Z is for Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist – intellectual fashion or dominant school of thought that typifies and influences the culture of a period of time.

Zeitgeist comes from the German words “Zeit” meaning time and “Geist” meaning spirit. Zeitgeist is considered the “spirit of the age” or “spirit of the time.”

What is the most recent form of zeitgeist in our age? I would say it's the advent of the advanced level of technology that we depend on today. Computers with 1 TB or more of hard drive space, miniature computers called smart phones, the advances in medicine and science that have come because of the level of technology we have today. All of these things have formed the backbone of our lives and the spirit of our time these days.

You have to admit that for the most part, you don't see people without some kind of technology these days. Children may be exempt from the technology craze, though they aren't completely free of it because of the use of computers in their education. Not many adults exist without some form of the advanced technology in their possession.

We are beginning to become more dependent on our technology. If we don't know something, instead of looking it up in an encyclopedia, a book, or a dictionary, we rely on Google or other search engines to give us the answers. Where once we sent paper letters to each other, and had to wait days for a response, now we send emails that can be answered within minutes of the other person receiving them. Communication around the world which was so hard before is now as easy as connecting through social media or using virtual software to hold meetings across time zones.

Scientists use a higher level of technology to make discoveries. The most recent one I can remember reading about off hand was how a 3D printed cast was used in conjunction with ultrasound to help heal a bone (here's the article from IFLS). Stem cells have been created using an adult's tissues. Organs are being created in a lab from cells taken from the patient to help minimize rejection during transplants. More and more medical and scientific discoveries are being made every day. Look at the technology that sent a rover to Mars and allows us to make sense of its discoveries.

There are so many things that technology does for us, that it has created for us, that I believe it will become the “spirit of the time” for us in the late 20^th century and the early 21^st century. What do you think the zeitgeist of our time is? Do you know what the zeitgeists of other times have been?

Y is for Yo-Yo

I don't there's many of us who haven't at least seen a yo-yo. We've watched it go up and down and up and down. Some of us have even tried it. There are those who could barely get it to go up and down. Then there were those who could do amazing tricks with them.

A yo-yo is a good analogy for daily life. There are ups and downs, some days we can barely make it, and others are amazing and we feel awesome. The thing about a yo-yo is you don't always have control over if it goes up or down. People do have some control over that. My N post goes over this so I'm not going to get into it here. But remember that we have some control over what makes us feel bad.

Another thing that a yo-yo can be an analogy for is the mood swings of someone suffering from mental illness. One day they're fine, happy, and as normal as life gets for them. The next they can be depressed, violent, self harming themselves, suffer hallucinations, etc.

No one can know when a mood swing will happen. There are certain things that could trigger them. A bad day, a harsh word, reading something that upsets them. Or there isn't anything that you can see that sends them off into their low mood. There are days where we don't know the reason why we hit that low.

With medication, meditation, exercise, hospitalization, and/or counseling, there is a way for us to bounce back up. We aren't as quick as a yo-yo but it does happen. Just like people who don't have a mental illness. We aren't that different from those around us. We just have a chemical issue that requires further assistance before we can reach something we can consider normal.

Then there are the awesome days, the ones where it's easy to have a good day. Things go smoothly for us. There's something to excite us, or we're rewarded for something. Our favorite song plays on the radio. We get a day off and do something fun – just define what fun is for you. Those awesome days are also part of a yo-yo life.

Life is like a yo-yo. Be patient and it will always go back up. It may take time. But it will.

X is for Xenophobia

Xenophobia – intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries

How many times have we opened up a science fiction book and xenophobia was one of the reasons for antagonism between humans and aliens? Or one set of aliens and another? What about fantasy stories where there's a war because one kingdom despises the people of another just because they worship another god or are different from the antagonistic kingdom? How much do we see in our own world today?

I have heard more xenophobic statements in the last ten years than I have in my entire life. People, not just in this nation but around the world, have expressed their distrust of, fear of contamination from, and violent diatribes against people from other countries. It's both sad and disturbing.

