Note : This is the "unedited" version of the article found in the pamphlet. It's more tangent-ridden, but, I feel, is more richly infused with my personality and unique style. : )
Upon entering the Skytrain yesterday I noticed that two of the people with whom I was sharing the car were : obese. It inevitably saddens me to see people who are overweight. Why? Because I was one of them. I know how painful it is. Knowing that pretty girls (or vice versa) aren't even bothering to look at you because you are so unattractive, shreds one's soul to pieces. I could not really fault the beautiful people though. Human beings have an instinctual love of the aesthetic. Anything that is gross, or distorted, jars our sense of balance and harmony, and sets itself against the unfettered flow of the cosmic current. Simply put, "it doesn't feel right." Why? Being overweight is not the natural, nor the optimal, state for a human being to exist in. It doesn't look good, nor is it healthy. Ergo : unaesthetic.
I was having a very memorable morning and this fact contrasted itself sharply with the unfortunate state I saw these two poor souls in. The man wore a look of perpetual discomfort as he tried not to fall off his seat. The woman had a face which was both resigned and defiant, resigned to being unattractive, defiant in daring someone to point out that fact and give her an opportunity to vent her despair and frustration. Naturally nobody would give her this opportunity. Nobody would acknowledge her. Not even me... I did not want to subject myself to a tirade of grief which I could not abet.
I want to help though. I want the obesity to stop. I can recall my own time being fat and ugly. The question is why did I eat? That is simple to answer. I ate because I was unhappy. I ate to fill the void in my heart and my soul. Ice Cream was a substitute for the lack of love I felt in my life. Remember Fat Bastard from Austin Powers 2. Mike Myers pokes fun at being fat, but he provides one brief moment of humanity for poor Bastard near the end of the film when the Scottish Hippo makes his weighty confession. We as a society understand why people are fat, now we need to FEEL it.
Wall-E was not just an excellent, kiddie movie. Far, very far, from it, for me. It was a timely, cautionary commentary on our species' current societal model, and the unfulfilling existence it is leading us towards. The Mega-Corporation's name in the movie sums up the innately flawed Capitalist model adroitly : Buy N' Large. In a Universe which is not designed to support heedless consuming, doing so invariably leads to a system's collapse. The panoramic shots in the introduction to the movie, displaying the endless rash of billboards and advertisements which inundate the city made my stomach drop : what are we trying to block out so badly that we drown ourselves in sensory, stimulation overload? It is quite simple really : the absence of love, real love in our lives.
Leave it to robots, life we human beings create in inorganic imitation of ourselves, to show us the way.
Now, the first question I feel compelled to ask is : why did Wall-E survive for so long when all of his robotic companions have ceased to function? Simple : Wall-E was a mutant. Not an X-Men per se, but a deviant. Mutation is often an adaptation producing a survival mechanism specifically tailored to a changing environment. What was the adaptation of Wall-E? Simple : Wall-E asked for more out of life. Wall-E found "hope", hope in the form of finding love. How many times did he watch that movie Hey Dolly! Over the course of 700 years...a lot. While his fellow bots were collapsing around him from a routine which wore itself down to nothing, Wall-E strived to survive, his programming adapted, he repaired himself, he continued to seek out stimulation in his existence. The message is clear : people need a purpose to survive. How about to thrive?
That's where Eve comes in.
I have a telling saying, "A Healthy Relationship is one where both people (or robots) are strong apart, but, made stronger together."
Eve is the dedicated workaholic. Wall-E is the romantic and dreamer. They are both strong in who they are. The two of them complete each other (although I think Wall-E is inarguably the catalyst for the relationship). Finding corporeal existence's ultimate purpose, the two robots find realization.
The robots are definitely the stand outs of the movie, but, we (the humans) demonstrate why we have become the species with the greatest potential our planet has produced.
In the movie human beings have become fat and weak. That is plainly obvious. Yet, there is a subtle and surprising suggestion made in the movie that is not so obvious. Human beings are nice when their basic needs are fulfilled abundantly. When there is plenty of food, water, shelter, comfort and human companionship, human beings are instinctively gentle, kind, easy going creatures. It was a delight for me to witness. I feel in my heart that this is true. We human beings are sweet creatures, just hard living makes us hard. If the living is easy, we are kind. The magic is this though : no matter how hard we get, the core of kindness and love never goes away, no matter how much it is squeezed and compressed. Strength too.
