Morning all,
This year I have enjoyed many small triumphs. Not least I am slightly healthier. The calmness of my stomach, belying the roundness of my belly, means that my mind is somewhat than it was before.
I think that the calmness is partly because my mind has enjoyed some of the relaxation from before; the games, the dreaming, and the reading. I spoke at length with a friend who has some rather different political views. He was not a troll, although he spoke in favour of several right wing policies. Such conversation got me thinking:
I am resolutely moderate, not least because I am suspicious of the confidence of those who can pin their flags to the mast of political party affiliation. Quite simply there are some dominant expectations:
a) That I will be liberal and left-wing. I have very little social capital, and little economic capital (although that is somewhat changing with the tremendous niche in life I enjoy now).
b) That I will vote based upon what is best for me.
c) That I might vote for an entire party based on core issues only (such as tuition fees).
d) That to troll the public discourse in Western democracy is hilarious, on both sides.
There is a certain cynicism that casts itself over my eyes when I consider the political systems in the land where I was born. I guess this is what I believe:
a) A government is needed that prizes some kind of values and vision long-term. Real-Politik (making political decision on how to solve problems on a pragmatic basis) is not something to be entirely discounted at judicious times, but it is a dangerous way of leading a country.
b) Governing, by its nature, begins to lose nuance as policies are filtered down through their enactions. What might seem reasonable in the policy room, such as taxing those with more rooms in their houses, becomes monstrous when poor OAPs lose their savings to keeping a boxroom upstairs. Therefore, there is a need to high intelligent, conceptual folk working in positions of governance.
c) Yet saying that, we need people who are decisive. Is it possible to be decisive yet conceptual?
And it is that point in which I face up to what I am like. I am not decisive. I am unduly conceptual, happy and willing to be and to think, only desiring to emerge into the world when I finally have created some sense of my inner landscape. And yet I tell my students most days that it is the enaction on the external world where perception and narrative both seem to become most important.
What is my narrative? I am even creating it? If so, who is listening? Is this blog an attempt to create a narrative?
My narrative is not entirely stalled. It is one of a man who enjoys something of the world around him.
I am soon to leave this place for my summer holidays. Like in Vietnam, I desire to do something worthwhile. I desire to write, and to read. I will probably head to South East Asia. I am thinking about Japan.
Here are some ideas:
a) Thailand (for cheapness).
b) Cambodia (for cheapness, and for reading).
c) Vietnam (already been).
d) South Korea
e) Malaysia
d) Philippines
e) Japan - flight is 700 pounds or so.
I still really have no idea of where I want to go. The context tours looks interesting, however.
I really think that I want to figure out my finances though. I did not purchase a HTC vive. I am travelling. It seems a massive expense. But is it? I need to figure these things out.
Properly.
For now, though, I should read. That is enough facing up, without actually doing so!