We are in a world of global communication. Get online and you can reach people in most areas around the world. There are places too poor to have internet access, but they can be reached in other ways. The point of this is we can speak to millions of people. And there are some who are being silenced by their own governments.

The fear of outside contact has led to the stifling of open communication in those countries. They don't have the rights we do. But how free are we? There are things we've been hearing in the news, reading in stories online, that make me wonder just how long it will be before we are silenced.

Xenophobia is a terrible thing. It leads to misunderstandings, wars, and suffering. It closes borders. It stifles communication. It deprives people of outside ideas, which could expand knowledge and creativity. Open borders help open minds. Open minds lead to understanding. Understanding leads to peace.

W is for Wonder

Is anything more magical than the wonder of a child? Their eyes open, their minds eager to draw in the thoughts and experiences? How crushing it must be as they get older to have that stifled and snuffed out. The wonder of a child is an amazing and precious thing and should be welcomed and encouraged, not driven out of them.

What happens as we get older? Where does that wonder, that wide eyed desire to learn, experiment, and discover things go? How do we lose our desire for new experiences?

As we get older, we're forced by society to become more focused and less fanciful. Our questions are met with clinical answers and we're told to take them as “The Truth”. Many places crush a person down if they ask a question, offer an idea not within the limits that authority believes should be placed, etc.

We can still maintain our wonder as adults. We just have to be willing to ask questions. To leave behind the restrictions of our lives and open ourselves to new experiences. I lost my desire for such things a long time ago. I was content to plod along in my narrow little bubble, not seeing, not learning, not asking questions.

Then I met Himself. He shook me to my core because here was a young man who didn't stop asking questions. I didn't think that was possible. I thought everything had to be explained and once that explanation was given it was the only way. He showed me a different way.

It's taken me fifteen years of constant exposure to Himself to finally get to the point where I'll freely ask questions. I'll look something up if I want to know an answer. Yes, there are times where I just want the answer handed to me. I'll admit I get lazy. But Himself pushes me to keep developing my sense of curiosity, my desire to know more.

I'm sure I don't have to ask you, my blog readers, if you've maintained your sense of wonder. If you're here, you probably have. So many of my followers are writers, readers, or both. But if you see someone struggling, if you know someone who no longer believes, then give them a nudge. Show them that there is still some wonder in their adult world. Let them discover for themselves that there are still things to be curious about.

V is for Vacation

We all love vacations. I mean who doesn't like taking a break from everything, often leaving home and going somewhere else to get away from everything? There's the vacations that my family always took: camping, picnicking, fishing, hiking. Then there's the ones that friends of mine take: cruises, trips to Europe, trips to Australia (though I'm still not sure if I'm jealous or grateful it wasn't me).

What about those of us who don't have the time or the money to go on long vacations? What if we have family obligations, car issues, medical problems, etc. that keep us home? What are we supposed to do then? How can we take a vacation?

There are many ways we can take little vacations. We can go to the park for a picnic. If we're physically able, take a walk just around the block. Another way we can take a vacation is a mental one. Those we can take any time we want.

A mental vacation can be as short as a few seconds or as long as we want. What is a mental vacation you may ask? A mental vacation is completely turning your mind away from anything that you're doing, that is troubling you, that is stressing you out. You take yourself out of your own head.

Many psychiatrists recommend finding a “happy place” you can take yourself to when you're stressing or are very anxious about something. Somewhere that can calm you down. In my case, mine is a forest surrounded by mossy trees and the faint sound of the river. I can draw on the memories of a child camping to bring this image to my mind. A friend of mine has an image of walking through Madison Square Garden in NYC when it's full of noise and people as her happy place. It's whatever works for the person in question.

Another way to take a little mental vacation is music. A single song can take your mind off your troubles if you let it, a piece of music can restore your calm. Close your eyes while the music is playing. Let the lyrics, the instruments, the beats of the drum or whatever it is about the song that you like wash your thoughts away. Let it clear your mind, help you calm down. For me, that's instrumental music. For Himself, that's German Industrial.

