Recent media reports indicate that the “Intelligence Community” still consider all Americans as “threats” until proven otherwise. Additionally NASA scientists are saying the Bush Administration has censored them over global warming among other controversial topics.
A Brave New World?
On May 2nd 2005, UK scientists,based on their experiments, theortized that “within
a few years human cloning and genetic engineering would be able to usher
in a new age of “perfect humans.’” Ironically, at roughly
the same time, health experts were reporting that there was a resurgence
of diseases once thought wiped out plus new viruses that have no cure”.
In our mechanized society, governed by computerized programs, we are in danger of lossing our imaginations, that mysterious portal to the creative and spiritual realm, unless we routinely escape from “civilization.” We cannot be in the “playground of the mind,” unless we break free from “Mainstream Channels.” the media & communications programs that spoon feed us daily gossip.
Are We Truly Free?
Most importantly, compounding religious and political restrictions on thought,
Big Media Companies are consolidating and monopolizing the entertainment
world. In short order we will have only one Media Company responsible for
newspaper, Internet, television, radio, magazines, music, and movies. Believe
it or not, but tracking technology has been incorporated into each of these
venues reporting our usage and personal data back to media’s marketing
departments.
Lastly, consider the effect computers have had on our lives, especially
the Internet. Instead of searching our physical world for information and
stimulation, we sit chained to a computer monitor for long times. Look
at our children as they wrap themselves into artificial worlds like MySpace,
Utube, Facebook, Super Mario Brothers, or Grand Theft Auto. Our children
do not go out and play, they sit, computerize, eat, and grow fat.
In the end, we have forgotten our basic survival and living skills. We have lost our capacity to think freely. Our minds will not grow healthy and we will not become better individual beings. Lacking exercise, our bodies will become stunted.
“Wilderness Liberty”
In this country, we still have
the right to go anywhere we want and do pretty much anything we please. We
have the freedom to pursue our own wilderness however we define it. As far
as I know, “the
government” hasn’t
completely restricted our travel. However, with airline security and the
high price of gasoline, we may find our “freedom” becoming
limited.
I believe that free minds and a free people need unlimited space to explore, observe, learn, and develop. Far from the watchful eye of “Big Brother,” we must wander, wonder, discover, sometimes safely sometimes dangerously, experiment, “try things on for size,” and derive our own conclusions from our excursions “into the unknown.”
We must Struggle in order for us to know Success. While easy victories are easily forgotten; the hard fought fight stays with us, strengthens our character, and makes us better human beings. Without this, we become mindless, unquestioning, easily overwhelmed, and weak. Hence, we need to strive in order to grow. And without surviving, and striving there is no success.
Although we live in the “Information Age,” there is much about ourselves, we cannot learn from books or external sources. We must become inspired and stimulated to engage in an activity for its own benefit, even if the only reason for the activity is to “see how it feels.” The intelligent person will seek out what is known first about a topic or activity, making a decision to follow-through and carry it out based upon what he has first learned from others. Those unquestioning the consequences of their actions in “new territory” is like the child playing with matches.
In short, we must be free to run wild, through the trees of our forests
as well as the chasms of our mind, because that is our nature. And without
this liberty, neither individuals nor societies will have any good success
in the future.
Survive, Strive, or Perish?