mysteryoriley

That’s right.  It’s time for a revolution.  A social revolution, but without the violence.  No need for more of that.  We’ve had plenty, thank you.

I’m dumbstruck when I think about how our social evolution (U.S.A. and elsewhere) has brought about such degeneration.  What a riddle.  Degeneration as evolution.

Specifically, I’m thinking of people with more skills in video games than in ordinary language or mathematics.  I often think of video wargames as a way to train the next generation of soldiers.  Nothing stunning about this thought, plenty of others have written about it.  I’m sure there are whole websites devoted to this topic as a conspiracy theory, though I’m not likely to look them up today.

If we take all the feeling out of destroying people via video games – even make it fun and competitive, how long does it take to remove all feeling from the hearts and minds of those holding the control pads?  Wow, I just heard those conservatives from my youth saying, “That music’s gonna rot your brain!”  But, no, this is different.  That music was not promoting violence, quite the opposite, in fact.  (To be clear, I’m talking about rock’n'roll of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s…well, part of the 80s.)

Games as sheer entertainment or as a way to learn strategies or problem solving – I have no problem with these.  I even like these games.  More money poured into these games would be just fine with me.  How about games that teach kids manners,  common courtesies, or hey, here’s one – critical thinking?  Anyone want to contribute to a new venture that endorses these outcomes?  I’m in.

Manners.  Different cultures, different manners.  I get it.  However, I think that when a person bumps into you on the street or anywhere else, like maybe, the video game aisle of your favorite electronics store, no matter your culture, a simple “excuse me” (in any language…body language will convey the message if the words aren’t easily translated) is easy enough to acknowledge as a common courtesy, manners.  That’s not what I’m experiencing.  I’m experiencing kids AND adults bumping into me, and continuing on their absent, unaware way.  Why is that?  What has happened that my personal space is unimportant to someone who has just invaded it?  It’s not like there’s no space left, and we have to squeeze our way through aisles or sidewalks where touching others is so commonplace that no offense is taken.  (I realize there are cities where close proximity to strangers on the streets makes bumping into each other an everyday experience.  They have a public agreement about this, as okay.)  Here, in the U.S. of A., in Northern California, I take offense at this invasion.  I take offense at the invasions of countries by other countries for the gain of the invading country’s corporations.  (“Money for minds that hate…”) 

I never had much luck with making a list of resolutions for a new year.  I’m too busy making those lists every day.  I can’t wait for a new year to hope I can make changes, improvements, in my life.  I make lots of lists.  Most of the awake people I know make these lists.  Owen’s journals are full of these lists.  Nat’s lists have been made, changed, improved over the years. 

What are your lists?  Are you aware of manners?  Do you say “excuse me” when you bump into a stranger by accident?  How much time do you spend watching mindless television?  How much time do you spend playing video games?  What would you like to see happen so that we can teach our kids respect, and have them truly hear us, and follow suit?  What video game would you create to teach Surviving Reality, and exclude any elements of violence, while including respect, manners, common courtesies, green living, art as healing (add music and dance as expressive arts, of course), effective communication (try this…grab a book and read, you know, the kind of book with pages made from paper, a cover, and book binding), a basic understanding of math, a lifelong love of learning, and okay, I’m gonna say it…love?

Change your head.  Free your mind.  Change the world.  It’s a REVOLUTION.  (Thanks, LeaKel.)

Song for the night: Revolution, The Beatles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf-Q2rDd6Tw

~ by Linda on January 1, 2008.

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Tags: art, conspiracy theories, Emmitt Owen Riley, healing, language, learning, Linda Siniard, manners, mathematics, Nat Riley, New Year's Resolutions, Owen Riley, respect, revolution, riddles, Shoo-Be-Do-Wop, social evolution, social revolution, soldiers, The Beatles, video games, war