I write that fully aware of the initial, and unfolding tragedy that is Haiti.
But sadly, as she can delight, nature can be fickle, and brutal. Such events have happened before, and will happen again. Probably with even worse consequences, as more and more are crammed together near the points she chooses to unleash her powers.
'We' all will do what we can, with luck with speed and coherence, and an eye to the future, too. Another story, another time. This is, selfishly, closer to home.
My optimism is founded on no more than a few exchanges online lately, when I have been feeling for a while that the net is at best spinning (in many cases, too often, literally) on is axis 'talking', and at worst a very potent force for negativity.
Using the predominately vanity (I fear I do not have the desire, or skills to make it 'professional' enough to earn revenue - my main aim is to archive thought more than gain numbers) medium of twitter, I have taken to adding to the conceit by positing philosophical musings. One such was this:
'I disagree with you'. So long as sincerely held, and politely put, should be the start of a worthwhile conversation; not the end of it.
It was inspired by a conversation I was engaged upon, which may be followed here:
Guardian - Everybody's talking about: the snow, nuclear fears and birds in the big freeze
As may be gathered it has been, to date (and will with luck remain unsullied as such), a pleasant experience, I hope all round, if possibly actually worthwhile (to posters and readers alike) as well. I almost didn't engage as the pages of the Guardian can be...'challenging'... to those who follow no particular tribal path, but I am glad I did.
It is a rare pleasure to find an influencer such as this journalist, who I fear is sadly all too rare, especially when it comes to reaching out and being tolerant of contrary views. For its relative size the Guardian is a powerful force in the world of 'Green', and knowing such attitudes can exist there make me value it as a source, and often (but not always) objective one, all the more.
One related conversation, coincidentally that transpired today, has highlighted how so many things can get 'politicised' so easily beyond facts that should really have no bearing on one's voting inclinations, class, race or anything else.
Think Politics - Turning Away From Right and Left
