Part vs. Whole

I have a good friend and we agree on almost nothing...it doesn't matter. I still love her and vice versa.

Our latest area of disagreement is the end of daylight savings time. I'd written how I adored the day we set the clocks back and I love the short days.

She doesn't. She explained why. Her reasons are totally valid for her.

For me, the shorter days means getting into PJs, reading, watching something on TV or Netflix, writing, tea and/or hot chocolate. The words cozy, warm, nest, snuggle, cuddle, haven, comfortable are just the start of how wonderful I feel when I hunker down. I love crawling into my pre-warmed bed and realize I am semi-hibernating. My reasons are totally valid for me.

This doesn't mean I don't enjoy the long summer days when we can be out and about until well after 21h sitting in a cafe, talking with friends, enjoying the last rays of sun along the Med and mountains. In the summer I see the grapes, corn, beets, wheat and other flowers and veggies growing and eventually being harvested.

The dark days are my time to rest along with the earth. To wait for the winter solstice when once again the days will slowly grow long, buds will push up through the earth, the trees will release their leaves, the birds will build nests and we will begin the cycle again, a cycle older than the planet and I'm a part of it.

It is wonderful with total disagreement between my friend and me that there is no right or wrong. It is our personal reactions to something that has only our aspect of reality.

Sadly, in today's public discourse, people fight over two or more versions of the same things. These are provable facts, not the emotional reaction to how we enjoy light and dark. The earth is round although some dispute it. This political person is right, the other is wrong. Rights vs. non rights (I'm tempted to put responsibilities here).

One of my favorite drawings is above. Each blind man touching part of the elephant is 100% correct in his version of reality. The tail does feel like a rope and the side like a wall. The people who are holding the tail and touching the side are 100% right for as far as they've gone.

But if the goal is to know elephants, they are ignorant, not necessarily stupid, but ignorant. If they refuse to listen to others who know another part of the elephant they are stupid and ignorant. If they spew hate for those that think an elephants is like a fan, spear or snake, than they are not only ignorant, stupid but dangerous to the overall community that needs to know elephants.

I feel the same way about people who get their news from only one source be it right, left of middle. The more sources, the more sources, the more chances the truth will emerge. I believe it is dangerous to just have American news as well. With the internet it is possible to learn how other countries think, especially since their actions have a bearing on America.

Watching the U.S. news (several channels and newspapers) from afar, I also regularly check Canadian, French, Swiss, German, Japanese, U.K. news and depending on the story news from places like India, South Africa. I read books by people who should know what they are talking about. I hope I have complete knowledge of elephants.

 

When I'm not in "elephant" discovery mode, I'm grateful to my friend. Our likes and dislikes over a cup of tea/coffee, bagels (rainbow or regular), a meal, shared memories, etc. when we do manage to share a continent do not exist as anything important. 

Maybe THAT'S the most important thing.