Before…

~ gannebassett ~ 1 Comment

“Before you assume, learn the facts. Before you criticize, understand why. Before you hurt someone, feel…”(paraphrase, Kalifa)

When I read this quote it really resonated with me.  Too often people make assumptions without knowing the facts.  From these assumptions, they build stories that become the foundation of their perceived truths.  They criticize and build walls of defense against an illusion, sometimes entering a battle to protect and right a wrong, starting a fruitless war that in the end causes pain for everyone involved.

Recently, I’ve seen someone slowly alienated and closed out from his group of friends.  An assumption was made, without any background information or questioning, and what began as lighthearted teasing, grew into bitterness and resentment.  He’s been falsley labeled, and the trust between friends has disintegrated.  He knows they are missing important information, facts that totally reframe the situation, and yet he cannot and will not share them because that would require sharing information that is not his to share.  His only way back into the fold is to betray a friend, to tell a confidence. So he has remained silent and alone; an unseen hero.

I’ve also been the brunt of such judgement and faulty perception.  The attacks are as shocking as unmerited.  I wonder what would change if they took the time to know the truth?  Would they still expect the same things if they understood it was unethical?  Do they place more emphasis on emotion than morality, on friendship above honor?  Does a lack of information justify lack of character?

Knowing people react from a place of ignorance does not ease the sting of judgment and hypocrisy. It’s difficult to recover from the pain; the damage is multi-layered and scarring.

I learned at an early age not to react in a moment of pain or passion.  Knee jerk reactions are rarely productive; words spoken without thought and examination more often than not bear rotten fruit.  That’s frustrating for some people; they want to argue it out, to prove they’re right.  I’d rather step away from the emotions and rest in the peace of truth.  After all, you can find peace with a painful truth, but can only shadow-box a delusion.

For now, I’m going to leave the stones on the ground and strive to love.

 

Leonardo di Vinci’s Resume

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20140506-063315.jpg

There has been some talk in HR and resume forums surrounding what we can learn from Leonardo di Vinci’s letter of promotion and interest (resume of the time). It has been suggested such an approach would set an applicant apart from all other job seekers and result in a successful hiring. I wonder if it would be received or rejected. Would it be considered a creative, standout approach? Or rejected for the length? Wordiness? Arrogance? Is it really a model? Or is it just another retrospective glimpse of the era?

Perhaps I should test the approach out on my next cover letter:

Most honored hiring manager,

Having sufficiently examined this synopsis of anticipated tasks and duties, and the expectations for an applicant, bearing in mind expectations and need are not equal, and personality with possibility exceeds skill without character, and dutifully weighed the totality of my offering against the considerations of potential contenders for the same position, I submit to you without prejudice, but in truth, the outline of my accomplishments and the transferable skills therein defined that would be most beneficial to the goals of your organization, the mission of your project and the functionality of your team., notwithstanding the pleasure to be derived from partnering with personality.

I have depreciation schedules with profit and loss spreadsheets that lift the burden of tracking and solicitation to encapsulate and reflect through pivot tables and illustration financial stewardship of million dollars budgets within a 5% margin…

What do you think? I bet I get an interview. Or at least a RT on Twitter.

Below is a translation of Di Vinci’s letter, certainly fascinating, and perhaps a bit insightful. He did know how to sell his skills for a specific need.

“Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to any one else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below.
I have a sort of extremely light and strong bridges, adapted to be most easily carried, and with them you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy.
I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions.
If, by reason of the height of the banks, or the strength of the place and its position, it is impossible, when besieging a place, to avail oneself of the plan of bombardment, I have methods for destroying every rock or other fortress, even if it were founded on a rock, etc.
Again, I have kinds of mortars; most convenient and easy to carry; and with these I can fling small stones almost resembling a storm; and with the smoke of these cause great terror to the enemy, to his great detriment and confusion.
And if the fight should be at sea I have kinds of many machines most efficient for offense and defense; and vessels which will resist the attack of the largest guns and powder and fumes.
I have means by secret and tortuous mines and ways, made without noise, to reach a designated spot, even if it were needed to pass under a trench or a river.
I will make covered chariots, safe and unattackable, which, entering among the enemy with their artillery, there is no body of men so great but they would break them. And behind these, infantry could follow quite unhurt and without any hindrance.
In case of need I will make big guns, mortars, and light ordnance of fine and useful forms, out of the common type.
Where the operation of bombardment might fail, I would contrive catapults, mangonels, trabocchi, and other machines of marvellous efficacy and not in common use. And in short, according to the variety of cases, I can contrive various and endless means of offense and defense.
In times of peace I believe I can give perfect satisfaction and to the equal of any other in architecture and the composition of buildings public and private; and in guiding water from one place to another.
I can carry out sculpture in marble, bronze, or clay, and also I can do in painting whatever may be done, as well as any other, be he who he may.
Again, the bronze horse may be taken in hand, which is to be to the immortal glory and eternal honor of the prince your father of happy memory, and of the illustrious house of Sforza.
And if any of the above-named things seem to anyone to be impossible or not feasible, I am most ready to make the experiment in your park, or in whatever place may please your Excellency – to whom I comment myself with the utmost humility, etc.”

Fat Words Do Not Equal Wisdom

~ gannebassett ~ 1 Comment

“She can’t be that bad off,” he says. “Look how heavy she is.”

It’s just another head-to-desk moment in the face of ignorance. Such words do not reflect reason or rationality, much less wisdom.

Let me start with a disclaimer: I am not on food stamps, nor do I receive any subsidies, TANF support or temporary crisis relief from the government or any affiliates. I have, however written grants for a food bank organization that provided me as a “thank you” two months of the standard monthly food supply box they issue program participants. I have also volunteered with several organizations, packing said boxes and preparing fresh food (I use the term loosely – no, in fact I use it in error) for the needy. Since my current job involves cooking for the less fortunate, and part of my pay includes the food prepared, I have a unique perspective

As I hear such comments it only reveals to me the level of ignorance pervasive in our society.

Let me tell you the contents of my last food box:

• 1 – 2.5 lb. Bag Chicken Nuggets (Fully cooked processed meat for your convenience)
• 1 – 5 lb. Bag Potato Wedges (So you always have a starch)
• 1 – 8” Frozen Pizza
• 1 – Bag Totinos Pizza Rolls (For your quick lunch needs)
• 1 – Box Spaghetti (In a brand unknown to man)
• 1 – Can Spaghetti Sauce (A Mexican brand for authenticity)
• 2 – Can Cream Style Corn (Additional cream in your starchy vegetable is a must)
• 2 – Can Green Beans (with 413 mg Sodium, for added supplementation)
• 1 – Bag of Onions (1 rotten in the bag)
• 1 – Jar Peanut Butter (Likely made from the shells and not the peanuts)
• 3 – Boxes of Cream Cheese (Frozen, and therefore adequately separated)
• 1 – Bag Powdered Donuts (For a healthy breakfast alternative)
• 6 – Croissants (only hardened on the corners)
• 6 – Bagels (Rock hard and ready for weapons)
• 1 – 12-Pack Hot Dogs (A value brand with more chemicals than rejected meat parts)
• 1 – Frozen Apple Pie (With more apple filling than apple)
• 1 – Box Fig Square bars (An experiment on the Fig Newton)
• 4 – Bars of Soap (unboxed and loose in the bag)
• 1 – Can Pork and Beans (Van Kamp is to be commended at this point)
• 1 – Bag White Rice (Good Choice)
• 1 – Bag Dried Pinto Beans (Another good choice)

Now, in reviewing this list there are two very accurate statements to be made: 1. This amount of food will really help a hungry family and is a blessing, and 2. The contents of this box contributes to weight gain, diabetes, high cholesterol and an overall lethargic state of health.

Now, if you fall far enough below the poverty line, you can also get an EBT card as part of the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). This will allow you to purchase breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry and dairy products at the grocery store. That certainly helps balance the scales (no pun intended) a bit; except in reality the amount on the EBT card when applied to current grocery store pricing results in really only a week’s worth of “healthy” food supplementation. And, if you are even 5 dollars above that set poverty line, you do not qualify for the card, and therefore will be dependent on the content of the box alone.

