MacDizzy's Updates 2011!

Every once in awhile someone writes to me with something interesting to say. This time it's from a woman named Connie. She read my piece (Tree Huggers & MTBE) and was inspired to send a few words to me. This is what happens when intellegence meets controvercy. There are a few parts to this so... here goes.

She wrote:

You got me- I am one of the idiots who proclaims a love and respect of nature. All the while, I drive a mid-sized Ford Taurus, as I have three kids to squeeze in and shuttle around. Admitedly I keep the old Taurus afloat because I shudder at the thought of those hideous-looking mini van jobbers. Not because I am wanting to actively reduce emissions.

To boot, I drive over an hour each way to work. I live in the "sticks" and love it there. I have to drive long miles just to find an adequate salary to provide for the aforementioned children. Now, I am laughing at myself...I have more comments, but my mind aches- more to follow. Great article.

Part 2

I think your swift kick to the ass of environmental purists was right on. I can tout my good intentions, but they will always fall short. Always. I need to shut up sometimes and let that notion ruminate before I step atop my soapbox.

A colleague [Jeff] & I were debating your article yesterday before I emailed you. Debating the ethanol additive issue, whilst cruising down HWY 52 in Rochester, Minnesota. His rig- a Chevy Blazer. We were on our way to a ?Noodles? franchise for lunch. I had a tofu/penne number. There is humor there- no question.

On the way home, we discussed another hot topic- the chapter of Leviticus. Oddly, the two issues intertwine. For example, additives to gasoline, once thought to be a positive move toward emissions-reduction, now present problems unforeseen at the time (or perhaps seen and unsaid). Likewise, the ?unclean animal? issues warned about in Leviticus, may now be interpreted as ?what the hell was that all about?? It was clarified to me, just yesterday by Jeff, that in Biblical times, those animals were, in fact, deadly to eat. Disease and other impurities plagued these animals. Today we have the luxury of the FDA watch-dogging such would-be food borne maladies. Those strong Biblical recommendations make perfect sense in that light.

I lamented on how I would never drive anywhere, had I the choice- maybe only as far as Noodles though! I also hate chemicals being sprayed in the road ditches by my house- although it does combat mosquitoes-so, again, who wins there?

Jeff pointed out that "societal factors? dictate many or most of our actions each day. Our will to live life freely as our ancestors once did, is not an option. Gosh, not an option- that stings. We really are at the junction of no return. That is it in a nutshell- an imported nutshell, lest we forget.

If I wanted to say drag my three children (kicking and screaming, no doubt) into the wilderness to live in concert with the Earth, who's to stop me?

Ok, this is pretty close to what would shape up. I would find a remote wooded area, and erect some kind of dwelling to protect us from the elements. I would build a warm fire to make a fine meal of twigs and non-toxic berries. Because, of course, I know about

berries instinctively. I would tell friends and relatives to come to visit me in my new wilderness wonderland. So word leaks out that there is an unmarried, thirty-something chick hold-up in the woods with three kids. First, Social Services would come for the children. Next, the land owner would have me removed, jailed and prosecuted for myriad egregious offenses. Finally, I would be led into the local district court room for public display.

My day in court would consist of apologizing to my family for failing them, having become a social outcast. Pleading with the aforementioned land owner to not take further action. Begging to get my children back by swearing on the ?King James? that I will never be a bad person again. I would no doubt be placed in some half-way housing situation or worse, with my parents- I'd opt for the half-way house, by the way.

Upon my re-entry to the "real world", I would be barraged with mail from creditors, bankers, lawyers, doctors- and the occasional letter from my mother, sister or grandmother letting me know that they love me "no matter what". Having lost my house to foreclosure, there will be no more "picket fence" dreams to lull me to sleep at night. But I will be blessed with a luxurious bunk bed arrangement at the shelter for psycho women. I will call top bunk!

So, no matter how badly I want to live purely and simply, and ?be one? with good old Mamma Nature, I will have to seek solace in recycling my green bean cans, rinsing out the cottage cheese containers for reuse and trying each day not make more of a mess out of this tired old globe of ours. We have really beat the crap out of it- that I cannot deny.

