Head in my ass.

Looking back, I suspect I may have had my head up my own ass in that last post.  In a dark moment, I wondered in my last post if I am making a difference.  Of course I'm making a difference!  Geez, I'm so ridiculous.

Every once in a while I meet a young person, usually a filmmaker, who's aspirations go beyond making film into "changing the world."  Quite often as I dig a little deeper in conversation, I start to realize that this person is completely wrapped up in changing the world, but has done next to nothing when it comes to changing his or her self.  I am suddenly reminded of a description about a guy I met from one of our mutual acquaintances, "he loves revolution, but not relationships."

I have come to believe that setting out to change the world is signing up for disappointment.  The world is vast and its systems have evolved over millions of years of humans interacting with it.  I don't go out and just "change the world."  But in changing myself, I can not help but change those I interact with.  It's like yanking on a chain link fence.  I may only have the ability to grab one link, but when I yank on it the whole fence reverberates.  In changing myself, in pushing toward a life filled with vitality, I change the world.

In fact, I'm constantly changing the world.  To think that nothing I do makes a difference is one of the most deceitful illusions I can fall victim to.  I am always effecting the world around me for better or for worse.  One of the most selfish things I can do is get caught up spinning around in my own mind wondering if I make a difference or not, and thus rob the people around me of myself.  I get so stuck on revoltuion I forget that all I have are relationships.

What got me thinking about this?  None other than old Kieslowski.  Watch the end of episode 7 of The Decalogue and you will see a much better illustration of what I'm talking about than I can write here.

Comments

[pete]

You know, just noticing the kids from down the street was already proof.

Thank goodness for the fart of clarity.

Oh, and you've got something on your nose.

[dvd]

This is a wonderful pair of posts, Paul. Between these and having just read Kieslowski On Kieslowski, I really want to see the Decalogue again - but alas, I lent my box set to a friend.

But so great are the films, and so firmly do I think that they represent the sort of art that leaves one all the better for having experienced it, that in lending them I suppose I've made a difference - or, keeping in mind the perspective of your post here, enabled a difference to be made.

[kevmo]

Changing the world starts with relationships. You're on the right road to making the world a much better place.

[Brenda]

...."One of the most selfish things I can do is get caught up in spinning around in my own mind wondering if I make a difference or not, and thus rob the people around me of myself."...AMEN! I am loving that line Paul, and at 44 I think I am just getting a revelation of that truth, I am so happy you are getting it already!...I love that revolution/relationship concept. Yes!

[Alexofg]

If you want do delete your site from our spam bases - just email us with domain of your site:

abuse-here@inbox.ru

thank you!