I’m not knocking the Food Banks and Charity organizations that are so graciously providing food for the community. Not at all. They are a Godsend and are doing amazing work. These food boxes mean Americans who have fallen into adversity are not going hungry. This cannot be disputed. I’m only speaking against the judgmental attitudes of those who make ignorant attacks against the unfortunate, making statements that are counterproductive to the system and to any steps toward improvement.

It’s no secret the United States is known for their unhealthy food choices and lifestyle. Even the richest in our country fall victim to the processed and fast food epidemic. But a family in poverty, dependent on the provisions of charity and subsidy programs, without the choices available to most, the quest for health is close to futile.

I have travelled a lot throughout the years, and every time I am out of the country for more than a week, I can count on losing 8-10 pounds at a minimum solely based on the surrounding food philosophies. This isn’t just me talking, either. It’s a reported fact that the American way of processed, chemically manufactured and hormone-supported food is counterproductive to health and weight management. With obesity directly tied to these issues, is it any surprise the group without choice would fall privy to this issue?

I can tell you, I’ve never seen a food drive that produced organic donations. The possibility for fresh produce is non-existent simply based on the procedures within the system, and frozen vegetables are a rare donation since the average American family depends on them to meet their food pyramid demands. Additionally, real meat products are more seasonal than standard. On special occasions, such as Easter, Thanksgiving and Easter, a special meat will be provided in a food box, such as a small ham, a whole chicken or a roast. These generous gifts are from grocers who have overstocked for the special occasion and certainly not reflective of a scheduled supply.

The weight of a person is no indication of need. Can’t you see the problem?

Before you pass judgments on the true need of the less fortunate, why not think about the facts and do the math as you eat your second organic muffin and drink your grande macchiato?

A Week in the Life of the Lazy Long-term Unemployed

~ gannebassett ~ 1 Comment

My friend Max Weiss said I should blog about the long-term unemployed experience.

Who’d want to read about that dreadful, depressing journey? And why would anyone dealing with the day-to-day struggle want to spend even more time in the drudgery talking about it?

“It’s relevant, timely, and insightful; it challenges the narrow-minded thinking of the right wing. And it could be cathartic.”

She’s a magazine editor. Surely she knows.

A Week in the Life

Have you heard? The long-term unemployed are lazy, lacking drive and motivation, and entitlement programs discourage recipients from finding work.

This week, I applied for the following positions:

(4) Facilities Manager
(2) Project Manager
(1) Administrative Facilities Support
(1) Non-profit
(1) Teaching (TESOL)

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of completing online applications, correcting erroneously populated data fields, taking mandatory tests, personalizing the cover letters, and completing questionnaires specific to the company and job, the process is much longer than simply forwarding your resume.

Additionally, I signed up with an International Recruiting Company for opportunities in the US and abroad, resubmitted my Peace Corp application, signed up for the Foreign Services testing in June and worked on ramping up my LinkedIn Profile.

I spent two hours in a mandatory debt counseling class before I could talk with a lawyer about the bullying I have received from my mortgage company. After determining I had cut back expenses in my life more than most people, and had actually come up with quite creative ways to reduce costs, they forwarded me to another organization. I spent another two hours going through their process. I then spent an hour compiling the paperwork they requested.

In an effort to make a little extra money, I trained two people in a software program, created a database, pitched an article idea to a newspaper and a magazine, and sold a sketch. This was in between the time I caulked and painted around the top of the chimney, mowed the lawn, provided a statement to an insurance company regarding an accident I witnessed, assisted a stranded motorist in getting her car to the garage, completed two modules in a French course, participated in a conference call on networking in the FM industry, and had my car repaired when the gasket leaked.

Of course, this is all above and beyond the time spent doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, attending small group, and the other day-to-day responsibilities so often taken for granted.

I’ve been considered long-term unemployed for two years now, and yes, clearly I’m lazy (spoken with abundant sarcasm).

