The title of these seems almost a bitter irony, laughing disembodied through the haze of mind as I attempt, yet again, perhaps with eternally futility, to gather some thoughts. Or at least gather some thoughts that could possibly be worth writing out and posting into the chaos that is the modern internet. You’ll never believe this, but my archaic styled efforts are not exactly competing strong against all the readily available predatory mental degradations available with the decadent modern level of instant gratification.

But hey, once a fool, always a fool. So, onward, as it were.

There has been a theme, an idea, I have been working at provoking more regularly in my life. And a not inconsiderable part of that has to do with transformation. Both here, and I suppose, everywhere else in this existence I call home. Of course, thinking about change, about those transformations, holds a strange ability to conjure up the same old cyclic thoughts. Let’s fight that, shall we? I’m sure we’ve all had enough of that same old song and dance. I certainly know that I have, and being that I am at the helm of this experiment, elsewhere we shall go.

There are subjects that I have been considering taboo to engage with here, at least for the last few dozen bouts of Mondays. Namely, romance and politics.

Now, I wouldn’t want to get into anything that arises ire, pain or frustration. Topics that are divisive and agonizing. Those that bring about some of the lesser traits common to us humans. Ideas that are dangerous and damaging, especially when your humble narrator gets his grip on them.

So, I guess that means romance is out. Politics, it is, then.

See what I did there?

Now, what I’ll attempt here is either bold or cowardly, which is a finer line that most folks might think. But I’ve noticed that when it comes to the way a society should be moving, at least from a very western perspective, it is the specifics that tend to damn us. And it seems now in this age of information, and disinformation, that the most niche of ideas have no shortage of champions, and adversaries. I know there are those that arrive in my mind, and I’ll boldly assume that there might be a few ideas that gather themselves in your own point of view, as well. And when those ideas get brought into contact with their antithesis, or antitheses apparent, an animosity is so often quickly engaged and made into conversational and ideological artillery. Hell, depending on what part of the world you’re in it might result in actual artillery. Or a drone strike. Or hostile occupation, etc.

Now, I won’t get into my specifics, if you agree to not get into yours. Deal?

Because I think the problem, as of late, arises when all these focused and finite points fail to choose broader perspectives. Not only in ideology, but within the very space and time of this world, and universe larger beyond that. With tensions feeling so high, even if artificially induced, I think pulling back on the picture helps. For when it comes down to it, it is the dehumanization of humankind that is likely the largest issue going on, planet wide. And I know that when you hear, or in this case, read that word, dehumanization- exact points and places and peoples jump immediately to mind. And if you heed the call of that version of you in the devil suit on your left shoulder, I’d bet there would be an inclination to dehumanize whoever you might think the dehumanizers in your mind would be. We all do it, saints and sinners alike.

But it is within these critical moments that, I believe, such urges must be fought. It is easy enough to find disagreement with someone you disagree with. That is the easiest thing in the world and so easily spirals out of control. It has what has brought us to these points, as it seems we devolve back towards our primal natures. Making everything that isn’t ours into the greatly feared ‘other’.

But the truth is, that the other doesn’t actually exist. Not really. Not so say that there aren’t horrible people doing awful things, because there most certainly are. Mass murder is real. It has happened and is happening and the cynical side of me wants to say that it always will. Oppression is very much at play in all sorts of ways, all over the world. Hate is happening all the time and seems to be growing in scope and strength, constantly finding easy reinforcement in societies that are so over stimulated and over engaged in aggressive states of mind.

But believe it or not, to go along with all that is the easy path. And little to nothing gets solved if you stand in a crowd that already agrees with everything you already believe. Our echo chambers have grown so potent and resolute this way, and only serves to bring us back to the tribal state that only originally existed to protect us from the other tribes and vicious natural world that we had little understanding of. And that can’t be the way forward, can it?

Oh, what the hell do I know? This is all probably just a deflection on my behalf to try and think about anything other than the things that I am so regularly thinking. Acting like saving the world will save me from myself. But hey, I tried. And I didn’t revert to the usually self-indulgent self-psychosis that has been plaguing these rambles.

To be honest, I’m exhausted, and at work currently, and have been working a lot, and can’t seem to gather the mind to get much of anywhere with this. Maybe next week I’ll get to something better. But I won’t bleed something that is already dead for the evening.

But hey, at least we didn’t talk about romance.