The Captain of the Axiom (the largest ship humanity has escaped Earth on) is human kind's champion in the movie. Easy living has made him fat and dulled, but the vital human spark of curiosity and wonder, which lead to the growth of the Neo Cortex in the brain (which makes us wholly unique from all other species on the planet), has not disappeared, and when presented with the opportunity to grow beyond his shallow and meaningless existence, the Captain seizes it, and does not let go (the wrestling match with Auto, the ship's autopilot drone, was rousing!).
John and Mary are also perfect examples of the truth that human beings are naturally kind and gentle and giving. When there is no reason to engage in emotions of hostility, people are genial and good natured. Meeting Wall-E sparks the desire in them for more meaning in life. And when the occasion presents itself for them to rise up to a challenge, (saving the children) they do so, unlike their fellow human beings who react helplessly because the vital spark of their limitless potential has not been kindled by Wall-E within them.
While I was at Wal-Mart shopping yesterday, I met an overweight Mother and her overweight Son. I overheard the poor boy talking about how he feared his Father.
The Humans of Wall-E are fat and florid.
There society makes them so.
I want to live in a society dedicated to making people strong.
The story makes a virtual panoply of commentary on human nature based on robot behavior.
----
When I ride the Skytrain I see many people with earbuds in their ears listening to their iPods, or I see people holding a stylus in one hand and a Nintendo DS in the other, or I see people with the omnipresent cell phone : texting, surfing the net, or plain old chatting. We human beings have a love affair with our gadgets. This does not surprise me at all. Human beings are defined by the presence of our tools. They are an extension of us. My observation of the tools incorporated while riding the skytrain though is : they block out the world.
Wall-E carries this phenomenon to its extreme. Human beings are always in front of a screen, interacting with a cyber world. Despite the fact that they are surrounded by fellow human beings, there is no physical interaction, all relations are carried out through the electronic filter of the screen. Information. Entertainment. All participation with existence is carried out through a screen. It truly is little different than cell phone, iPods and Nintendo DS's.
What purpose does interaction with people through a tool which removes one from direct physical contact with people serve? Just that : it removes people from direct physical contact with each other. Why?
In the case of the humans aboard the Axiom, it keeps people properly numbed and subservient, which is what the ship's autopilot Auto is designed to do in order to protect the species.
I feel that this is certainly the case with us as well, but, unlike the humans aboard the Axiom, we isolate ourselves from each other with our tools because of 1 thing : fear. Fear of rejection by our fellow human beings. Fear of the threat of possible physical violence. These things feel removed and distant when passed through the protective filters of our tools.
So, it is certainly easy to understand, the vision of fat, wholly disconnected humans portrayed in Wall-E, as an example of what our own evolution could look like.
However, the movie, also presents the solution to insuring that this doesn't become our future, and that solution is simple : purpose.
When people have a purpose, a reason to reach out and interact with each other, something that inspires them, and makes them want to share the experience of life with one another, they will cast aside their protective, filtering tools and embrace what they really needed : human contact and shared experience.
----
Our tools are an extension of ourselves, an expression of how we feel. When we use our tools to create distance between each other, we must ask the question why that is.
Wall-E is the story of a robot, left behind to clean up the mess we made of Earth because of our subscription to a system which tells us that heedless consuming will fill the void in our hearts and souls.
But Wall-E grows and finds life's ultimate purpose : to make connections, and he becomes the tool which inspires ,anew, purpose in the human beings who created him.
Wall-E is a great movie, which teaches on many, many levels. I give it 2 Thumbs Way Up! _| -_- |_
And hey! Being fat can be solved with one thing : a powerful purpose.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Vol 3 - The Velja Approach
Note : This is the unedited draft of the article found in the pamphlet.
What is the purpose of school? To educate right? Next question : Does our current school system succeed in doing that? That is a question one can answer for themselves, but I will volunteer my answer as the representation of one opinion among the many, and my answer is : our current school system does not succeed in educating. And, personally I feel I am not alone in this opinion, in fact, I would hazard a guess that I am in the vast majority. This is not a good thing.