Here’s the thing. I’m busy trying to rebuild my life in a system that is blocking my every move. I’m engaged in a war that most people only peripherally know is being waged much less understand what it’s like on the front lines. Perhaps if people would put away their judgments and preconceived notions and actually do the work involved to understand what’s happening, they wouldn’t make such unmerited, foolish statements. But stepping outside your comfort zone takes work; it demands time, patience and attention. It’s a challenge, and more often than not the results of enlightenment are a whole lot of disappointment and hurt. It’s much easier to sit in the lap of luxury and call the less fortunate lazy.

Cheers! May you never face adversity.

The Caregiving Resume Gap

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They tell you to be honest when addressing gaps in your resume. Specific to caregiving, explain to the hiring manager why you made the decision, and assure them that the necessity has ended.

People are confused by caregiving. They see it as a noble effort; they respect you for the decision. They even admire the character that drove you to such selflessness. Sadly, many people still see themselves placing their parents in senior-living homes because the responsibility seems just too impossible.

In the end however, most hiring managers still see the justifiable gap in your work history as a negative. Being out the workforce for a long period has resulted in irrelevance, even if you’ve maintained certifications, taken courses and worked to stay abreast on industry news. It’s as if people see the caregiving experience as inconsequential.

It’s clear there is a general ignorance surrounding the work and skills involved in caregiving.

* Scheduling (multiple doctors, PT & OT, medicine)
* Biohazard clean-up and control
* Insurance negotiation
* Accounting
* Research
* Advocacy
* Professional corresponeance and reporting

These are transferable skills that are fundamental to any number of jobs and careers. So many people don’t seem to understand it goes beyond holding hands and providing emotional support, though I’d be lying if I didn’t admit this was the most meaningful aspect for me.

I can talk about the experience and the skills I developed during my time as a caregiver. I can use them in my day-to-day life; I can advise others. I can feel confident that I have grown and developed both personally and professionally. I can also watch people sit with eyes wide in shock and horror as I detail the battles, celebrate victories and acknowledge lessons learned. None of that matters as much to me as the memory of my mother’s hand caressing my cheek and thanking me for loving her so much.

I became long-term unemployed during my time as a caregiver. I have been penalized ever since.

The prejudice and stereotype surrounding the long-term unemployed is humiliating. It undermines who you are, diminishes your value and significance, and attempts to discredit the very real and valid experiences that brought you to this place. The real shame is on a system that places more importance on a resume timeline above character, a professional title above heart and perseverance, and experience at a corporate task above experience on the front lines of a battlefield. And make no mistake, caregiving and patient advocacy is a war. I hope you are never drafted.

What’s in a title?

~ gannebassett ~ Leave a comment

There comes a time when you have to start looking for jobs in areas that may not be your so-called area of expertise. I actually reached that point long, long ago, but today I had an interview that placed a spotlight on yet another level of insanity in the job search.

The interview was for a Customer Service Representative.

The job description explains the position would be in a call center environment, responding to new requests, complaints and service orders from established accounts. Systems furniture experience a plus.

I come from a Facilities Management background. For those of you who don’t know what that means, I have explained this further in a previous blog: http://wp.me/p3HHLR-7M. Relevant to this current job opportunity, I have been the person employees call when something environmental is preventing them from being functional and productive in their positions.

For the general “worker bee,” a colloquialism often used to describe the staff you find in support areas (such as the mail room, copy center or reception desk) and in the sea of standard cubicles, the requests would involve a wide range of issues. Fedex didn’t pick-up the packages, there’s no diet coke in the vending machine, there’s a foul odor coming from the drain in the restroom, the flourescent light is flickering, a power outlet doesn’t work, the cube isn’t set-up for a left-handed person, the copy machine is jammed, the keyboard tray is causing carpel tunnel syndrome, someone cooked fish in the microwave and the smell is causing mass nausea, the courier stole my honey bun…

Middle manager calls are geared a little differently. Their calls sound more like this:

* My team needs to be seated in the same cubicle cluster so they can effectively brainstorm
* We don’t have a departmental printer
* Our system needs UPS backup
* The A/V system in the conference room doesn’t work
* There aren’t enough filing cabinets
* It’s always cold
* It’s always hot
* Why don’t we have a bigger breakroom?

