Anonymity Is Not Sufficient For Privacy

Went to the gym for a couple miles, then rushed to get ready. Ended up just tossing tons of stuff (that I didn't need - while forgetting other things I should have brought) into a knapsack and some plastic bags and dumping it into a borrowed car (thanks for the borrowed car). Drove out there, careful to drive only a couple miles over the speed limit until I realized I was a dreadful drag on traffic. Of course, the moment I speed up till I'm following the car in front of me the state trooper behind me flips on his flashers.

Anyway, I got there only a few hours late, which is to say, right on time. There was an air of the tribal about it. I shut off my cell phone, put away my watch, and all the accoutrements of modern life for a weekend of mystery, where strangers can turn into trusted friends, the past can become the present, the future is born.

The leaders gave it a narrow scope. They organized much of the concept about one principle. I resisted that. I preferred to broaden its reach. I saw an exploration of alternative possibilities. It presented a new dynamic. Now I need to take the message and integrate it, digest it, see what nutrients I've ingested.

For many participants, these 48 hours changed their lives.

I see one giant mass of humanity. Chop it up, and you'll find lots of little pieces of humanity. Some hold great beauty; others, not so much. All (or most) yearn for connection. Each is attracted to connect to those shards of humanity in which they see beauty or other values.

But what if there were 2 distinct masses of humanity, hovering apart, a male mass with one set of characteristics, and a second, female mass with a different set of characteristics. Chop up the male mass and you'll find lots of little pieces of male. They fit together in emotional ways and various physical ways but they don't fit together sexually.

If you chop up the female mass, you'll get lots of little female pieces. They are somehow inferior, needy. They want to connect with one of the little shards of male.

Okay, I prima facie reject this view because it doesn't hold up to the standards of intellectual rigor, or at least wasn't presented that way. However, it doesn't have to be right to be a fascinating way of looking at things. It is a piece of art, the construct, and its value can be appreciated irrespective of its truth value. And so I do appreciate it. I want to use it in ways that will better life and enhance it, not sacrifice ideals of equality and respect.

At any rate, this isn't what we discussed over the weekend. It's just some thoughts bouncing around in my head that were somehow conjured up in its aftermath.

A lot of people commented that this was the best weekend of their lives. The experience of each person was different, born of his own mind. It really put people in touch with themselves. It reconnected me with an innocence lost.

I haven't been able to set into writing what I mean. I said I wouldn't talk about it. I hope to make this whole post a little clearer as time goes on, but I wanted to get some comments up so we'll have something to work with.

A List

Masada. Ein Gedi. Dead Sea. Holy Sepulchre. Ναός της Αναστάσεως. Tower of David. Much Tiredness. A coworker came back, so I had to switch workstations. Another left. Went to a better place. In this world. Actually, I don't know if the other place is actually better, but the job title sounds more important. And that's how it is. So my new computer was broken. Had been for months, but no one needed it. It was fixed today. Within 2 hours. It's like that, too. Saw a kid grab a little kitten and chase another kid with it. Then he threw it. Landed about half a foot away from me and ran off. Then another guy marched by with a giant cross and a pack of people singing in Latin. Here come a guy in a black robe. Another one, older, sitting in the corner next to the door holding a fan up in front of his face so you can't see him. Israel finished the ceiling in 2000 because the factions couldn't agree who should do it and the Second Coming was coming. Confessions in English, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, French, and Greek. Beat that! No head coverings, please. For women, it's okay. But no shorts. Can you perform the Salaat? Sorry, no Jews on the Temple Mount. Here, try some candy. Take my picture. Here, with the white horse. Won't you please give me something for it? Just two shekel? Can you make it 5? Atah hagever!