Thank you for your insight to reality. More than once in the days to come, I will refer to your article as a wake up call.

I responded:

You and I are completely in agreement. In fact, you illustrate the point much better than I. I wish we all had good intentions.

Society is a weird thing. I often think of it and how it must have been created. Did one guy decide that another guy was smarter/better than himself and self elect that person his superior? Did then, that being tell another of his superior, then sell the idea to him thus creating two individuals supporting the one? Did these two tell two more, and so on? Is society today the result of a decision some dumb ass made thirty or fifty thousand years ago? Unfortunately, it seems so. At least that's what I believe at night before I go to sleep. I have to believe it was a mistake, or at least an uninformed decision. At the very least a decision made by a person of low intelligence. But then, intelligence and stupidity are almost the same. Like love and hate - virtually identical. If I were a politician I would be pointing my finger toward those I could blame.

I know there are a thousand different ways society could have come about, but no matter how it came to be what it is today, what we're dealing with now is wrong. Maybe not wrong in all ways. But wrong in many ways. It's not the idea of society that's wrong, it's the corruption of the system that's wrong. It's the way elected officials wield their power. Money, greed and power - it makes me sick.

"I think. Therefore I am?" No. It's been changed. Now it's "I think I can. Therefore I ran - for government." We've forgotten about survival as individuals. The decision now is to further the few. Those that can't see that view don't matter. As we're racing into space, trying to seed another planet with human life our own people are dying of starvation. We are making the decision to further the few because those without any kind of view, those who may not live until tomorrow, will never have the opportunity to say "Enough is enough please help us too." And even if they could we'd say "Screw you."

I'm sad that I have the intelligence to know what's happening, but too weak to devote my life to fight it. Like an alcoholic in recovery I take it one day at a time. Knowledge isn't such a great thing because I know it can drive me insane. Whether I'm there yet or not isn't up to me. It's up to society - by definition a dog biting its own tail.

Now that's funny.

Rick

She Wrote:

Wow- I think I am in love with you in one fell swoop!

You quoted RenÈ Descartes vis-a-vis Socratic method.

Cogito ergo sum--- know thyself (I went around for a month or better whispering Cogito ergo sum under my breath after completing a Philosophy series by The Teaching Company).

To be continued. Rick, I feel very fortunate to have stumbled onto you & your thoughts.

many thanks-

Connie

Then she added:

I wanted to give you a side bar to the unmarried, mother of three- she [I] had an interview at an Environmental Education in facility, located in Minnesota,yesterday and was offered a position. Marketing Coordinator. Are you ready for the irony? It did not pay enough. So, we come to another facet of humanity- greenbacks. I couldn't drag my family into dire straits simply to fight for a cause- what good would I to any cause if I were stressed out about money all of the time? Eh- what's a body to do.

I have to tell you, your article and my response has been circulating around Rochester, MN- there are a lot of people who enjoy your writing, and want to know where you reside & what you do for a living- rant or not- your words are out there!

Take care,

Connie

To which I responded:

I really love that you've mentioned a couple of times now that you are unmarried and have three kids. You know, I too am unmarried and have two kids - in fact a single father of two teenagers. I divorced Satan some 14 years ago. I'm 45. And no, I'm not intimidated by women that are smarter than me. I can tell that you're very well read - much more than I. So excuse me - I'm kind of a fool when it comes to some things - I'll just blurt it out... Are you hitting on me? I don't do web sex :-) Well, not yet, that is...

<snip>

Sometimes, on my own message board I write off topic bits to see what attention I can gather. Rarely does anyone know what the hell I'm talking about. And they almost never get the sarcasm, which I simply love. The only way I can get emotion out of some of these guys is to critique their projects or engines others have built. Some of the best threads on the board started this way. Rarer than that is the opportunity to mix it up with a member of the other gender. It's all guys in there - it's a guy sport, pretty much. But, what you and I have done is not mix it up, because we're on the same side. I get that you get it. And I get that you get me. Every once in a while someone comes along that is truly surprising. And you're surprising to me right now.

Rick

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