Then there are the executive calls. Mission critical resources need to have generator back-up, what are the disaster recovery plans, our competitor has Kate Spade chins, raised flooring is required, the caterer needs a serving area, the flower arrangement in the lobby is hideous, I’d rather have a cheery wood desk, someone is stinking up the executive restroom…

Yes, clearly the Facilities Manager job involves a great deal of customer service. Since it also involves space planning and the build-out of cubicle spaces using systems furniture, I’d be a great fit for this position. Right?

“I don’t see your Customer Service positions on your resume.”

There’s a reason the “experts” tell you to go with a functional resume when applying for jobs involving transferable skills rather than title matching for the position. It’s so you can see the actual “customer service” that has been performed. You can see the skill at work.

I point out the Customer Service section outlining this specific experience and my career successes.

“But you haven’t actually been a Customer Service specialist.”

I discuss how Facilities Management is by definition a customer service specialist, regaling him with a few stories of customer service scenarios and the aligning procedures. We talk about difficult situations and positive outcomes. We discuss systems furniture, the job specific requests and how I would approach the customer. He is clearly impressed.

Or is he?

“We’re looking for someone who’s been an actual Customer Service Specialist.”

Ummm…Forty minutes into this interview and it’s become clear experience isn’t as important as title.

Note to self: Next time don’t waste time on that “functional resume.” Just be creative with the job titles; it involves less editing since the experience remains the same. And if they call to check references, don’t worry about the lie. You can always say they did a re-org and the position titles changed. After all, what’s in a title? A title by any name is still the same.

And to the college kid who had Customer Service Specialist experience from his fast food service days and therefore got the job, but now has no idea how to handle the customer who just went ballistic because her ped drawer locked on its own and she can’t get to her cell phone: Congratulations.

Giving up Lent for Lent

~ gannebassett ~ Leave a comment

Give it up!  For Lent, that is…

Giving up something for Lent seems to have become more of a trend, a step to receiving the “I did it” badge, rather than an actual journey in spiritual life.  A Twitter search reveals some of the most popular items to fast at Lent include chocolate, fast food, sodas, and even Twitter itself.  One of my friends suggested she was giving up Hugh Laurie for Lent, a joke of course, and yet it occurs to me that is very reflective of the current attitude and approach to what is meant to be a profound experience in your spiritual life.

imageThe purpose of Lent is not the fasting itself, not the act of refraining from something you enjoy. Neither is it some kind of a contemporary sacrifice of modern comfort so that we can experience a piece of Christ’s suffering now.  Technically, there is no need to do that according to the Bible, for Christ’s sacrifice is already all-sufficient. No one can add or subtract from it. That is why Jesus said just before his death, “It is finished.” His work of grace and salvation was finished at the cross. The purpose of fasting is to disentangle ourselves from things that easily hinder us from our pursuit of Christ. Just as Jesus fasted in the wilderness to find strength in his walk with God even in physical weakness, we fast to focus on our walk with Him.  Jesus gave up the necessities: food and water.  We give up comforts and perks in life that distract us and pull our focus from Him. Hebrews 12:1 suggests, the giving up of things during Lent is a way of throwing off what “hinders,” so that we can run the race set before us.

We have somehow made Lent the race, and even reduced it to mini-sprints as we use the feast of Sabbath as a cheat. (“Sunday is coming, I can have a coke!”)  Somewhere along the way someone decided there was a contradiction in the ideologies of Lent and the feast of Sabbath, so they created a way to incorporate them both into an acceptable seasonal ritual.  What they actually managed to do is create another distraction.  How many people now are fasting during the week with their eyes on the relief of their day to cheat?  They focus on denying themselves their Lent sacrifice, finding comfort in the cheat to come, and totally miss the point.

