This is not gratitude

Ahhh.  So it's THAT time a year again.  That sort of last-of-the-year time between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year where we pile on all sorts of holidays and food and good spirits propaganda with the intention of counterbalancing all the tricky weather and general depression.  I appreciate the little things that get us through.  Little things like gratitude.

What are you grateful for?

I went to work as a ground keeping assistant doing general landscaping work at one point.  The couple that lived up there doing that work also gave a lot to the local church, but more than that: the more I watched them the more I noticed how they reacted to their environment no matter WHERE they were.  When they saw something needing or even wanting something else, they moved to fill it.  They donated money to local health causes, built things for neighbors, they lived like nothing truly belonged to them; that they were merely the vessel, the servant who transmitted things from one place to where it was suppose to go.  And in return they were taken care of.  Strikingly well, in fact, not that they ask for it.

The season of giving is promotional at it's root of lifestyles that folks like my previous employers live all year round.  I am grateful for them.  I am grateful for everything in existence.  I'd have to be.

I read an article about the holographic universe.  It's a theory, and the article took up most of it's space pondering the unmeasurable.  The idea is based on the eerie observation that scientists made about subatomic particles - that they seemed to be able to instantaneously communicate with each other no matter where they are in the universe.  The article speculates that the reason is because the universe is holographic.  

"A hologram is a three- dimensional photograph made with the aid of a laser. To make a hologram, the object to be photographed is first bathed in the light of a laser beam. Then a second laser beam is bounced off the reflected light of the first and the resulting interference pattern (the area where the two laser beams commingle) is captured on film. When the film is developed, it looks like a meaningless swirl of light and dark lines. But as soon as the developed film is illuminated by another laser beam, a three-dimensional image of the original object appears."  --Is the Universe a Holographic Reality? By Eric Alan Bell

The thing about holographic images is that when they are split in half, both halves contain information from the whole image.  Science cannot dissect holographic images like a frog, because they wouldn't get to see the parts that make them up, only smaller wholes.  


Is that how the Universe is?  We don't know.  And we may not get to know.  It's like how you could never prove or disprove that all matter is rapidly doubling in size because any measuring stick you use would itself be rapidly doubling in size.


My room mate decided to turn the house momentarily into a homeless shelter.  I get why, we've always had a "you can crash here if you need to policy" but it's a little much lately.  I haven't been sleeping well.  On top of this, I've been doing all the things at work no one wants to do, and I haven't been to band practice in soooo long.  Life is stressful.  I want some gratitude, damn it!  I want to feel appreciated once in awhile for everything I do for everyone.  


I KNOW I'm not alone it this, that's why I personally make it a regular habit to show gratitude to people when I recognize even a good intention.  That's when I noticed how contagious an attitude can be.  Gradually, when you practice being thankful, the people around you are thankful for what you do.  If they are the right people to be hanging around in the first place.  It can become a positive feedback cycle of encouragement.  


Encouragement is incredibly valuable.  It is the best version of operant conditioning that exists.  It makes me feel good to be encouraging and it makes you feel good to be encouraged.  So how can I encourage you to be encouraging to others?  


An attitude of gratitude puts into perspective things like boredom, desire, and neediness.  There isn't anything for me to gain from you having gratitude.  At least not directly.  It's worth it to me, I like it and I think you'll like it too.  I sell nothing.


I swear if we all replaced an eye for an eye with a favor for a favor, the world would surprise itself about just how much resources it has; physically, emotionally, philosophically... abundantly.  Whatever can be valuable to a person.


Anyways, My Mp3 player broke and I want a new one.  Now that you're all in the spirit of giving, anyone got an extra?  ;)


--J.M. Gatewood
Probability Significator