View From the Wall

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[box]This is a guest post by Mitch Allen of Morpho Designs.[/box]

Oh, to be a fly on the wall, safe from the web, yet able to see all the shenanigans taking place therein. Look! A newbie is doing a Google search! Ha-ha, so typical: how can I make money from home? Poor newbie, which of the 612 million answers will you follow? Uh-oh, that was an ad you just clicked.

Fly Eyes

Photo by J J Harrison

Crime of Passion

Stifling a dream to pay the rent. Chasing deadlines instead of shooting for the stars. Whatever happened to the unbridled imagination of our youth? Did we not pay heed to Mr. Langston Hughes?

A Dream Deferred

by Langston Hughes

 

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore —

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over —

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

The Miseducation

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the lyrics to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill describe a masterpiece of meaning. She laments the speed of today's world – leaving the past far behind. She is never able to make herself to be what others want her to be. Yet, deep in her heart and mind, she knows the answers to her destiny lie within. She hears others cry for help, searching outside of themselves. But she, she comes to know the truth.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hvntSfvqGQ[/youtube]

A Posteriori Revelation

If you look inside yourself, you will find all the truths that you allow yourself. Remember, no hammer ever built a house and no words ever tore one down. When you know, then you can grow. When you know that you know, you become unstoppable. By contrast, what you don't know can absolutely hurt you and, if you don't know that you don't know, you won't get anywhere!

Morpho Designs

36 thoughts on “View From the Wall”

  1. Suresh Khanal

    Hi Allen, Love you play with words and mood. What a remarkable beginning.

    Oh ow! That was an Ad, hahhaaa…

    But everybody needs to go through all these grief educating in the course and a happy smile for everybody who sustains the hardest storms. I clicked a lot of ads, read every bullshit, and its great because now I can create a few more bullshits 😉

    A big kudos Allen, love you speak all over the post.

  2. essay

    Hi, I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog!…..I”ll be checking in on a regularly now….Keep up the good work!

  3. Mitchell Allen

    Thanks, Suresh! It pains me that the only way to learn is through grief, as you say. I believe that there is a big difference between learning from failure and learning from burns.

    Here is a goofy example: I want to learn how to ride a bike. If I jump on a bike and wobble down the street a few times, I’ll fall, skin my knees and elbows and maybe cry in frustration. If I keep getting up and jumping on that bike, I will eventually ride well enough to enjoy it.

    If, on the other hand, I ask a random stranger how to ride a bike, I might get some dangerous advice. “Young man, see that delivery truck? Why, you just grab hold of that truck, keep your feet on the pedals and go, go, go!”

    Assuming I survive such horrid advice, I may or may not actually learn to ride. Regardless of the outcome, the world just became a worse place for FUTURE aspiring bike riders. Why? Because, on the one hand, if I managed to learn via this risky technique, I will share this with those people. On the other hand, if I broke every bone in my body, I will rail against bike riding in general, probably telling the hopefuls something like, “Forget it, kids, bike riding is suicidal. Get a wagon!”

    I hope I’m not painting too dismal an analogy. I have learned from some amazing people online, and I have managed to avoid the more glaring of the miseducation, mostly by remembering that, if it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t!

    Cheers,

    Mitch

  4. Vernessa Taylor

    Hi Mitch,

    Beautifully written. I’m never disappointed when I sit down to listen to you.

    Yes, even miseducation is a crime of passion, isn’t it? My grandmother used to say something like, “Study long, you’ll study wrong.” For the longest time I misunderstood what she meant. It finally dawned on me she meant something along the lines of “go with your heart.”

    From the view on the wall to the “posteriori revelation,” from the stanzas to the oh-so-real lyrics, you’ve captured and presented timeless wisdom.

    1. Mitchell Allen

      Vernessa, I love your takeaways! I was thinking that killing our dreams was the crime. But, yes, miseducation could also be a crime of passion – though I tend to think of the perpetrators as – at best – misinformed.

      When we flip the perspective from the “perp” to the “vic” – your grandmother’s advice does make sense. I think motivational speakers tap into passion better than most and, if they stay true, can deliver a wallop greater than all the textbooks out there. No victims, here! They truly follow their hearts and answer the call.