There is a really simple test that can be conducted to determine whether our current school system succeeds in actually imparting knowledge to students. Give an adult one of their old school tests and see if they can pass. Anything beyond basic arithmetic and reading skills will do, so anything past around Grade 5 or 6. I wonder if that's the reason that gameshow is called Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? I will admit it first : I seriously doubt I could pass ANY of my tests after Grade 6 or 7. Math (anything beyond arithmetic). History. Geography. French. Biology. Chemistry. Physics. Health Science. English I think I would do well in, but that's because I was Majoring in English in University and I still enjoy reading English Literature from time to time. Actually, I think this would apply to any adult. They would do well in tests on subjects which they invested time in during their adult life, and/or, they actually enjoyed. AND. there is the secret to a school system which "actually" educates.
I would like to suggest that school should, in fact, do more than just educate, but, "empower" students too. I think that students should finish their 12 years of schooling brimming over with confidence and a sense of their own specialness and uniqueness. I think students at 17 years of age should finish school with a sparkle in their eye and the feeling that they are ready to forge their own path in life. Sounds too good to be true? So did universal suffrage at one time, but, hey! we got it!
Picture this : you're 12 years old. You've finished Grade 6. You are possessed of reading and writing skills and basic arithmetic. You are still young enough to be a child, but are old enough to understand adults. You are entering the time when you are about to come into awareness of how deep your untapped potential truly runs.
You arrive at school for your first day in Grade 7. The Principal greets you and the other students at the front of school saying this, "Welcome students to your 1st day of high school. I have a remarkable thing to tell you, you have no more classes." Naturally this is fairly shocking to you. Some kids might snicker that this means that they can just go home or to the mall and goof off (isn't it a shame that school is so uninspiring that many children have absolutely no desire to be there).
The Principal continues, "That's right kids! You have no more classes. YOU are the ones responsible for your education now." I can already hear adults thinking, "The children will run amok!" I don't think so.
The Principal goes on, "You see this building behind me. This is YOUR school. We adults built it for you, our children, the future generation, to explore life, to determine your path, to grow strong. It has : a Gymnasium, a Library, Chemistry Labs, Biology Labs, Physics Labs, Computer Labs, Sewing Labs, Cooking Labs, a Track and Field, a Soccer Field, Baseball Diamond, Basketball Court, a Theater, Music Room, everything you need to explore and learn to your heart's content."
One of the children asks, "Where are the teachers?" To which the Principal happily responds, "The teachers are in the school, and they will most definitely teach you. They will be engaged in their own studies and projects. Just because we become adults, does not mean we do not stop learning. The only difference between an adult and a child is : experience. Your teachers have more experience than you, and they are here to share it with you : when YOU wish to seek it out."
Some booklets begin to be passed out. The Principal says, "You are all getting an Agenda. Please use it to make appointments with your teachers. That's right, just like adults. When you are busy studying something, and you need to consult with a teacher, just make an appointment and write it down in your Agenda. Your teachers are a resource, fountains of knowledge for you to go to when you are thirsty."
A child asks, "So are you saying that if I want to watch The Simpsons all day or shoot hoops I can?" The Principal amazingly replies, "Of course! There is plenty to learn from The Simpsons. The writers are actually very, very well-educated and there is a plethora of knowledge to be gained as well as satirical social commentary. I think watching The Simpsons is an excellent use of your time. As for shooting hoops, it's excellent exercise, lots of fun, and you might get good enough to go pro."
One of the stupefied parents, who accompanied their child, rouses themselves from their state of shock and asks, "How will children learn anything if they're just watching tv or playing basketball?" The wise Principal responds, "Quite simply because human beings are a living creature and living creatures inevitably grow. Further, human beings crave growth and pushing past their limits. All that is required is the need to do so. When children see other children doing something that looks interesting, they invariably are curious and go have a look. A child who is conducting an experiment to make Gunpowder, will quite likely attract the attention of a basketball loving student when the latter hears a small boom! The basketball student can enjoy doing the experiment with their peer and the two might enjoy a friendly game of hoops later and even become friends."
The shocked parent responds, "That's naive." The Principal answers, "Children NEED adults to believe in them. If adults believe in their children, there is nothing our young ones cannot do. Giving children the control of their own education is an act of trust on the part of adults and one which we gladly give."
