It's no crime to descry
To watch the dancers of life
Repeating the motions
With brand new associans
Who will just disappoint
But converge at a joint
It's a laughable thing
But I just have to join
A waltz through the room
To find that the door
Has been locked from within
So we turn to the floor
Let's dance til we can no more
Together, tonight
And in this single place
Our hands clasped together
My eyes on your face
And your eyes on mine
Synced perfect in time
We won't ever cry
But laugh, we will try
In this room where we'll die
As the air thins inside
We just have the night
Let's keep us in stride
3/4, Box step
Up and then a timid left
Love will tear us apart
Joy divide my weak heart
And yours just as torn
Young ambitions unborn
Inward though these walls will slide
You and I still dance in time
And though with tears your cheeks are stained
I've never seen more lovely eyes
Monday, June 30, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
Scratching My Head About the Monkeysphere
I'm sure we've all heard the terrible news about Tracy Morgan's limo accident. For those who haven't been updated, the hilarious stand-up comedian and 30 Rock actor was critically injured a few days ago when his limo was hit by a tractor trailer on the Jersey Turnpike. The crash sent Morgan and four others to the intensive care unit; Morgan's close friend and mentor, James McNair, was killed in the crash. Those sent to the hospital have received varying degrees of diagnoses, with Morgan's latest being that his leg may require amputation.
It's a terrible, terrible story. Of course, I send my thoughts and good vibes to those involved in the accident and their families and loved ones. But what's really interested me about the situation is the public response. For obvious reasons, news coverage has centered on Morgan, the celebrity. But what about the five other passengers - one of whom was killed? A quick browse through the relevant trends on Twitter reveal, scattered among Tracy Morgan condolence posts, several acrid tweets blasting the mainstream for "forgetting" the other five victims.
The posts mean well, but there's a reason I put quotations around the word "forgetting". See, it's difficult to forget about someone that you've never heard of. Unfortunately, the five other victims were not famous. Not even McNair, who has received by far the most coverage next to Morgan, was even close to a recognizable name. It's sad and blunt, but it's true. We won't care about the unrecognizable deaths when a familiar name stands out, especially in a situation like this.
There's a great term that applies here: the monkeysphere. "Monkeysphere" refers to a thought experiment that I'd like to explain (with the help of Cracked.com having previously explained to me). Imagine that you have a pet monkey. You care for that monkey immensely, and you have a unique bond with it. You'd care if it died, no question. So, what if you had 10 monkeys? Each has their own personality and value to you. You'd probably still mourn the loss of all 10. How many monkeys would it take before we don't care when one dies?
The answer is Dunbar's Number. The psychologist Robert Dunbar defines this as the number of relationships we as humans can individually and reliably maintain. The number is commonly thought to be between 100 and 200 people. This brings credence to the saying that one death is a tragedy and one million deaths is a statistic.
So, back to the Tracy Morgan crash. Unfortunately, our nation has a collective monkeysphere, and these five were outside of it. But why does that lessen their value? In truth, it doesn't inherently. It's us that choose to lessen their value by not acknowledging them.
I'd like to use this concept to illustrate a point about our modern world. America in 2014 has never valued the individual less. With stories like these constantly littering our news, what's another 5 deaths when 500 people are killed in Chicago each year? And what are those 500 when over 5,000 have died in conflict in Afganistan fighting for a cause that the average American doesn't even come close to understanding?
We've created a cult of impersonality. We hear so much tragedy that we just aren't able to care anymore. The exception to this lies within our monkeysphere, the limits of which are defined by us. So, how big is your monkeysphere? How much of the world do you actually care about? When you heard the news about the crash, did you only tweet to Tracy Morgan to stay strong, or did your mind wander to the others involved that won't see their names in headlines upon recovery? Or did your mind wander further to the amount of people killed by reckless driving each year? It's a difference in our understanding and our open-mindedness that very much intrigues me.