      That said, it’s not enough simply to yearn to fix a brain with your hands, you need “Gifted Hands”. 😉 In other words, education. My worry is that passionate people may try to fuel the vehicle for the long journey with high octane passion, neglecting the lubricating goodness of good information.

      Cheers,

      Mitch

      1. Vernessa Taylor

        Let me just say, you motivate with the best. Nothing on you there!

        And unless you’re psychic, you wouldn’t know Lauryn’s Everything is Everything from MisEducation is probably my favorite song of all time, listened to almost every day. Ha!

        Write on, Rock on, Mitch!

        1. Mitchell Allen

          You know what, Vernessa? I have to admit I didn’t know this song existed, 48 hours ago! I only dimly recalled reading or hearing about the “Miseducation of …” somebody. When I wrote that header, I remembered the phrase and Googled it.

          Imagine the joy! The lyrics echoed my sentiments perfectly. Also, it just so happened that I selected SupaFlyRadYo’s uploaded presentation. (Her bio says she’s 17 years old.) America’s got talent.

          I read the comments on the YouTube page and learned that Miseducation has moved, inspired and comforted many of Lauryn Hill’s fans. I love when those connections happen.

          Thanks again!

          Cheers,

          Mitch

  5. Mitch Mitchell

    Okay, I have to admit that I almost couldn’t read this because of the bug image; you know how I am about bugs, and I know Ileane picked it for you; ugh! lol

    Having recovered, you’re right in saying that things move faster now and we don’t all take the time to fully appreciate things, or even learn things. I’ve always said that I think it’s a great thing that we have so much more access to things now than we used to. I still think that, but people might also be getting overwhelmed by it all. That kind of defeats the purpose, eh?

    1. Mitchell Allen

      Sorry about the bug, but I think she is adorable, with her big brown eyes. LOL
      I agree that Information Overload will fry a lot of mental circuitry. The sad thing is that much of the noise is just that – an annoying buzz of misinformation, herd mentality and outright lies.

      We all need to install some voltage regulators! 🙂

      I believe we each have different capacities for absorbing information. I remember how you felt when someone implied that it was not possible for you to dash off a blog post in fifteen minutes. Besides the fact that the person obviously didn’t know you, it’s clear from your output on ALL your blogs that you retain tons of useful information to share with your readers. A lesser mortal would go all catatonic 🙂

      Thanks for commenting and, please put the Raid away.

      Cheers,

      Mitch

  6. Kiesha

    Hi Mitch,
    You’ve got me wanting to applaud you with finger snaps to this one! It’s sad that this is how it goes on a day to day basis, but it is what it is. Instead of turning to Google for answers, we need to be looking to ourselves.

    1. Mitchell Allen

      Thanks, Kiesha. I bet is was the fella on the keyboards, huh? 🙂

      I usually distain the search engine attention wars but, Microsoft makes a valid point by asking, “What has search done to us?” It’s bad enough that most of us didn’t receive proper research education in K-12 … our profesors loved to throw that in our faces! What is worse is how easily we accept the results, apropos of nothing.

      Even now, I rely on Wikipedia for researching cosmology (a bit of fiction writing keeps the cobwebs of advancing age at bay). When I read some of the entries, I just shake my head, because the content is way over it and, for my purposes, I just trust that it’s accurate.

      I also use Google for software research. Empirical results are easier to confirm – either the suggestions work, or they don’t. Perhaps that’s the safest way to ensure that we don’t get mislead – stop asking Google non-technical questions!

      Cheers,

      Mitch

      1. Danny

        That is so true!
        What makes it worse is that we now have access to Google, wikipedia and the likes everywhere we are on our phones.
        I have killed many passionate debates even before they began by retorting with: I’ll ask Google or check wikipedia. And then that is the answer.
        But most times the way you get to the answer can be even more important than the answer itself. I missed out on actually learning something. Especially because chances are smaller that I will remember anything because I know I can ask Google again.

        1. Mitchell Allen

          Thanks for sharing that, Danny. You’re a brave soul to admit that Google is the final arbiter in your debates. 🙂

          One of the things I do to minimize the Googlification of knowledge is to read at least three of the results. It’s time-consuming but, taking a consensus sometimes clarifies things.