Lent is a time of walking with Jesus, of talking to God the Father, and of sensing the moving of the Holy Spirit in our midst. It is not the taking away of something we have. It is the putting on of something we do not yet have. It is a time of shifting our focus from the repetitive and habitual tasks and experiences of day-to-day life, creating a seasonal awareness to remove the blinders so we can see the bigger picture of the resurrection of hope.  The fasting IS a celebration.  We don’t need to hang on to the weekly Sabbath Sunday celebration at the expense of the celebration that breaks from the ordinary things and catapults us into an intimate walk with our God.  The irony in having a cheat day during Lent is it reveals we have become enslaved to religious tradition as much as our coffee, sodas and social media.  Lent is meant to be counter-cultural – in weakness we find strength, in emptiness we are filled – just as the Sermon on the Mount suggested.  There’s an intentional shift away from worldly perspectives to a heavenly one.

It occurs to me Lent is meant to be a break from mundane thoughts and concerns to remind believers they are not just wanderers, but on a path to spiritual maturity.  The “doing” of spiritual disciplines is not as important as cultivating that relationship.  The most fatal sacrifice believers can make is looking for cheats in this journey.  I think next season I’m going to try for something new.  I’m not going to give up Lent for Lent.

Coke: The Meaning Behind the Song

~ gannebassett ~ 1 Comment

Oh, the outrage over a Coca-cola commercial!

It’s almost deafening. And yet with everything being said, it becomes more obvious how a political agenda can totally blind you to truth and prevent you from seeing even the most basic point.

In 1971, Coke released a commercial that changed the face of television advertising. It was candlelight. A light shared, one by one it spread, from one race to another, as the children of the world sang “I’d like to teach the world to sing.” The camera panned out to reveal this multicultural group actually formed a human Christmas Tree, the symbol of hope and joy. That was the song they sang: a hope for a home furnished with love, the joy of a world living in harmony. It was a song of peace that echoed in the voices of a people standing hand in hand.

To this day people remember that commercial. They remember the song and the chill that raced down their spine at such a beautiful sentiment. This melting pot we called America, a people of immigrants from every nation of the world, brought together through a common vision and a common dream, understood it wasn’t about race, color or creed. It wasn’t about religion or politics…or even language. It was about peace.

Last Sunday Coca-cola released a follow-up commercial, 43 years later. In this commercial the dream was not only still alive, it had become a reality. In this commercial, the world sang in perfect harmony. They sang in their language, from their history and perspective, from their hopes and dreams, from their home of love.

You see, the dream was never about teaching the world to sing in English. It was never a song of assimilation; it wasn’t even a song of patriotism. It was a love song.

For those who viewed this commercial and understood, a new chill raced down their spines.

“I’d like to teach the world to sing…”

They did it.

Today the world sang, and the song was America The Beautiful.

Perhaps Coke got it right again. What the world wants today is America the Beautiful, not the America lost in political agendas and self-righteous fighting.

Maybe, just maybe, if we could stop the fighting and listen, we could hear the world singing in perfect harmony: “…And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.“

I Am The Master of My Choice

~ gannebassett ~ Leave a comment

Do you believe in fate or self-determination?

I don’t believe in Fate.  It implies a lack of power and choice, an inevitability that cannot be stopped, slowed or redirected.  If fate is real, why do we even try?  What’s the point of thinking and analyzing, of taking any steps at all?  Fate will place you where you are predestined to be no matter what you do.  Why even work for a civilized society, offering justice and punishment, if the criminal is only a victim of fate, predetermined to play his part in the way destiny unfolds?

I know this is an extreme vision of fate. Yet doesn’t the very definition promote this scenario?

Fate
[feyt], noun
1. something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind.
2. the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time: Fate decreed that they would never meet again.
3. that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: Death is our ineluctable fate.
4. a prophetic declaration of what must be: The oracle pronounced their fate.
5. death, destruction, or ruin.

Fate means never having to say you’re sorry.  Whatever happens, “it’s just my lot”; whatever I do or don’t do, destiny will fulfill itself.

It’s similar to the religious ideology of the sovereignty of God, which is the teaching that everything is under His direct control, and nothing happens without his direction or permission.  The idea appears simple: God is God, of course He’s in control.  Yet, it goes against the fundamental teaching surrounding the character of God and His overall purpose of creation.  He gave man (and woman) the right to choose because only within that freedom could an authentic love relationship be possible.  After the fall, He provided guidelines, tools, knowledge and experiences that would help man draw back into His grace, that would allow man to walk in His power and the purity of His love.  But it still involves choice. God is only sovereign if you allow him to be sovereign in your life, and even then people, circumstances and events that have not submitted to that sovereignty can have a negative impact on your experience.

