Autumnal Equinox Musings
September 27, 2016
G.D.O'Bradovich III
Veritas omnia vincit
Recently, a certain Cancer Gemini expressed concern about management's opinions (read "feelings") if he were to change his availability from midnight to 10pm. I immediately knew the answer based on the following facts: still in high school and possessing an energetic and engaging personality. Ultimately, it would be better to have him available for fewer hours than to have him employed with a competitor. In toto, this request was reasonable and I have no doubt it will be acceptable to management. It is only by the grace of God that I did not say "I'd be happy to have you on my staff".
Gentle Reader, we now know why Great Occultists exhibit reticence and reserved behavior, neither should they relate their inner monologue nor reveal any conclusions of their hidden dialogues.
A certain Aquarius acquaintance in high school described couples who engaged in excessive public displays of affection as "Klingons". This appellation appealed to my inner Geek and to my love of wordplay. Long before I encountered high school antics, I resolved to be defined by what I know, and not by who I am with. I attribute this resolution more to the limited social environment in a midwestern town than to anything else. I have recently realized that I have attempted to date at least once during each decade of my life. The aughts have the distinction of three such attempts, so I feel the teens and twenties should be void of any attempts at dating; I can resume my attempts in the thirties.
It seems that finding one to date is random happenstances that, for unknown reasons, ... happen. I am aware I have lowered my expectations over the ensuing years. My remaining standards are being industrious and having a sense of humor. Long gone are the IQ stipulations and age range mandates. "I won't date individuals with an IQ less than 130" degraded to "Gotta have at least 121". In turn this standard became "115 or a college grad", to arrive at the current "100 and I can't go any lower".
It seems that my dating standards have intersected with a cliché reminiscent of used car salesmen. Reducing my standards for perceived intelligence has not opened up vast untapped pools of potential dates. I attribute this lack of successful dating either to the lack of suitable individuals in the environs of Terre Haute or to my limited social circle, where quality will always trump quantity. It is just as well, since my dislike of public displays of affection is eerily similar to my disdain of private displays of affection. When all variables are considered, some people, even with the best hopes and honorable intentions, will remain alone.
Over the years, I have referenced Beaky's periodic involvement in my research. Beaky has many pressing obligations, so I do not expect his assistance every time I encounter an academic problem. Beaky is one of those gods who just shows up, without any announcement or warning [I have yet to determine any pattern to his manifestations.]. For all of Beaky's abilities, I have noticed that he never follows through or guides me to any conclusions. Beaky puts me on a path of inquiry, and little else. I make this observation, not as a criticism, but as a statement of fact. It seems as if the successful quest requires the seeker to finish what one started, with minimal assistance from Beaky. I also am aware that few projects were completed when left to my own devices. I have no doubt that over the decades, thousands of projects have been started, yet none of any importance or value where completed before I met you. I cannot state that you have be a Muse to me, for I was creative before we met - conceiving many works and projects, and starting the vast majority of them. However, it is only since I have know you have any profound works been completed in their entirety and to my satisfaction.
I have always know that the combination of my wants and your needs were not compatible. The poets would say "star crossed", but such wording seems to deny our humanity, as if we are devoid of reasoning and are only actors on stage, where the impresario is a horoscope. Since our first conversation, I doubt that a day has passed without either a remembrance of you or wondering what you are doing. I relate this neither to shame you for your obligations and needs, as I understand both, nor as a sense of personal pride, as though I had any input in our chance encounter. I relate this so that you will know with certainty, and not only have vague feelings, how deeply you have affected me, directly, and how profoundly our association has influenced my work, indirectly. Who could have foreseen my transformation from defining myself in terms of what I "know" to what I have "accomplished"? Of course, it was possible that this change of outlook could have happened without you, although it was unlikely. However, the fact remains that your involvement precipitated my change. For that, I am grateful.
Amor Fati- Fred's love of fate. If one can step on the second rung of an imaginary ladder, one can look down and understand that man's personal interactions and his involvements with Nature are beyond good and evil. Yet, the next step on our Ladder of Enlightenment is more difficult for Yours Truly. To love my fate and to live it over again and again- eternal reoccurrence. I cannot agree with the concept of Amor Fati, anymore than I can worship a deity who only wants praise. To love one's fate means that fate contains the highest virtues that I admire. My fate has provided hardworking and humorous individuals, but not a sufficient number of either kind to convince me to repeat this life ad nauseam, as Fred would suggest. I cannot love my fate, as there too few industrious and witty individuals to make it repeatable. At best, I can accept the idea of "Tolerating Fate". I concede that this sentiment is not as exalted as Fred's philosophical approach, but my wording is, if not pragmatic, then at least descriptive of one who has lived.
If, a lifetime ago, one were to attempt to convince me that this life would be defined by my interactions with two entities- firstly, an invisible advisor from the Egyptian pantheon and, secondly, a mortal who I would rarely encounter, but would exude a tremendous influence on me; I would have been incredulous. Yet, reality can be, and is, stranger than fiction.
