#civillization

[qambranidd]

The silence of world historians on the great African civilization seems astonishing. While this civilization should be counted among the great civiliz

[themanatthecenter]

Maybe they didn't want you to realize that every civilization has its weakness. There's always one thing we depend on. And if someone takes it away all that's left is some story in a history class.

Uglies, By Scott Westerfeld

[p0urtoujours]

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[civillization]

I’ve always been afraid of heights. The idea that someone or something could push me from safety and I could fall to my death terrifies me. You fall, you end up hurt. It doesn’t somehow miraculously change. Then I somehow ended up at the top of a staircase on the edge of a mountain with a harness on my waist and a rope connecting me to some wire that trailed down and far off into the distance that was apparently safe. In theory, this rope or wire or whatever the flimsy thing was should keep me from falling God knows how many feet to my imminent death or future vegetable state. I’d seen a few people go before me and while they may have survived, the take off never looked as perfect as I strived for. I voiced this opinion to the lady and she informed me that many a person had chosen to sit and scoot so I sat and scooted in search of the easiest and best start to my journey. I was flying. The valley spanned out under me in a perfect kind of beauty that only a creature as innocent as a bird deserves to see. It was one of those few times in my life I can remember being okay with the silence. Because I never feared the journey across or the landing: I feared the vulnerability that came from placing your life in the hands of another. I’ve always been afraid of heights but I’ve never been afraid of falling.

[dansbrain]

A Simple Thought on Life

In the past week at my store, I've had an old man walk around with his penis out, I've had a father stand idly by while his toddler son urinated in the center walkway, and I've dealt with it. I get it. But I've also had a person so empty that they decided to belittle a teenage cashier to tears for no reason.

And I don't get that. I really don't.

Every time I see a miserable employee at a store, or a waitress barely holding in tears, I try to do or say something that'll make them remember that the world doesn't wish they were dead. Even the smallest thing-- a dumb joke, a smile, a secret handshake-- can remind that one person that the world isn't completely filled with others who just wish they were dead. I live for it. I absolutely love being able to make someone sad start to chuckle, or someone stressed take a deep breath. It seems like such an obvious, simple thing to do. It's the coda of humanity and what separates us from animals. That and porn. And it just absolutely breaks my heart every time I see someone ignore that coda, become completely selfish, just to crush someone else. It doesn't make sense. What good comes from it? I don't even buy that they feel good about themselves-- how could they? Stop complaining about the world and just, please, for a moment, do something-- anything-- to fix it. I swear to God you'll feel better.

And every time you want to complain about someone else, try to consider what their day is like. Yeah, maybe they just don't care. Or maybe they just got absolutely crushed by the person before you because they misunderstood how the coffee was supposed to be served. Maybe they did it because they're dumb, or maybe they did it because they're scared to death of losing the insurance that's covering their kid's inhaler. I don't know. You don't either.

But the entire point is- what does it matter? It isn't about them. It's about you.

Every single day you are given the opportunity make a positive impact on someones life. Whether it's a stranger, a friend, someone you work with... anyone. Every time you step out the front door you get that opportunity to be great. To rise above petty differences and raise up the downtrodden. What could be greater than that?

And what does it say about people who have that opportunity and don't take it? What's that say about you? I mean, yeah. You're mad. You're tired. You're frustrated. But at this very moment you have the opportunity to take something wholly negative and find something positive in it. You have the opportunity to make another person's life improve, even for a slight moment.

What could be better, or more romantic, or more pure?

It's fleeting, yes, and maybe it's small. Maybe it's but a drop in the ocean. But really, what is an ocean but a collection of drops? (h/t to David Mitchell.)

[mtcv]