I challenge both myself and any readers to expand their monkeysphere. It's easy to stick to your personal bubble when you're scared of what you might find outside. Next time you read a story about a celebrity in some situation like this, it's okay to feel for them. But I challenge you to think not only about the others involved, but how we can take this situation as an example to change something we're encountering in our nation. Remain conscious of the limits of your monkeysphere, and remember their fluidity. Think outside of your personal world, and you just might find the way to betterment for the rest of us.
It's a terrible, terrible story. Of course, I send my thoughts and good vibes to those involved in the accident and their families and loved ones. But what's really interested me about the situation is the public response. For obvious reasons, news coverage has centered on Morgan, the celebrity. But what about the five other passengers - one of whom was killed? A quick browse through the relevant trends on Twitter reveal, scattered among Tracy Morgan condolence posts, several acrid tweets blasting the mainstream for "forgetting" the other five victims.
The posts mean well, but there's a reason I put quotations around the word "forgetting". See, it's difficult to forget about someone that you've never heard of. Unfortunately, the five other victims were not famous. Not even McNair, who has received by far the most coverage next to Morgan, was even close to a recognizable name. It's sad and blunt, but it's true. We won't care about the unrecognizable deaths when a familiar name stands out, especially in a situation like this.
There's a great term that applies here: the monkeysphere. "Monkeysphere" refers to a thought experiment that I'd like to explain (with the help of Cracked.com having previously explained to me). Imagine that you have a pet monkey. You care for that monkey immensely, and you have a unique bond with it. You'd care if it died, no question. So, what if you had 10 monkeys? Each has their own personality and value to you. You'd probably still mourn the loss of all 10. How many monkeys would it take before we don't care when one dies?
The answer is Dunbar's Number. The psychologist Robert Dunbar defines this as the number of relationships we as humans can individually and reliably maintain. The number is commonly thought to be between 100 and 200 people. This brings credence to the saying that one death is a tragedy and one million deaths is a statistic.
So, back to the Tracy Morgan crash. Unfortunately, our nation has a collective monkeysphere, and these five were outside of it. But why does that lessen their value? In truth, it doesn't inherently. It's us that choose to lessen their value by not acknowledging them.
I'd like to use this concept to illustrate a point about our modern world. America in 2014 has never valued the individual less. With stories like these constantly littering our news, what's another 5 deaths when 500 people are killed in Chicago each year? And what are those 500 when over 5,000 have died in conflict in Afganistan fighting for a cause that the average American doesn't even come close to understanding?
We've created a cult of impersonality. We hear so much tragedy that we just aren't able to care anymore. The exception to this lies within our monkeysphere, the limits of which are defined by us. So, how big is your monkeysphere? How much of the world do you actually care about? When you heard the news about the crash, did you only tweet to Tracy Morgan to stay strong, or did your mind wander to the others involved that won't see their names in headlines upon recovery? Or did your mind wander further to the amount of people killed by reckless driving each year? It's a difference in our understanding and our open-mindedness that very much intrigues me.
I challenge both myself and any readers to expand their monkeysphere. It's easy to stick to your personal bubble when you're scared of what you might find outside. Next time you read a story about a celebrity in some situation like this, it's okay to feel for them. But I challenge you to think not only about the others involved, but how we can take this situation as an example to change something we're encountering in our nation. Remain conscious of the limits of your monkeysphere, and remember their fluidity. Think outside of your personal world, and you just might find the way to betterment for the rest of us.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
New Eyes
Take out your eyes at the start of each day
By the light of the sun as it shines on your face
You slowly lose sight, but your senses stay
The pain’s okay; it’s better this way
Your new eyes are nice
But you squint to read books
You lose not just sight
But the way that things look
Nothing is special;
That is, you can’t say
Your new eyes aren’t perfect
But you made them this way
Go through your day with your new set of eyes
Smell all the flowers, breathe the sunlight
But don’t expect much; you still can’t see right
What’s in a future if it isn’t bright?
Come home; it’s time
Your eyes are fatigued
You go to eject them
So that you can read
But try as you might
They just will not leave
And you can’t find your old eyes
Cause you still can’t see
It’s fine; you live through your new set of eyes
But colors are dulled, and so is your life
It’s hard to come down when you live on a high
But damn, nothing tempts like a new set of eyes
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