The Principal then addresses themselves to the students, "Students, you are humanity's future. You are the next generation of caretakers of this planet, our home. We adults need you to become healthy, happy and strong. More than that, we want you to be healthy, happy and strong."
The Principal then addresses themselves to the parents, "Parents, imagine your child coming home full of excitement, because everyday they are exposed to new wonders which they themselves have sought out. They can't wait to show you their Agendas and the countless exciting projects they are looking forward to. Making costumes for a friend's play. Conducting experiments on microbes that eat plastic bags. Practicing for a District Basketball tournament. Preparing to go cut lawns and paint houses to earn money for a trip to Japan to practice their Japanese. Going on a Field Trip to a Nursing Home to hear stories of World War 2 from the mouths of veterans. Learning to prepare Paella with a Spanish exchange student and a bunch of interested friends in the Cooking Lab. And plenty of appointments with teachers to discuss a panorama of questions. Truly, my fellow adults, school is the place where your child's mind will be opened to the limitless possibilities they possess. And. They will be : Excited. Happy. Full of life and energy. Because they feel special. Because they are special. And we adults will have given them the opportunity and the support for them to feel that way."
One of the parents then asks, "uh. Can adults go back to school too?" The Principal smiles, "When human beings want something, there is nothing they cannot do. Maybe adult school is in order too..."
The Principal concludes with open arms declaring, "Welcome to YOUR school students. Learn. Grow. Become Strong, and Be Happy."
The Principal makes a brief pause before adding, "Oh. And you can take your ear plugs out. There is no more bell screaming at you to follow the path adults dictate for you. No. The need to move forward comes from inside of you now. So : forward!"
Is this possible in the real world? Oh yes. We have the schools. We have the facilities. We have the teachers. We have the students. All that's missing is faith in the unlimited potential and the burning desire to learn of children. Trust me. It is there. I can feel it burning inside of me. I know it's burning inside of you too.
School where students actually learn and grow strong. I want that. = )
What is the purpose of school? To educate right? Next question : Does our current school system succeed in doing that? That is a question one can answer for themselves, but I will volunteer my answer as the representation of one opinion among the many, and my answer is : our current school system does not succeed in educating. And, personally I feel I am not alone in this opinion, in fact, I would hazard a guess that I am in the vast majority. This is not a good thing.
There is a really simple test that can be conducted to determine whether our current school system succeeds in actually imparting knowledge to students. Give an adult one of their old school tests and see if they can pass. Anything beyond basic arithmetic and reading skills will do, so anything past around Grade 5 or 6. I wonder if that's the reason that gameshow is called Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? I will admit it first : I seriously doubt I could pass ANY of my tests after Grade 6 or 7. Math (anything beyond arithmetic). History. Geography. French. Biology. Chemistry. Physics. Health Science. English I think I would do well in, but that's because I was Majoring in English in University and I still enjoy reading English Literature from time to time. Actually, I think this would apply to any adult. They would do well in tests on subjects which they invested time in during their adult life, and/or, they actually enjoyed. AND. there is the secret to a school system which "actually" educates.
I would like to suggest that school should, in fact, do more than just educate, but, "empower" students too. I think that students should finish their 12 years of schooling brimming over with confidence and a sense of their own specialness and uniqueness. I think students at 17 years of age should finish school with a sparkle in their eye and the feeling that they are ready to forge their own path in life. Sounds too good to be true? So did universal suffrage at one time, but, hey! we got it!
Picture this : you're 12 years old. You've finished Grade 6. You are possessed of reading and writing skills and basic arithmetic. You are still young enough to be a child, but are old enough to understand adults. You are entering the time when you are about to come into awareness of how deep your untapped potential truly runs.
You arrive at school for your first day in Grade 7. The Principal greets you and the other students at the front of school saying this, "Welcome students to your 1st day of high school. I have a remarkable thing to tell you, you have no more classes." Naturally this is fairly shocking to you. Some kids might snicker that this means that they can just go home or to the mall and goof off (isn't it a shame that school is so uninspiring that many children have absolutely no desire to be there).
The Principal continues, "That's right kids! You have no more classes. YOU are the ones responsible for your education now." I can already hear adults thinking, "The children will run amok!" I don't think so.