The extreme sovereignty of God ideology assumes God not only has the power and right to govern all things, but that He does so, always and without exception.  Within this doctrine a person should accept that murder, rape, molestation and other horrid crimes must be from God if you are walking in His will.  But if God is love, and His character does not abide or tolerate any such sin, how can those acts be of God?  How can sickness and crime be His will?  To accept the truth of God’s character (the greatness, goodness, holiness, justice, light and love outlined throughout the old and new testaments) in conjunction with our experience here on earth, we must also accept that his sovereignity is limited by our own decisions, not just personally or independently, but as a people.

The Fate ideology is in complete opposition to self-determination.

Self-de·ter·mi·na·tion
[self-di-tur-muh-ney-shuhn, self-], noun
1. determination by oneself or itself, without outside influence.
2. freedom to live as one chooses, or to act or decide without consulting another or others.
3. the determining by the people of the form their government shall have, without reference to the wishes of any other nation, especially by people of a territory or former colony.

The self-determination ideology assumes we are the masters of our fate; we are the gods of our destiny. Whatever challenges we face, whatever comes our way, we are in control of the final outcome.

Ironically, the original idea of self-determination was more about the right of a people more than an individual creed. It was about independence, colonization and government. It was later used to expound the virtue of the human spirit, the unconquerable soul, the inevitability of the human experience to rise above defeat as a phoenix from the ashes.  But, somewhere along the way, a single refrain from Invictus evolved into an ideology of hope and strength for the individual.  In adopting a personalized definition, the limitations that would govern the principle were removed.  Now the idea of self-determination brings with it an illusion of control, and yet one embraced by many.

It’s a bit farfetched to think we possess the control to overcome all restrictions to our freedom.  I mean, we obviously cannot do anything we are physically incapable of doing.  Obviously we cannot change the past, of breathe underwater without any supplemental support, or any number of things we aren’t physically designed and capable of doing.  We can’t break laws of nature by our free will alone.  There are forces that demand our submission in the natural world and in our physiological make-up.

I think there’s more of a middle road here.  I believe it’s called “soft-determinism.”

I believe there are natural laws of the universe and powers at play that can easily be perceived as fate. There’s no way around them, and as hard as we try, they cannot be ignored. We are bound to live within the boundaries and confines of these universal laws and powers.

I also believe there is both good and evil present in the world. Although divinely separate, they do touch and intermingle, providing lights and shadows to every circumstance. This is why you can actually make all the right moves and make all the right decisions and still end up in the wrong place. It explains why people who make poor decisions seem to still obtain so many rewards, and why bad things happen to good people. It sounds like a simplified, catch-all proposition to answer all of the unknowns, and yet the evidence supports this basic premise.

What’s more, I believe we not only have free will, but we have a certain amount of dominion within the boundaries of natural law.  There are moral and ethical codes at play within society that will unconsciously restrict, conform or direct some of our decisions, but in the end we do have the right and responsibility of choice.  In fact, the act of not making a choice is a choice in itself.  Does that mean we have control of our destinies?  I don’t think so.  We can control our responses to what is not within our control.  We can develop and nurture our knowledge and skills to be able to make better choices. And we can be accountable for the consequences of our choices.  We cannot however, control the outliers that will inevitably cross the path of choice.

A destiny that is impacted by choice, and a choice that is limited by destiny, results in a middle ground philosophy.  Perhaps not a popular opinion, but it is mine.  We do what we know to do, and when we know better we do better.  We prepare and try to understand our universe; we submit to the natural and God laws, and we do our best to discern good from evil.  Our fate won’t be guaranteed anymore than our self-determination will be confirmed, but we will have a good chance at building a life we can respect.

In the end, I am only the master of my choice.

Some Russians Juxt Missed The Point

~ gannebassett ~ 1 Comment

People are funny.  And I use that term loosely.

