Saturday, September 26, 2015

Historical Legend and Effect

historical legend and effect:

history may seem remote, it may seem dense, somewhat impenetrable, almost irrelevant in its obscurity, sometimes. with the advent of historical fiction, gross revisionism, and the change of focus in the media, what is history and what is legend, or myth, remains a matter of some confusion. how the historian deals with facts and figures of note, how he or she fashions it into a work of history, ready to be read, is a question that many have. the answer is that the historian writes about what is important or clear to him or her, in his or her own mind, primarily.

that truly the world population is static, or that the population of the universe never really changes is a concept. all the people that ever were, still are, and always will be. do people really change?

English history, with the Anglo Saxons, with their short, monosyllabic words, and halting style, the historical legends that everyone has heard of, Merlin the wizard, King Henry VIII and his marriage troubles, Robin Hood, the Magna Carta, and the English sense of fairness, in fair play, in a fair deal, and the Court of Elizabeth I and the favourite, Earl of Essex, and the Court of James I and the favourite, Duke of Buckingham. in all these historical legends, there is the faintest sense of failure in all these accounts. personal relationships are key, what is one without the other? how did the man who became Duke of Buckingham catch the eye of James I? and without the king, what of Buckingham?

that history itself survives is a testament to its relevance. types persist, circumstances repeat themselves, though granted, it is most shocking to see history replay itself in public!

CLEARCHARGE

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

The Return of the Ideas

the return of the ideas:

"so i had this idea years ago, actually, several ideas, maybe a couple, you know, 2, maybe 3. and this idea just came to me. i was somewhere, maybe i was in public doing my shopping or whatever, and i just thought of this thing, and i've been wondering about this all my life."

"when did you have this idea?"

"i don't know, maybe 17 or 18 years ago. i had a full mental life then, you know? i don't know what happened. maybe i got tired, maybe i got old, or something."

"so, in your subconscious, or your unconscious? you've had this a long time. when other ideas attach themselves, i don't know, maybe you have something. it's a little dangerous."

"dangerous? i've never had a lot of time in my life, maybe if i had more time? anyway, i can see the danger in a lot of things."

"life is dangerous? so what? tell me about this idea."

"well, to go into it in any depth would only reveal my inadequacy at explaining things in detail. so, anyway, i put this old idea together with another idea, and bang, suddenly comprehension. you know what it seems?"

"anyone can do it? if you only thought about putting different ideas together, magic would happen? it's a tired story."

"really, i didn't say it was easy. you're too hard on yourself, i think. maybe i'm too easy. i don't know."

"you think i'm hard on myself? you have no idea. sometimes. i get bored and then i get angry. i think, you don't have the time for this. anyway, so you put a few ideas together in a new way and you get what? the realization that they are related concepts in reality?"

"exactly. so, you seem you know a lot about this. it's deceptive. you think, why didn't i think of this then. if only..."

"it's like history. history gets revised. it's called revisionism."

"well that's brutal. but true. i guess we're getting there. at least i hope so."

"let's hope so."

CLEARCHARGE

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Ego Obstacle

the ego obstacle:

to have an ego is embarrassing at times, the big i am on the spot, the things you don't want other people to know about yourself necessarily. an ego may be an obstacle in human relations. when it's entirely about me how could it be about you therefore?

what does the ego want? can it happen? the ego is value judgmental, is obstinate, is inclined toward angry outbursts when it is frustrated. okay, i don't want all this...

when it is true, the ego provides a measure of security, to be clear about what you are is not always a bad thing. but to be self obsessed in company presents a difficult situation. to have a running battle with your own ego demand and what other people want in the situation is hard. you could wax lyrical about yourself but you remain without the sympathy of the crowd.

CLEARCHARGE

Saturday, September 5, 2015

An Age to Tell

an age to tell:

he complained of recurring nightmares of school, the people unrecognizable and the school the same. typically, in senior school, in the corridors and not in class, identities remained as before. this was a reminder that he remained in some part, forever a pupil or undergraduate.

of his school report in the third year of primary school, ages six to seven, in Bermuda, it read thus that he was far too talkative, a disruptive influence on the other pupils. in Fifth Form, in Britain, his Chemistry master criticized his attitude in class.

attention to detail and a continuing interest in the arcane subjects separated him from others. expertise in one small area details your niche in life. unexpected success made his situation doubly ironic, for although he was noted for his study, he never attended graduation ceremony and he was famous in the world of academia, yet never had to speak of it in public.

CLEARCHARGE