In conclusion, valuable employees are to be retained, love endures all things (including fate), and the most significant individuals in my life:
Gentle Reader, we now know why Great Occultists exhibit reticence and reserved behavior, neither should they relate their inner monologue nor reveal any conclusions of their hidden dialogues.
A certain Aquarius acquaintance in high school described couples who engaged in excessive public displays of affection as "Klingons". This appellation appealed to my inner Geek and to my love of wordplay. Long before I encountered high school antics, I resolved to be defined by what I know, and not by who I am with. I attribute this resolution more to the limited social environment in a midwestern town than to anything else. I have recently realized that I have attempted to date at least once during each decade of my life. The aughts have the distinction of three such attempts, so I feel the teens and twenties should be void of any attempts at dating; I can resume my attempts in the thirties.
It seems that finding one to date is random happenstances that, for unknown reasons, ... happen. I am aware I have lowered my expectations over the ensuing years. My remaining standards are being industrious and having a sense of humor. Long gone are the IQ stipulations and age range mandates. "I won't date individuals with an IQ less than 130" degraded to "Gotta have at least 121". In turn this standard became "115 or a college grad", to arrive at the current "100 and I can't go any lower".
It seems that my dating standards have intersected with a cliché reminiscent of used car salesmen. Reducing my standards for perceived intelligence has not opened up vast untapped pools of potential dates. I attribute this lack of successful dating either to the lack of suitable individuals in the environs of Terre Haute or to my limited social circle, where quality will always trump quantity. It is just as well, since my dislike of public displays of affection is eerily similar to my disdain of private displays of affection. When all variables are considered, some people, even with the best hopes and honorable intentions, will remain alone.
Over the years, I have referenced Beaky's periodic involvement in my research. Beaky has many pressing obligations, so I do not expect his assistance every time I encounter an academic problem. Beaky is one of those gods who just shows up, without any announcement or warning [I have yet to determine any pattern to his manifestations.]. For all of Beaky's abilities, I have noticed that he never follows through or guides me to any conclusions. Beaky puts me on a path of inquiry, and little else. I make this observation, not as a criticism, but as a statement of fact. It seems as if the successful quest requires the seeker to finish what one started, with minimal assistance from Beaky. I also am aware that few projects were completed when left to my own devices. I have no doubt that over the decades, thousands of projects have been started, yet none of any importance or value where completed before I met you. I cannot state that you have be a Muse to me, for I was creative before we met - conceiving many works and projects, and starting the vast majority of them. However, it is only since I have know you have any profound works been completed in their entirety and to my satisfaction.
I have always know that the combination of my wants and your needs were not compatible. The poets would say "star crossed", but such wording seems to deny our humanity, as if we are devoid of reasoning and are only actors on stage, where the impresario is a horoscope. Since our first conversation, I doubt that a day has passed without either a remembrance of you or wondering what you are doing. I relate this neither to shame you for your obligations and needs, as I understand both, nor as a sense of personal pride, as though I had any input in our chance encounter. I relate this so that you will know with certainty, and not only have vague feelings, how deeply you have affected me, directly, and how profoundly our association has influenced my work, indirectly. Who could have foreseen my transformation from defining myself in terms of what I "know" to what I have "accomplished"? Of course, it was possible that this change of outlook could have happened without you, although it was unlikely. However, the fact remains that your involvement precipitated my change. For that, I am grateful.
Amor Fati- Fred's love of fate. If one can step on the second rung of an imaginary ladder, one can look down and understand that man's personal interactions and his involvements with Nature are beyond good and evil. Yet, the next step on our Ladder of Enlightenment is more difficult for Yours Truly. To love my fate and to live it over again and again- eternal reoccurrence. I cannot agree with the concept of Amor Fati, anymore than I can worship a deity who only wants praise. To love one's fate means that fate contains the highest virtues that I admire. My fate has provided hardworking and humorous individuals, but not a sufficient number of either kind to convince me to repeat this life ad nauseam, as Fred would suggest. I cannot love my fate, as there too few industrious and witty individuals to make it repeatable. At best, I can accept the idea of "Tolerating Fate". I concede that this sentiment is not as exalted as Fred's philosophical approach, but my wording is, if not pragmatic, then at least descriptive of one who has lived.
If, a lifetime ago, one were to attempt to convince me that this life would be defined by my interactions with two entities- firstly, an invisible advisor from the Egyptian pantheon and, secondly, a mortal who I would rarely encounter, but would exude a tremendous influence on me; I would have been incredulous. Yet, reality can be, and is, stranger than fiction.
In conclusion, valuable employees are to be retained, love endures all things (including fate), and the most significant individuals in my life:
They're Beaky and the twin. Yes, Beaky and the twin.
One is a deity, the other's mortal.
One is a deity, the other's mortal.
[One day] you will stumble upon someone who will start a fire in you that cannot die. However, the saddest, most awful truth you will ever come to find– is they are not always with whom we spend our lives. Bernie Taplin