HL1

Last week Hugh Laurie used social media as an outlet to express his feelings surrounding Putin and the anti-gay laws in Russia, more specifically a recent interview in which Putin defended and followed up with this instruct: “leave children alone.” (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/17/vladimir-putin-gay-winter-olympics-children) Why not?  That’s what social media is about, right?  Your forum, your stage?  Your platform to perform, lecture or promote as you see fit within the bounds of terms and conditions? Why shouldn’t he use Twitter as intended, as everyone else uses it?

Unfortunately, being a celebrity often comes with an unrealistic expectation of political correctness and common ground. Over the years, celebrities have begun to debunk this belief, using their status and position to spread the word and garner attention for issues and causes close to their heart, on the issues that matter to them or concern them on a moral/ethical level.  Celebrities are very aware their voices will be heard.  They learn very quickly to filter, manipulate and censor their words to reduce the scandal, libel and slander that chases them with paparazzi.  So when Laurie makes a blatant controversial comment, he is aware of the possible and likely consequences; he is not clueless or dense.  Anyone who is a follower or fan of this man is quite aware of his brilliance.  That’s why it’s fascinating to me his recent tweets have caused such a stir.

HL2

You see, Hugh Laurie did what he does so well: he used his words as poetry, presenting a righteously indignant opinion through juxtaposition, a blatantly sarcastic quip that put a spotlight on the inanity of generalized discrimination and socialized ignorance.  “I’d boycott Russian goods if I could think of a single thing they made besides the rest of the world depressed,” he stated.

As expected, Twitter and media outlets exploded with outrage from both sides of the issue, some in agreement with the disgust and overall idea of a boycott, others angry at such an attack on a nation.  Some people felt he was clueless and insensitive, others believed he was hypocritical, noting he hadn’t hesitated to praise Russians during his tour last summer, nor had he ceased to enjoy all the country offered through art, literature, philosophy, vodka and a plethora of exports.  The arguments have gone on for days and the pressure for an apology has increased exponentially.

HL3

This is where I shake my head.

In one intentionally, well-timed snide remark, Putin made a sweeping generalization that all gays are pedophiles and therefore should stay away from children.  In one intentionally, fine-tuned sarcastic remark, Laurie made an equally sweeping generalization that Russia had nothing of good to offer and he should boycott.  Putin’s comments are shallow, showing a lack of education and understanding that will do nothing but encourage a culture of fear and hate, certain to have far-reaching negative impact on their society and the world.  Laurie flipped it around to mirror that kind of narrow-mindedness as it related to a nation rather than a segment of society.   Not all homosexuals  are pedophiles; not all Russians are intent on depressing people.  Acts of oppression against a people will not elicit positive cultural change, nor will it solicit private and personal transformation in individuals.  Boycotting a country and undermining the quality of their goods/services cannot nurture peace, nor will it increase a perceptive and empathetic aptitude that promotes personal identity, social equality, and basic humanity.  The statement was clear and yet lost in knee-jerk responses and passionate debates that followed his tweets.

HL4

True to form, Hugh Laurie recognized the Keystone Cop media fervor that confused his point and diverted attention from the actual issue.  He responded with a retraction, urging “good, kind Russians to stand up to the slab-faced goons who deal in this kind of poison.”

Several days later, many are still reeling from the perceived insult against the Russian cultural identity and offerings.  They still fail to see the intent and poetry behind Laurie’s tweets, feeling the weight of insult over the burden of prejudice.  Defending their vodka appears has become more important than defending the rights of their citizens.  This reaction in itself spotlights the ignorance the actor was noting in his satire of 140 characters.

HL5

To the dismay of many, it is unlikely an apology is forthcoming, as Laurie himself made clear today through yet another sarcastic tweet.  That doesn’t surprise me.  Saying he’s sorry for insulting Russian goods and threatening a boycott detracts from the intended message, and would, in the minds of those already exhibiting such narrow vision and bigotry, perhaps even lend credence to the enmity to which Laurie is objecting.  But he’s also Hugh Laurie, British, ironic pundit with an opinion…and a right to speak it.