Mental vacations are necessary to help us regain focus and balance. Yoga is a good way to balance yourself again. Meditation can be too. So can Tai Chi. Or just putting your headphones on/earbuds in and listening to a song or two. Standing still and putting yourself into your happy spot. Walking or running, using physical activity to clear your head. All of these are good.

So what do you do to take a mental vacation?

U is for Unanimous

Unanimous...it's such an amazing word. To have something be unanimous it means that everyone has agreed to agree to the same thing. It's something that we want to hear when our government makes a decision. Or is it?

If there was no debate, where would there be discourse? If there was no difference of opinions, where would be the chance for growth? Differing thoughts are what make us who we are. It's as much a part of us as breathing. So why would we want a unanimous decision anywhere?

There are times when something like that would be useful. I know we all want to see Congress do things unanimously that would benefit our nation such as more money for food stamps, Medicaid, and education and stricter regulations and penalties for big banks and the rich. What do the debates between them show?

They show us where people's priorities are. They show us who wants to give back to the nation and who wants to keep everything for themselves. They can give us an idea who is supporting their paychecks from lobbyists rather than actually representing the people of their home state. Above all, it can show us the differences of opinions among everyone else and not just those in power.

No one thinks the exact same way as another person. Thoughts may be similar, but the way they got to that point is very different. We don't always agree with each other, and we've taken that to mean that we must be right and the next person wrong and we have to do anything we can to force them to see things our way.

It doesn't work, and all it does is cause friction and unhappiness. It can destroy friendships. It can ruin marriages. It can cost you your job. Being willing to listen to and accept other people's thoughts, even if you don't agree with them, is the best way to deal with things. We're all human though, and we won't always manage this. I know I don't.

If ever there was a unanimous decision in Congress, I think I'd be scared. I'd wonder who paid off who. I'd also like to know what the result of such a decision would mean for the rest of the country. I don't trust that those men and women would ever totally agree on anything without some kind of outside pressure.

What about you? Is there any time in your life that something has been unanimous? Did it work out the way you planned?

T is for Theocracy

Last week the United States was stunned when Iowa governor Terry Branstad signed a bill into law that effectively ended the separation between church and state in Iowa. If you missed it, you can read different views on it here, here, here and here.

People are saying Iowa is now a theocracy. I wanted to know what a theocracy was. So I went and looked it up. A theocracy is a government run with the idea that God (or whatever deities you worship) is the supreme civil ruler, his laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities. Now, I'm not entirely sure Iowa has taken it that far, but what it did is very disturbing. It has broken the Constitution and declared something that will probably end up in the Supreme Court when a motion is filed by people in the state.

I think one of the most noted theocracies in history has been when the Pope and the Catholic church dominated a good chunk of Europe. The Pope granted the right to rule to kings and queens, but it held the right to revoke that and name someone else in their place if they didn't approve of what they did. Priests held the power through the nobility, and those among the peasantry were left in their charge. Even the poorest couldn't escape the power of the church.

One thing I would hate to see is the United States become a theocracy. I can see what it would become: a Christian country. There are more Christians in this country than any other religion. I am not a Christian. I do not claim to be one nor will I ever conform to a society that demands it of me. What do you think would happen to me, to my husband, to many of our friends? Would we be left in peace? Or would something else happen to us?

There are still countries in this world that are ruled by religion. Some are quiet, not bothering their neighbors and living out their lives with peace in their borders. As much as there can be in this world these days. There are others who are violent, torturing and killing people who don't believe as the rulers do. These countries wage war on those who don't follow the same religion, aiming to destroy the “unbelievers”, the “infidels”.

I wish the world would stop relying on religion for everything. That just because I don't worship your god doesn't mean I'm a bad person. It just means that I don't have a set of rigid guidelines to live by and instead am judged solely by my actions. There are people who do not claim to worship any god who do good in this world. There are those who claim they are Christians who do harm. There are worshipers of Islam who would rather live in peace. While there are others who would destroy the rest of us.

I could go on and on with this. It is my opinion that if you want a theocracy, write a story about it. Don't impose your religion on people and say it's the “one true way”. Let people make up their own minds. Let them exercise that free will so many religions say we've been given.