frankdozier

The great thing about knowledge is that it is possible at all. For example, my cat, Jimmy, knows only a few things – he doesn’t even know any tricks. Since he’s just a cat, he lacks the capacity to learn much more.

It’s easy to see the comfortable joy there must be in being a cat and not needing to know much. On the one hand, I am in envy of Jimmy the Cat, for he will always be safe as long as I am around. I pay the rent, I buy the food, and I keep the predators at bay. All the cat needs to worry himself with is chasing cat toys and enjoying his little life to its fullest. On the other hand, however, he lives at my mercy, yet he doesn’t even know it. Chaos is always only a few unfortunate choices away, and you never know when a bad choice may come to affect you. If I were to lose my house (which may happen), I would probably have to send Jimmy away. Of course I’d find someone caring, and tolerant, and also very very patient. Jimmy would live a descent life with someone else, but without me to assure him that everything’s gonna be OK, his perception of his fate would always be uncertain.

Now, if Jimmy were smart – in fact, if he had ever bothered to pay any attention, at all, to any of the hardships to affect us recently – then he would best get busy preparing himself for dire possibilities. If he were really smart, then he’d have some kind of “Plan B” ready to go in case all should fall victim to chaos. But that’s the rub: he’s just a cat; he’s a really sweet and well-behaved cat, but ultimately he’s still just a cat. He unwittingly takes his existence for granted, for he lacks the ability to think otherwise.

People have that ability to think otherwise, and we have it in droves. There’s an ultimate game show going on, let’s call it SURVIVAL. The premise: “Life exists on Earth in myriad forms. Whomever SURVIVES, wins. Everybody likes to WIN.”

everybody likes to win.

whether it’s winning the love of a former enemy

… or a friend …

even if it means winning the respect of one’s peers.

even if it means winning a gift card to sears

… or a day within a family …

(imagine if you won the big game or a statue from the academy)

to win.

quite honestly, it’s the only reason we bother gettin outta bed.

We like to win 🙂

SURVIVAL is the easiest game there has ever been, and, so far, we’ve been racking up points. Most of us don’t pay attention to it (hell, many of us condemn it), but humanity is always doing what it can to defeat nature. In doing this, humans remain firmly on our quest of of winning the game of species SURVIVAL.

(remember … we like to win)

It’s in our nature to be innovative and to create new ideas from the lessons that came before us. We always learn … throughout our lives and throughout the history of man. The more that I learn, the more that I cannot afford to be blind to any possible “Plan B’s” that may make things a little better.

My wife taught me recently how much easier it is to drink water if I do it through a straw.

Duh! Right?

Now, when I sit here writing this stuff, I’ve always got a straw in my mug of water next to me. There’s always music playing, and Jimmy the Cat is sitting at my feet staring up at me.

Neither the convenience of the straw nor the love of a good pet need be your motivation. Just always be on the lookout for one or many “Plan B’s.” Always be on the lookout for an easier, more efficient, more economical, more user-friendly, more renewable, more eco-friendly, and … dammit … more PROFITABLE way!

It feels good to do good things

For my fellow humans.

I do better,

And feel better,

For my fellow humans;

plus I get paid.

Knowledge is possible so that our species can win the game, and humans are cruising on the expressway to victory – maybe even on overdrive. Humans are tool users who can forge anything out of anything else, as long as there is knowledge, a need, and a profit available.

Jimmy wishes that he knew as much as I do. Then again, does he? Hell, he knows so little that he doesn’t even know what he’s missing. There are lots of people out there who don’t know what they’re missing. Many of us find it hard to break the chains created from the erroneous things that we are taught. Many of us cannot find a way to truly think for ourselves.

Think for yourself.