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Love can make you do strange things– “strange” to other people– especially “strange” to other people who don’t have love– but what’s really strange about love is– when people who don’t have love eventually have it– there is much less strange about it to them, now
Wisdom is knowing what is right, normal, healthy, helpful– or just plain natural–and knowing it from experience– and being able to apply that knowledge or let its display, be
Genius is having wisdom– And being able to apply that wisdom–or let its display, be- Without experience
Help is giving love, wisdom, genius and ability to the self or others– free of attachment, payment or expectation People often help one another with a mixture of love, wisdom and– Sometimes genius–but often not free of attachment
Helping others is often–if not usually–a good (we can enable harm–which is no help) But some people attempt to help others with strings attached to that “help”; they want conformity, reciprocity or convenience in offering assistance They don’t want to upset their own plans too far; and they prefer guarantees of relative ease: This is not help, so much as it is self-help–for themselves–and for others’ eyes You can recognize this type of “help”, as it is not selfless; It comes with expectations, accounting–even blame… when it doesn’t produce expected outcomes– when the “help” is not paid back with much praise, or good results
Thank you for reading. I hope this finds you exceedingly well.
I was born in Brooklyn, in the middle of the NASA Gemini space Program era--which was on course for the Apollo program, aiming to land men on the moon. I watched Neil Armstrong make humanity's first step on the lunar surface. The space program left a lasting effect on me and inspired life-long interest and passion in me.
I was born a little more than 2 years after President John Kennedy was assassinated and a few years before Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. It was a time of tumult, but better manners, a gentler approach to one another (despite the prejudice being worked on by progressives-) little political correctness, no cancel culture and thicker skin & more opportunity for laughs, a time of fantastic television, austere and fact-based news delivered with brevity and sobriety and much superlatively stylish design. It was the beginning of Star Trek, Star Wars, and a few years on, personal computers, digital watches, hand-held electronic games and movies were still in theaters--not on our TVs--unless they were a little old. People paid more attention to books, from where trust is built with credibility we intrinsically see, competency earned and reflected and facts & expertise. One reason I am not apt to dabble in irrational conspiracy theories is I made many a trek to the local library, to read about stars, planets and astronauts, and to the local bookstore--no longer there--to find my favorite science fiction novels--to either read, or simply marvel at their covers, by Boris Valejo and Frank Frazetta--inspirations that would fuel my later entry into the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
I grew up in Long Island, worked and was educated there until I discovered New York City, then it was on to Boulder Colorado, The Mojave Desert, South Korea and now Japan. I have visited Mongolia, the Philippines, and England and hope to see the rest of the world--and maybe even beyond it.
I teach English as a Second Language, practice secular Buddhism and pay attention to philosophy, astronomy, spaceflight, aviation and human & species rights. I make art, poems and photography--and real friends, wherever I go--when I can.
Maybe our paths will cross; until then, enjoy my writing and pictures, and send me a note. Maybe we can have a cup of coffee someday, somewhere.
Thank you for reading.
I wish you love, peace, joy and enlightenment--sincerely--because you are sentient, and you suffer, too.
Carl Atteniese
Tokyo
View all posts by Carl Atteniese / 亜天二恵世万慈道
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