Day 9. March 24, 2020.
The word “professional” is obsolete. It used to mean being good at what you did and often that also meant being paid for it. Now we have so many professionals who hardly work and get paid. This is true across all professions. This is not my “you-should-love-what-you-do-follow-your-passion” order (which social media failed to cement for many). Even if you did what you loved, it requires work; it takes time, and you may not be as good as someone else. Think of all the professional basketball players–not all play as well as the few.
Moreover, so many people “go to work” in order have access to some sort of a community, this is at least true in the U.S. and perhaps through all parts of the globe where the rat-race-to-nowhere is embraced. This community is a source of meaning, structure, socializing, complaining, gossip, and sometimes even genuine friendships. The workplace can be a hospital, a school, a business. And home? What is home without a community?
And now what? People are home.
Maybe they are binge watching shows–if you are doing that I highly recommend watching a good crime drama because it’s so satisfying to know there’s an end to the “bad guy” and the mystery is “solved”. Very therapeutic. I am loving Bosch, based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling novels. Of course, it has to have character development, plot alone doesn’t sustain me.
Maybe people are reading–don’t feel bad if that’s a struggle. Reading is a muscular activity; if your brain is not used to engaging that way, it’s no different than trying to run (which I certainly am not in the shape to just go out and do but I am reading a lot!).
Maybe people are writing the next great American novel or bestseller. I know I am just writing a novel. And knowing what I now know about writing and publishing, I know many who write their first novel and sell their second and sometimes third novel is the charm. Yeah, all those years and then try again with something new. No–no one knows why anyone keeps trying to write other than they feel compelled to write.
Maybe people are catching up with friends. It’s been lovely to catch up with my friend Erica, Shika, Amy. And even Vusi who made this website–gosh it’s been years–he popped in via e-mail to say hello.
Maybe people are wondering what did they mean when they said, “If I had all the time in the world I would…” Well, here is time, standing like some titan! Now what?
Tonight, I am thinking about Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of “eternal return”, included in The Gay Science. This idea already existed in Hindu thought and was adopted by the Greeks but it was turned into a formula by Nietzsche. Essentially he argues that events, thoughts, feelings, ideas are repeated. Endless loop on repeat. Nothing changes. This concept was further developed into his familiar Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
According to Nietzsche this idea of “eternal return”, the sameness over and over again no matter how many times one is reborn, terrifies us. However, there is another interpretation of this “eternal return” that many ignore in his depressing message: live your life as such that you don’t want anything to change.
Maybe this is time from the universe for mandatory reflection, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all of humanity, no matter what you are doing with your time right now. Time to finally teach your children how to wash hands (not being sarcastic–many students reach 7th grade and still don’t know how to tie their shoe laces or blow their noses or wash their hands).
