Friday, January 30, 2009
Terrible Twos
"In the United States the average home has grown from 983 square feet in 1950 to 2,434 square feet in 2005. It's a trend seen across the Western world...I think it is more than coincidence that over that same period, North American scores on an international survey of happiness have dropped and the amount of time we spend with our children has decreased."
--Michael Ungar, Ph.D.
--Michael Ungar, Ph.D.
Terrible Twos
Beaver has a case of the Terrible Twos.
"Mine," he says, jamming his toy explorers,
two-footed into the arctic snow.
Beaver’s scientists are on a mission:
to solve the ownership issue,
prove the north pole is
tectonically connected to his home
on native land, as the old song goes.
"When all this melts I’ll own
whatever’s left of it!" Beaver proclaims.
"My peer-reviewed journals will prove it."
All well and good,
until Bear comes out to play.
Bear’s in that same phase,
also staking claims,
learning his power,
unaware of repercussions
or limits.
But he’s so much bigger.
Adults expect more from Bear.
"Mine," Bear says, jamming flag-poles,
single-speared into everything,
even underwater.
Bear’s toy soldiers are on a mission:
to get there first, like Sputnik,
to defend what so obviously
belongs to him,
like the old Soviet republics.
"When all this melts I’ll own
whatever’s left of it!" Bear proclaims.
"All my flags will prove it."
Beaver has a case of the Terrible Twos.
"Mine," he says, jamming his toy explorers,
two-footed into the arctic snow.
Beaver’s scientists are on a mission:
to solve the ownership issue,
prove the north pole is
tectonically connected to his home
on native land, as the old song goes.
"When all this melts I’ll own
whatever’s left of it!" Beaver proclaims.
"My peer-reviewed journals will prove it."
All well and good,
until Bear comes out to play.
Bear’s in that same phase,
also staking claims,
learning his power,
unaware of repercussions
or limits.
But he’s so much bigger.
Adults expect more from Bear.
"Mine," Bear says, jamming flag-poles,
single-speared into everything,
even underwater.
Bear’s toy soldiers are on a mission:
to get there first, like Sputnik,
to defend what so obviously
belongs to him,
like the old Soviet republics.
"When all this melts I’ll own
whatever’s left of it!" Bear proclaims.
"All my flags will prove it."
Labels: 2009, nova scotia, Poetry, politics
Comments:
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I suppoe the modern era is kind of like an adolescence of humanity...
When we are children we had imaginary parents, the Gods, now we're going through a phase of breaking free...
When we are children we had imaginary parents, the Gods, now we're going through a phase of breaking free...
Plankton never thought to plant a flag staking out anything, being the smallest of the small; plankton simply knew it all was within his realm. Plankton mythology always said that on the back of the smallest the largest are allowed to live.
Materialism, workaholism--these are the natural consequences of the Protestant ethic, I'm afraid.
Those kids claiming a piece of snow as theirs kinda remind me of those commenters who always post "First"; claiming something that they don't expect to be taken away.
Those kids claiming a piece of snow as theirs kinda remind me of those commenters who always post "First"; claiming something that they don't expect to be taken away.
Thanks Devin, best to you too and glad you enjoyed.
Crushed: I actually tend to see us more as old men who have become dangerously senile and cantankerous, and out of step with the reality of our times. In our younger years we lived quite effectively on this planet. Now we don't know how, and we have become childish and prone to temper tantrums to get our way, even though our way is not actually what is best for us. We have not broken free from the gods, we have waged war on them, and we can't win.
TWM: and so the toppers fuck us all.
Foam: indeed let's, but those guns have real bullets. how will we do it?
MD: thanks.
XD: i wish it was just the protestants, but it's engrained in a much larger monoculture than that. remember the russians are either godless or orthodox, or in many cases buddhist/animist. and canadians are pretty much everything - though of course our rulers are most often christians. regardless, you see the same attitudes in india, iran, israel, australia, south korea...
Crushed: I actually tend to see us more as old men who have become dangerously senile and cantankerous, and out of step with the reality of our times. In our younger years we lived quite effectively on this planet. Now we don't know how, and we have become childish and prone to temper tantrums to get our way, even though our way is not actually what is best for us. We have not broken free from the gods, we have waged war on them, and we can't win.
TWM: and so the toppers fuck us all.
Foam: indeed let's, but those guns have real bullets. how will we do it?
MD: thanks.
XD: i wish it was just the protestants, but it's engrained in a much larger monoculture than that. remember the russians are either godless or orthodox, or in many cases buddhist/animist. and canadians are pretty much everything - though of course our rulers are most often christians. regardless, you see the same attitudes in india, iran, israel, australia, south korea...
i'm hip.
Actually, the term "protestant ethic" is historical, applied to the Doctrine of Election, and other such beliefs. Because of it's culture--especially the society that fosters it--it's hardly a trait exclusive to Protestants. But that's it's origins.
Actually, the term "protestant ethic" is historical, applied to the Doctrine of Election, and other such beliefs. Because of it's culture--especially the society that fosters it--it's hardly a trait exclusive to Protestants. But that's it's origins.
XD: thanks for the clarification. let's rename 'protestant work ethic' to 'culture of dominion,' shall we?
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