Dec 16, 2021
Day 4 of Christmas Convergences 2021
A countdown to Christmas with Stu’s “Cursory Rhymes for Our Curious Times”
Christmas is like kintsugi,
and here it comes again,
to bond and smooth and make amends
and make a crack a grin.
Repair is not perfection,
but enough, upon reflection,
and toughens those once weak with woes.
Don’t seek a flawless correction.
Christmas is like kintsugi.
Fauxlosophers, go hide.
Your cattle crowing, and sheep unknowing,
surely will abide.
If not, then Scrooge and Grinch
can help you find what hurts inside.
: )
Notes in reverse order because that seems right at the moment:
Scrooge and Grinch: So many of us have either adopted scripts from others, or we’ve been hurt, or we’re assuming things that are fairly arbitrarily negative and prescriptive, or we don’t realize that our incomplete and semi-factual narratives about life in society aren’t the only reasonable ones, or whatever, but Mr. Scrooge and Mr. Grinch realized something they never realized they’d realize — either. Who knows. A seasonal consideration maybe.
cattle/sheep: We grow up, especially in the last few decades, hearing so much about not being mere followers that we forget that we are that, and it has to do with needing to make decisions in a world of infinite possibilities, therefore relying on others that seem knowledgeable or magnetic somehow, or that display social proof, especially when the shepherd or guru seems to solve a puzzle that we may not be consciously aware of our wanting to solve. Of all sorts.
fauxlosophers: Philosophy comes right after truth and love in the list of important words with too many meanings. (Stu totally does not get why we do this, since we’re so good at making different sounds/words). Anyway, not all philosophers are fauxlosophers, only the ones that try to peddle ideas because they suit their own pre-conceived prognoses and prescriptions and just need some esoteric language to elevate their weavings.
flawless correction: refers to the repair or to an attempt to create a correction to humies/society that has only our preferred flaws and weak points. Here are some related thoughts on Humpty Dumpty 2.0. (No offense taken if you scroll down to just below the white brick building undergoing repairs.)
toughens: I’m not saying we should replace every “awww” with “toughen up”. Okay some, yes. Maybe use more words. Anyway, breakage and repair involve both a learning and a mending. Done well, the act of mending increases resilience and happiness on our imperfect planet.
kintsugi: From wearing our kintsugi repairs on our sleave to distorting it and other pragmatic Eastern philosophical/spiritual concepts to suit our Western ideas of license and individualism, we have to be mindful of what we’re really after, and why, and what are some alternatives. And maybe we’re in a herd through some default disguised as a mindful decision, and our kintsugi will let us think wholistically again.
Christmas: A philosophically, culturally, historically impure recurring season of exuberant kintsugi, understood as temporary — variously interpreted as the greatest commemoration, goofiest fabrication, or just pragmatic celebration. After all, the sun really has started rising higher in the sky and staying up longer, as was celebrated once.
So, the next nine installments for Stu’s countdown will be more in line with Christmas enjoyment and celebration : ).
Tim
