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- Karo

Shepherd of Being

 A "Shepherd of Being," caught my eye yesterday as I was reading a book. It is how Martin Heidegger referred to our role in our own lives. In his view, we need to stand on the sideline and accept whatever fate grants us.

Passive and unappealing as Heidegger's idea appears, it actually stems from his profound personal experience. In the 1930s, he actively supported the German Nazi movement. Its anti-minority policies were masterminded and enacted by his fellow human beings, and himself. When he conceived the idea of a "Shepherd of Being," a decade or so after the war had ended, his thinking was that since humans were capable of committing so many crimes, perhaps it was better for them to stand by and simply watch their destiny unfold in front of their eyes.

In my mind, accepting the "Shepherd of Being" stance toward our fate is no justification for genocide and other crimes committed in the 1930s and 40s by the Nazis. Nonetheless, accepting our fate, if combined with other concepts, is a powerful and graceful way living.  More on the mystery concepts in the next blog entry! :)

We Learn From Stories, Not Theories

As children we revere and emulate the heroes of books and cartoons: Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Nancy Drew, to name a few. As we grow older, we look for a more “scientific” solution to our problems and seek help in books or individuals who advocate the use of theories that are the key to solving our problems. “If you do x, y, and z, and if you stick to them, you will resolve situation a,” they proclaim. And if you do not manage to follow through the x, y, or z, it is your own failure, not the theory’s.

It is more empowering, in my view, to resurrect the inner child within us, and to let ourselves learn from stories of other grown-up children like us. Their stories offer a wealth of information about struggles and ways of overcoming them, from dealing with addiction and abuse to  living with a disability, exploring gender boundaries, losing a beloved friend, switching careers, having one’s ideas censored, being homeless, etc. The breadth of issues and the socioeconomic, racial, and political diversity of people who deal with them are enormous. The stories are everywhere: in memoirs, ethnographies, biographies, in-depth interviews, and people around us, ready to draw us in, to fascinate us, to sow the seeds of passion or doubt, provide a different perspective or insight, strengthen our resolve to pursue a goal, nurture our imagination, etc.

Stories are empowering because they highlight the vast human potential to overcome pain and numerous obstacles. In minute details, we can retrace someone’s deep sense of sadness before they achieved happiness, disease before they reclaimed health, failure before they made their dreams come true. We can discover a range of emotions that accompany the passage from the unwanted to the desired state of affairs. Finally, we can relate to or try to understand someone’s path in life.    

In doing so, we can also understand our own lives, see pieces of ourselves in others’ stories:  “If this person, under these many difficulties could overcome their problem, perhaps, if I try hard enough, I can do that, too,” we may reflect. And as we seek solutions, we are free to pick as many stories as it takes to make up our own story of personal growth. A story that, perhaps one day, will help others find their way to lead a more joyful and fulfilled life.  

Breaking Down Terrorism with Kindness & Communication

"There is no military solution to terrorism," Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani recently stated at a conference, where he was referring to a UNICEF-sponsored "rehabilitation" program  for the former Taliban recruits. What is, then, the solution? In addition to literacy, it is kindness, communication, and offering opportunities and support that the teenage boys had been deprived of at home, before the Taliban approached them. 

Listen to NPR's Report from which the quote was taken.

I took the picture of the heart from the Drawing Animated Heart Tutorial

Stereotyping Does Not Pay Off, Literally

Stereotyping entails simplifying: you get rid of all the differences that make us unique just so you can pin a label of race, disability, sexual orientation, etc, often without bothering to ask or listen to those labeled whether they agree with your rationale or not.  And precisely because stereotyping ignores differences, it does not pay off, literally, as research shows.

In NPR's report, "Minorities at the Movies fill Seats, But Not Screens," Karen Grigsby Bates explains how despite the fact that racial minorities spend more money on movies and entertainment, they are not playing leading roles in many Hollywood movies. The oversimplification of the Latino or black audiences means that various segments of these minorities are being ignored. For instance, the Latino population, while speaking Spanish, comes from countries as diverse as Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Cuba, etc. Not only their cultural background varies, but also their socio-economic status, religious beliefs, education, to name just a few basic differences.

I do not care very much about the profits or loses of the entertainment industry, but I do think that many individuals from diverse fields that cater to a wide audience, such as marketers, sales reps, people who work in the tourist industry, etc, may view this research as a useful lesson. If larger profit margins would convince them to rid themselves of stereotypes, our society would still be better off in the end. Perverse as it sounds then, their desire to get richer would be a good thing; it would pay off!

Stuffed Tomatoes

I recently was told by a naturopathic doctor that for now, while my digestive system is very weak and being healed, I should not eat too many raw foods, which are harder to digest. I really do feel better when I eat food that is warm, but since it is summer, I also do want to eat light meals, not stews. So below is a recipe I came up with yesterday. On the Joy Blog, I put it under snacks and appetizers, but this was actually our dinner--it just depends how many tomatoes you bake!

Go to the Recipe Page

On a Lighter Note...

In the shadows of the trees
In the rustle of the leaves
Echo echoes her own song note after note
In the wind that serenades
To the clouds, its sky soul mates
Echo echoes with the wind cord after cord...



Enjoy Echo by Victor Tsaran. By the way, if you are in the Bay Area on July 2nd, you can hear him play the song live at Angelica's Bistro