polar perspectives on purpose

Last night I met up with some friends of some family and was introduced to a very unique perspective on, well, everything. This guy was as raw as I have met; jail time, violence, mean streets looking mother of watch out. Also, one of the nicest guys I have ever had the chance to chill out with. A classic case of if you're in the inner circle, he'll love ya til death, if you're outside the circle, don't even look at the dude.

This guy was born in the middle east, grew up in war torn times thanks to pappa bush to the point where he and his mother had to flea the country after the death of his father to militants in Iran. He's a little older, and now owns his own business while running another venture not so admired by the locally established. You'll notice my ambiguity towards his background out of fear for my own life; totally kiddin the guy is personally harmless.

Regardless, this guy's perspective on world and life varied so from mine own, while at the same time upholding the exact same virtues, morals, and world perspective on every issue. He hates America, but not without hating that which has been a product of America's actions from the east. He believed in peace, was not a fan of organized religion, while maintaining a fantastic faith in the reckoning any god may bring humanity in some form once we all push this green and blue ball of ours too far. All in all we shared a very similar outlook on how the world works, should work, and wont work, all the while being on polar opposites of the social circle scale.

Where we differed was in his approach to dealing with his knowledge. He feels that the system to which we are all a part restricts those who pursue truth of knowledge, and limits the levels to which they can attain despite education. His "for life" end all resulted in a belief that for his happiness he will stick to himself and those close to him, he doesn't like bars because it offers opportunity for confrontation and that alone is enough to keep him home, and happy.

Now, I am much more of an ignorant idealist, who believes that yes despite the eventual doom of our rock there are things we can do despite the pursuit of unattainable ultimate power to preserve our well being and that of others. I am under the belief despite my hostility towards the power structure and division of world worth, there are things I can do to better the world thanks to my widened perspective on what's right. That is why I embrace the opportunity to work with cancer research right now, and continually pursue opportunities whose only baseline endgame is the bettering of those less fortunate.

By investing my worth, in the bettering of others, I am taking advantage of a subsystem that is ignored by ultimate power and continues to wield on despite the actions at the highest level. If we are going to be here anyways, awaiting the eventual breakdown of all we know, we might as well have some fun, and help some people out who have to live through this empirical denouement anyways.

Regardless, we were both right in our approach to how to deal with cynicism bleeding through our everythought. Why were we both right, you ask, well, because we were both embracing the choices we were supporting. So here, for your holistic inspiration of the day, the point of this ramble and introduction of my new culturally passive aggressive friend is that as long as you embrace the choices you've made and will make then regardless of the doomsday vices that impeded our freedom loving selves our existence will be worthwhile whether your out there helping others, or chilling in your garage watching the whole thing shake down.

*hugs?

posted by mr. tomas ubik @ Wednesday, July 27, 2005