Stretch

Exercises

Rubbers stretch … and they are useful as rubber bands. Rubber thread is used in the waistband of clothes. Tyres need to be flexible … and to withstand the weight of the vehicle … while it rides over the road. And then there are many ways … in which we stretch an idea … fact … observation … patience … and experience. Its useful and adds to color … but sometimes it becomes a problem.

When the pilgrim fathers sailed to America … they referred to it as the new world. Certainly a new world ought to bring to the old world something new … that impacts and transforms its experiences to something new. In viewing the American experience … we'll have to say … that such was the case. The innovativeness for industrial and consumer products … changed the lifestyles of many. The introduction of blue jeans … as men's wear … raised the personal esteem of teens and adults alike … and led to very active lifestyles. There's more ...

All these has had the effect of a rush … particularly on our impulses … carried by the adrenalin of our bodies … into new and vigorous attitudes … that matched that of the lone pioneer of the American experience … the corporate executive … the inventor … the word mill of books … and cinema ... like we have never seen it before. We need to take a moment to ask ourselves at this point … if we needed this … and if the answer is yes … to join in to make a contribution … that would have a desired effect on our societies around the world.

I used to remember from the 60s … how life was like magic … as if the world had convinced itself that it couldn't possibly get any better … and then … pow! … yes it can! In viewing the experience … I think we come to a clear sense … that its not simply someone shooting their mouth off about being great. They have for the last 250 years proved beyond any doubt … their capability … in setting up and managing their affairs … with an efficiency … and achievement that is considerable … that today forms a role model for many nations around the world.

Whenever I run into my Indic acquaintances … or Oriental … the Malays … and even the Brits … I seem to run into a certain ' are you with us … or against us? ' attitude that seems to imply in some way … that we were more … before the new kids from America … came around and stole the show. It reminds me of Indic conveyances … passed through the generations … about how we know the real deal … ' but if you can't beat 'em … you gotta join 'em ' … so they engage the American experience with a resignation … and societal acquiescence.

However as the years roll by … we are starting to realize that some of these transformations are real … and they go deep into areas … that store centuries of wisdom and know how … of societies. It touches upon the personal … the intimate … and the self esteem. In such situations … individuals bring themselves … to attempt a reconciliation … between their old ways … and that of the new influences. Where folks are not undertaking such initiatives … or fail ... they experience a strong crush by the growing American experience … and figure its destroying them … and their lives.

In some ways the Americans add to that sense of push for response … by the financial power of their companies operating abroad … the sense of powerful promises to the young … and their brand of human rights … which recognizes the right of individuals … where the old world apparently did not. A thinker on the issues … particularly a man of the classics … would obviously be of the view that its the will of the world … the way it has constantly renewed itself … and expresses itself through a successful model of self sufficiency and achievement ... and he would expect more.

How does the will of the world do that? It brings the changes to the individual … and engages the volition of the individual regarding the issues in his personal life … thereafter it challenges the will of the individual … to come up with something better. The pressures are channeled through the women and children … who by their natures … are all for anything that promises jobs … world stability … new products … lower prices for products … a personal style and social development.

The Austrian philosopher Hegel called it the Zeitgeist … meaning the world spirit … as representing the motivation and attitude of the times. To many individuals … its a living experience of the world … and includes the wisdom of the evolutionary forces themselves … in which the life … ponders to say … ' its too soon to create a commitment to change that has not stood the test of time.' And the time … as observed in the world's timeline … historically represents a period of 500 years … whether its a new faith … form of government … personal styles … or cultural practice … to take root.

If that's true … its possible to come to view our experiences to-date as a thesis … and to pass the ball back to the Americans … to say … ' its great so far … but don't you have to assure us that you believe it yourself … beyond the flowers and chocolates … fast food and jeans?' And thereafter … we wait for the American response. To-date such responses have consisted of suggestions of world calamities … asteroids … an invasion from mars … dinosaurs coming back alive … where only you can save us. Has it been too much of a stretch? Perhaps we could heal the stretch … in our collective passions to believe or deny … slowly … a day at a time.