Fill It Up!
Over the last ten to twenty years, perhaps more, a phenomenon or fascinating chain of events occur because of a particular area of “focused attention”. While in university, for example, studying literature and philosophy, I’d perchance read an article on Neo-Gothic architecture and suddenly I notice that the entire city of Melbourne, more than likely, has the finest examples of this 19th century revival – neo gothic architecture now is everywhere! By focusing my attention on the subject, this opens my awareness, and suddenly I begin to ‘see’ it all around me…
Another example is music. I will focus on a particular group, style, time period, genre or composer to then suddenly begin to hear it on a daily bases, all though by pure chance: hearing Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings in local pubs, over the radio and while visiting a friend’s home… I love this piece of music, and discovering it, listening to the piece’s haunting sounds in my home, it seems to move out into the world…and all at once it is played everywhere.
Another example is specific subjects of study.
In the case this week, my focus of study has been the philosophical discipline of Ethics, more particularly, Aristotle’s wonderful instruction on virtues and his “Doctrine of the Mean”. Rather than launching into an explanation of this doctrine, let me just say that the virtues themselves are worthy to emulate or strive towards.
It is my observation that all of us, whether we are aware of it or not, are in possession of at least one particular virtue. It does not matter whether priest, criminal, despot, poor, rich or in between, we possess one "strength", one virtue...compassion, courage, generosity, kindness, loyalty, humility, perseverance, patience, etc. To be sure, we all have at least one of these strengths and will “present” this virtue in life without even thinking about it because it is part of ourselves, something close to home.
The other day I listened to an acquaintance tell a story that is worthy of re-telling.
He is an American from New York City that has been visiting Australia over the last seven years because he married a good Aussie girl who insists on visiting her parents once a year…fair enough. John is a big guy and very intelligent and this latest trip “down under”, has brought the family a little granddaughter only six years of age.
Last weekend they visited one of our more popular shopping centres, that is, grandma, mum, dad and the little one.
As some men do not like “shopping” per say, my acquaintance felt hungry, a little tired and somewhat grumpy, telling the two, that he was taking the little one to the food court for a feed.
The little girl likes to ‘talk’ (non-stop, he says) and climb on his back like a good six year old would…
Not at all feeling well, he told his daughter in a somewhat stern voice:
“Daddy loves you but today has run out of patience, so I really want you to be good.”
As they sat down at a table, the little girl put her hand against dad’s temple, like a faucet, making a weird noise.
Dad asks, “What are you doing, honey?”
“I’m filling you back up with patience!”
He said that he stopped for a brief moment and looked at his little girl and knew that she was very special.
During the meal, the pet casually leans over and says, “Dad how is your patience?”
He said he just kissed her at this point.
Why I bring this story up in this BLOG, is that short but interesting anecdotes about life are always fun to read and more often educational.
Patience, unfortunately, is not one of my virtues, but one I’m striving towards and to hear that story confirms that patience is one of the most important virtues of them all...
Over the last ten to twenty years, perhaps more, a phenomenon or fascinating chain of events occur because of a particular area of “focused attention”. While in university, for example, studying literature and philosophy, I’d perchance read an article on Neo-Gothic architecture and suddenly I notice that the entire city of Melbourne, more than likely, has the finest examples of this 19th century revival – neo gothic architecture now is everywhere! By focusing my attention on the subject, this opens my awareness, and suddenly I begin to ‘see’ it all around me…
Another example is music. I will focus on a particular group, style, time period, genre or composer to then suddenly begin to hear it on a daily bases, all though by pure chance: hearing Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings in local pubs, over the radio and while visiting a friend’s home… I love this piece of music, and discovering it, listening to the piece’s haunting sounds in my home, it seems to move out into the world…and all at once it is played everywhere.
Another example is specific subjects of study.
In the case this week, my focus of study has been the philosophical discipline of Ethics, more particularly, Aristotle’s wonderful instruction on virtues and his “Doctrine of the Mean”. Rather than launching into an explanation of this doctrine, let me just say that the virtues themselves are worthy to emulate or strive towards.
It is my observation that all of us, whether we are aware of it or not, are in possession of at least one particular virtue. It does not matter whether priest, criminal, despot, poor, rich or in between, we possess one "strength", one virtue...compassion, courage, generosity, kindness, loyalty, humility, perseverance, patience, etc. To be sure, we all have at least one of these strengths and will “present” this virtue in life without even thinking about it because it is part of ourselves, something close to home.
The other day I listened to an acquaintance tell a story that is worthy of re-telling.
He is an American from New York City that has been visiting Australia over the last seven years because he married a good Aussie girl who insists on visiting her parents once a year…fair enough. John is a big guy and very intelligent and this latest trip “down under”, has brought the family a little granddaughter only six years of age.
Last weekend they visited one of our more popular shopping centres, that is, grandma, mum, dad and the little one.
As some men do not like “shopping” per say, my acquaintance felt hungry, a little tired and somewhat grumpy, telling the two, that he was taking the little one to the food court for a feed.
The little girl likes to ‘talk’ (non-stop, he says) and climb on his back like a good six year old would…
Not at all feeling well, he told his daughter in a somewhat stern voice:
“Daddy loves you but today has run out of patience, so I really want you to be good.”
As they sat down at a table, the little girl put her hand against dad’s temple, like a faucet, making a weird noise.
Dad asks, “What are you doing, honey?”
“I’m filling you back up with patience!”
He said that he stopped for a brief moment and looked at his little girl and knew that she was very special.
During the meal, the pet casually leans over and says, “Dad how is your patience?”
He said he just kissed her at this point.
Why I bring this story up in this BLOG, is that short but interesting anecdotes about life are always fun to read and more often educational.
Patience, unfortunately, is not one of my virtues, but one I’m striving towards and to hear that story confirms that patience is one of the most important virtues of them all...
1 comment:
nice one Craig. I think I know just how your friend felt - both before and after his kid's excellent intervention.
t.
Post a Comment