Thinking Things Through.

Thinking Things Through.

Well now I have set out my stall so to speak. I have not spotted a vast rush of bods pushing and shoving to take me or my ideas apart, for which I am grateful. No, I know from the statistics print out that there are a few folk interested in my ramblings for which I'm pleased but until I get a dialogue going that much will remain very much a secret between them and their own confidants. This means naturally enough if I am going to start to examine the premise I have presented I shall have to; think things through, on my own, a very poor alternative to a real examination?

What sort of approach should be the best. Stating and examining the facts, the myths, and the hoary old 'wives tales,'? No doubt this would get some or most of the deadwood out of the system and help to get straight to the nitty-gritty and perhaps that would be the best plan? It would enable both of us to get our arguments and road blocks out into the open? Over the years I have heard many arguments and statements of fact, on the inevitability of death, eventually. This period should you survive all the obstacles that have been placed one way or another in the path of homo-sapiens right up until our present, still remains around the seventy years mark or a little more, with a good following wind.

My own thoughts on the matter of a longer life-span or the whole longevity bit, up until a decade or two back, with three exceptions, which I shall show have strongly affected my thinking in the past year or so, must have followed much the same pattern as most others. Part of growing to a responsible adult with a mature attitude to life and ability to evaluate its meaning. Circumstance that the cycle of life throws up, means probably from early to mid twenties onward depending on experience, intelligence and life chances we all follow a general pattern of expectancy, anticipation, fulfillment and for the fortunate, tolerable happiness. The rhythm and flow of these events punctuated at intervals with varying degrees of hope.

Hope can be the most wicked and deceiving of all the evils and desires that entered the world when Pandora's jar or box was opened. The story goes that 'hope,' was the only gift, of human ills and blessings  from the gods that was left behind, when her husband Epimethius opened the box that she had brought from heaven. An interesting tale and one that can and has been embroidered many thousands of times over the centuries since the Greeks first placed it within their mythology. Should we then give up at the first hurdle on the point of the mischievous little word: hope? Surely we would be poor clay indeed?

The tale of  Pandora as the world's first woman pre-dates the old testament story of Eve as the world's first woman, and both stories appear to absolve the males in their respective guilt regarding their disobedience and therefore breaking the thread of eternal life. Could it be that the ingenuity and the vivid combinations of imagination, adaptation, exploitation and intelligent application of abstract concepts are giving the Divine cause to think? Perhaps humanity is at last showing signs of reaching a point of maturity commiserate with that of an indefinite life-span? Where it may be asked do these questions have any validity?

In keeping with the history of the species and its violent selfish, and destructive past continuing to plunge into the future, parading, almost with a vainglorious and macho arrogance its internecine activities. Just where is the balance? the maturity? the responsibility? this beautiful planet deserves as stewards to save its future and to turn it back to its almost forgotten Eden? The pollution, greed, corruption, selfish individuality, so rife today. Hardly appear to be the best qualifications for the job? It could be these very ingrained bad habits, indelibly imprinted into our psychic over many centuries are the best, even though the most unlikely qualifications for extending the life span.

It has to be underlined that these arguments apply in the main at the present to the more advanced nations of the world in their development. Many of these issues will certainly not apply to many areas of Africa, Asia and other remote areas of the world. Though they will as these nations get more help and consideration as the network of help and development continues to improve. However the continued emphasis on the negative in humanity and its supposedly totally abhorrent and destructive behaviour is a poor recompense for all the superb charity work, efforts and vital funds being raised on all fronts.

This area of giving has mushroomed since the late 1960's /70's decade and continues so to do. It is not too well publicized but the reason probably lies with the development of the electronic computer. Especially as many of these charity efforts actually stem from the early 1990's which were then given greater impetus by the government charity concessions on gift aid and others means. The refinement of gift aid down to very small donations via direct debit also fueled the pressure on even the hardest heart or the deepest pockets.

Naturally it is too early to say whether such largesse on the part of the general population will affect longevity but the possibility remains. As good works often fuel the general well being of the total persona. This entry of 'Thinking Things Through,' it has struck me of recent days with some of the completely obvious observations made over the screamingly obvious on the subject of an extended life-span. Having acknowledged that in this overcrowded world of ours any extension to life-span could spell disaster?

Well surely this view falls into the category of why spend more time, and intellectual effort, by insisting that human nature, with all its foibles and excuses is set in stone? on the discussion or even thought that, any ideas that might pull the human race out of its present self destruct obsession with selfish pursuit of individual glorification?

The vision granted me nearly forty years ago illustrated to me this race is a fool's errant in the biggest and most dynamic way imaginable. It remains a distinct possibility, especially when hearing the paucity nature of some of the attempts at putting down the solutions I have presented to solve the problem of too much self indulgence in the area of proliferation of humanity.

For many years the nature of man and woman to insist that their greatest function is to procreate and pass their genes on will have no meaning or value if the expansion of the species continues at the present rate. This is of course a provable statistic. Unless we as a species learn to keep our brain and genitals at opposite ends of their bodies, as the creator intended, very, very, soon I for one will have to be content with the same fate as my one true hero and mentor, Moses.

Forty years in the wilderness. His punishment for allowing the people of Israel to become impatient and making their own judgement on the creator's wishes. Today's situation in the world can be seen by some as analogous to that of Moses awaiting God's efforts to carve the tablets with the ten commandments from which any sane adult would wish to govern their life.