Two Short Videos—The Creative And The Practical Are One In The Same And Draw Meaning And Substance From One Another

1. While politics and democracy are sometimes called the “art of the possible”, I feel these things are at core acts of creativity and imagination.

2. In political life, and in the larger sphere of our democratic freedoms and responsibilities, something is imagined as a desirable outcome and steps are planned to reach that goal.

3. Thought comes before action.

4. Also, in my view of politics and democracy, all people have the ability to understand complex things. People have more ability than they realize.

5. It is, of course, not a given that people will make the effort to try and understand complex things or that outcomes in a democracy will be positive outcomes. Believing in democracy can require a measure of nihilism.

6. What you can do about possible bad outcomes in society is do your best to be a part of society and the democracy.

7. With our minds, with effort and self-discipline, and with technology that is accessible to many, we can convey our beliefs in both a creative and practical manner. There is no contradiction between the creative and the practical.

8. There are few contradiction of any kind. Though to say this does not imply that we cannot hold strong beliefs.

9. At the top of this post are two short videos that I filmed in Houston. In each video I list a few points I’ve observed about democracy. It would not take you more than two minutes total watch both videos.

10. I made the videos with my little Flip Camera and have posted them on my blog that I get for free from WordPress.

The things we need are around us and they are accessible with effort and self-discipline. Every time is the right time to talk about freedom and democracy. All people can understand complex things and all places have value and meaning.  Good outcomes are never a given and people are often brutal. The creative and the practical are one in the same and draw meaning and substance from one another.

Holiday Lighthouse Reflects Competing Tendencies Of Our Existence

Above is my holiday lighthouse.

Each year I take the lighthouse out of the closet and put it on top of my television.

If you turn on the switch, the lighthouse makes a foghorn sound.

It makes sounds of bells, waves, and seagulls.

Also, Santa and his reindeer fly around and around the lighthouse.

The holiday lighthouse is meant to welcome you for the season—And to warn you away.

In these respects, the holiday lighthouse is reflective of competing tendencies in my personality.

You may also have contradictory or competing aspects of your nature.

Please don’t shy away from these aspects of who you are.

Contradiction and conflict are an essential part of our human nature, and of the structure of all things.