The Principal goes on, "You see this building behind me. This is YOUR school. We adults built it for you, our children, the future generation, to explore life, to determine your path, to grow strong. It has : a Gymnasium, a Library, Chemistry Labs, Biology Labs, Physics Labs, Computer Labs, Sewing Labs, Cooking Labs, a Track and Field, a Soccer Field, Baseball Diamond, Basketball Court, a Theater, Music Room, everything you need to explore and learn to your heart's content."
One of the children asks, "Where are the teachers?" To which the Principal happily responds, "The teachers are in the school, and they will most definitely teach you. They will be engaged in their own studies and projects. Just because we become adults, does not mean we do not stop learning. The only difference between an adult and a child is : experience. Your teachers have more experience than you, and they are here to share it with you : when YOU wish to seek it out."
Some booklets begin to be passed out. The Principal says, "You are all getting an Agenda. Please use it to make appointments with your teachers. That's right, just like adults. When you are busy studying something, and you need to consult with a teacher, just make an appointment and write it down in your Agenda. Your teachers are a resource, fountains of knowledge for you to go to when you are thirsty."
A child asks, "So are you saying that if I want to watch The Simpsons all day or shoot hoops I can?" The Principal amazingly replies, "Of course! There is plenty to learn from The Simpsons. The writers are actually very, very well-educated and there is a plethora of knowledge to be gained as well as satirical social commentary. I think watching The Simpsons is an excellent use of your time. As for shooting hoops, it's excellent exercise, lots of fun, and you might get good enough to go pro."
One of the stupefied parents, who accompanied their child, rouses themselves from their state of shock and asks, "How will children learn anything if they're just watching tv or playing basketball?" The wise Principal responds, "Quite simply because human beings are a living creature and living creatures inevitably grow. Further, human beings crave growth and pushing past their limits. All that is required is the need to do so. When children see other children doing something that looks interesting, they invariably are curious and go have a look. A child who is conducting an experiment to make Gunpowder, will quite likely attract the attention of a basketball loving student when the latter hears a small boom! The basketball student can enjoy doing the experiment with their peer and the two might enjoy a friendly game of hoops later and even become friends."
The shocked parent responds, "That's naive." The Principal answers, "Children NEED adults to believe in them. If adults believe in their children, there is nothing our young ones cannot do. Giving children the control of their own education is an act of trust on the part of adults and one which we gladly give."
The Principal then addresses themselves to the students, "Students, you are humanity's future. You are the next generation of caretakers of this planet, our home. We adults need you to become healthy, happy and strong. More than that, we want you to be healthy, happy and strong."
The Principal then addresses themselves to the parents, "Parents, imagine your child coming home full of excitement, because everyday they are exposed to new wonders which they themselves have sought out. They can't wait to show you their Agendas and the countless exciting projects they are looking forward to. Making costumes for a friend's play. Conducting experiments on microbes that eat plastic bags. Practicing for a District Basketball tournament. Preparing to go cut lawns and paint houses to earn money for a trip to Japan to practice their Japanese. Going on a Field Trip to a Nursing Home to hear stories of World War 2 from the mouths of veterans. Learning to prepare Paella with a Spanish exchange student and a bunch of interested friends in the Cooking Lab. And plenty of appointments with teachers to discuss a panorama of questions. Truly, my fellow adults, school is the place where your child's mind will be opened to the limitless possibilities they possess. And. They will be : Excited. Happy. Full of life and energy. Because they feel special. Because they are special. And we adults will have given them the opportunity and the support for them to feel that way."
One of the parents then asks, "uh. Can adults go back to school too?" The Principal smiles, "When human beings want something, there is nothing they cannot do. Maybe adult school is in order too..."
The Principal concludes with open arms declaring, "Welcome to YOUR school students. Learn. Grow. Become Strong, and Be Happy."
The Principal makes a brief pause before adding, "Oh. And you can take your ear plugs out. There is no more bell screaming at you to follow the path adults dictate for you. No. The need to move forward comes from inside of you now. So : forward!"
Is this possible in the real world? Oh yes. We have the schools. We have the facilities. We have the teachers. We have the students. All that's missing is faith in the unlimited potential and the burning desire to learn of children. Trust me. It is there. I can feel it burning inside of me. I know it's burning inside of you too.
School where students actually learn and grow strong. I want that. = )
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