          Sadly, consensus is a flawed mechanism for filtering information. You should check out my post Conventional Wisdom of Crowds.

          Cheers,

          Mitch

  7. Ana

    The crime of passion is one of the most dangerous crimes that can steal away time from things that are more important than making money – things with eternity value. This is a very thought provoking post, Mitchell. Thanks Ileane for sharing!

  8. Will

    Mitchell you have a wonderful way with words, I have been stressing over an exam I have tomorrow however you have lightened my mood, thanks!

  9. Joshua

    I must say this article is a masterpiece! an eye opener for many. Its all about chasing wild dreams in life and after having a thousand miles run madly, we come to realize that we have lost our true identity. This is the true truth of today’s world.

    1. Mitchell Allen

      Thank you, Joshua! I love your metaphor of running madly. That’s exactly what many of us do. Sadly, we wear a circle into the ground that becomes a rut from which it is difficult to climb.

      Not all dreams are wild – just the improper pursuit. Whether we defer, deny or cut down some dark alley, the wildness is in chasing our dreams without a plan and, as Ana said, losing sight of more everlasting value.

      Cheers,

      Mitch

  12. Denis

    It is a bit pessimistic post. I do believe that the dream is not dead and is not rotten. Yes, some people stopped dreaming and they stuck in their lives, but there are people who want and who can move forward, not matter what.

    1. Mitchell Allen

      Denis, thanks for your comment! I applaud those who move forward and I hope to encourage those who have slowed down, moved backward or stopped.

      One thing I have learned, though, is that each of us is responsible only for one person – ourselves. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t change it’s reflection.

      Cheers,

      Mitch

  13. Delena Silverfox

    Hey Mitch!

    A friend of mine used to say, “He who is unaware is unaware he is unaware.” I’d forgotten that saying for the longest time, and you just reminded me of it. Thanks for that, btw. =)

    You’re absolutely right, though. It’s a mystery what happens to dreams deferred, but we know they never go away! And when all’s said and done, we can never be what others expect of us, no matter how hard we try. We can waste decades trying, and even convince ourselves that we’ve succeeded. But we can’t take others’ approval of us to our grave; we can only take our own, and it’s the only thing worth taking anyway!

    Delen

    1. Mitchell Allen

      I agree, Delena! Depending on our upbringing, we may spend at least the first two decades seeking validation. Hopefully, enlightenment soon interrupts that useless endeavor. (It took me until the end of my third decade.)

      I personally never felt convinced that I had the desired approvals – did you? If so, what does that even feel like? That must be weird, like shoes that are a size two small – just enough to remind you that something ain’t quite right. 🙂

      Cheers,

      Mitch

      1. Delena Silverfox

        Hmm, food question. The desired approvals? Well…to be honest, I grew up in a seriously abusive household (especially for the girls), so I was starved for approval and attention growing up. It wasn’t until I was 27, sadly, that I began to come out of that zomboid upbringing, and there’s still a ways to go. I still catch myself feeling like I should be answering to someone’s disappointment. It’s daily work. But it’s liberating work. =)

        Shoes two sizes too small. Sounds about right. 🙂

        Cheers,
        Delena

        1. Mitchell Allen

          Hey, girl, you’re getting there! 🙂
          When I met you, I saw a confident, outgoing writer. Then, when you shared your awesome blog, I was blown away.

          Good on you for not living in the past!

          Cheers,

          Mitch

  15. Mitchell Allen

    Thanks for reading, Andrew. I’ve always kept, in my mind, a symbolic reference to this poem. something about a benign raisin having such violent potential. LOL

    Cheers,

    Mitch

  16. Wesley Wise

    Wow, the poem you picked form Langston Hughes is quite a bit philosophical, eh? You have a rather diverse entry today. Must have been the mood?

    1. Mitchell Allen

      Hi Wesley,

      As a guest post, it is off the main branch of topics that you usually read here. Ileane let me post it, ’cause she’s cool like that! 🙂

      Thanks for reading it.

      Cheers,

      Mitch

  17. Melinda

    I missed this article before. So glad you pointed to it, Mitch. A Dream Deferred is one of my favorite poems I remember studying in school. Wonderful food for thought.

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