OCCUPIED

So I walked around Boston today getting some footage for a video project I am working on.  Part of my afternoon was spent walking along the Greenway which curves around the length of where the rt93 tunnel. I saw a large group at the end of the greenway, I decided to check it out. Turns out it was forty or fifty tents and a couple hundred people all part of Occupy Boston. The Occupy America movement is a fascinating sociological event with a branch in our backyard. People (mostly students) staying in tents, with signs for various political, socioeconomic and other issues, and regardless of Republican or Democrat everyone seemed to be getting along. I took in a group meeting to discuss the greatness of Marxist philosophy, there was a veterans for peace tent, I saw a tent where clothing was being given away, they even have a library. Folk music was being played for everyone's enjoyment and it was actually pretty good.

As I walked through the encampment I got the sense that this was a place for the free exchange of ideas and life philosophy (well, I did not see any representatives from corporate America there). I am pretty sure that there was even a small group freely sharing some ganja; they seemed really happy.

This gathering of people in Dewey Square and the hundreds of people who show up for the scheduled General Assemblies tells me a few things about people in general and Boston in particular. First, there is an undercurrent in Boston (and probably every city in America for that matter) of discontentment with "the system". The system is the conglomeration of impersonal regulations, guidelines, parameters, etc. that seem to be arbitrarily superimposed on society and dictate how a person should live their life and spend their money if they are going to be successful. Discontentment has spurred Americans on to technological innovation for generations, it has spurred community organizers on to bring change to their neighborhoods, it has even spurred corporate executives to make shady deals behind closed doors. People from all walks of life experience some degree of discontentment. We all wrestle with a lack of contentment at some point. Discontentment must simmer for a while before it motivates us to try and bring change to something. What is your simmering discontentment?

The second is that people are desperate to be heard, young and old. Everyone has an opinion, but a cause like "Occupy America" gives people a chance to put a megaphone to their ideals and opinions and be heard much more so than if they stood alone. The need to be heard is what many people from North African nations are fighting for right now. When you are heard you are validated; your station in life has legitimacy. All people long for validation, they long to be heard. People want to be heard. Who listens to you??

Third, I discovered that not everyone there was there for the stated purposes of the movement. Some where there because their friends were there and they wanted to support their friends. Some were there because it is where the attention is and they simply want to be a part; they want to belong. Everyone wants to be part of something big, a cause to fight for. It gives us a sense of identity. In some places in the world the cause is your family; you stand for your family and they give you identity. Here in America it is often your ideals. Your ideals give you something to fight for and give you an identity. When you don't have either of these you long for them, you look for them in anything. Many a high school student and college student has gone through this "looking to belong" stage. From what do you derive your sense of identity??? Is it enough? Are you fulfilled?

In some ways these are the longings of every person who has ever drawn breath on planet earth; they make us human. Being discontent, the desire to be heard, and our sense of identity will shape us and define us. We will be healthy people depending on what our source is for these three aspects of our soul. You may be looking for money, or love. You may be motivated by greed or loneliness. The longings of your soul says something about who you are. How you fulfill those longings says something about who you are willing to be and who you are becoming.

Just a Meandering Thought...

NEXT

Since April, much of my writing has been devoted to India, the people, the culture, the history, the religion, and how all these facets fit together and affect everyday life for the people, even how it affected me while there this summer. For the next few months I am going to spend some time writing and reflecting on those same topics but from an American perspective, Boston in particular. The are certainly some things that are unique to India but there is at least one common thread between the two... people.

I am structuring a class around the impact of modern media on the social consciousness of Americans in general but the people of Boston in particular. I mention this to ask for a favor of you who read my "Meandering Thoughts". I would really like some feedback from you over the next few months, until the end of December, the good the bad and the ugly. If you agree with what I am writing tell me; if you disagree, tell me. If you think I am being a narrow minded, self centered, egotistical, ethnocentric, piously tunnel visioned, whatever... tell me.

My hope is that in the coming months, my reflections and musings on culture, religion, the arts, and personal devotion to a life cause will strike a cord with you somewhere deep in your soul. Besides, the more people I can get "talking" about the things I am thinking about, the better it will look to my supervising professor.

I need to be thought provoking and personally challenging so I will keep the posts short and to the point. I  am looking to touch on the experiences of life that are most common and perhaps bring some refreshing perspective. We shall see.

Ultimately I am looking for the intersection of everyday life, art (in various forms), and the deepest longings of the soul. How does one express the other, where do they overlap and how do we become more complete and globally compassionate people as result. That may be a bit lofty but you have to start somewhere.

Thanks for coming along for the ride...

 

LAST

So this will be my last official post on India even though the memories and the impact continue to rattle my soul. Here are a few closing thoughts on my time in India:

There were some things that I knew about before going to this diverse and complex country. These things included:

• Huge population and population density
• Major issues with poverty
• Very religious people who take pride in their religion
•  The Ganges river is very important to their religious practices and beliefs.

There were somethings I thought I knew and understood about the Indian people and their culture that turned out to only be partially true. 

• They like Americans but hate American culture
• Cricket is the big game in India not soccer (football)
• People who are "outcastes"were not considered Hindu's until recently 
• Christianity is a minority religion of about 2.8% of the population. It recently surpassed Islam which is about 2.4%

There were somethings that I was totally wrong about and really had no clue about:

• Despite being being mostly polytheists and very open and accepting of gods, they really do not like Christianity and Islam. They do like Jesus and Muhammad.
• Many people think of the Indian people as being warm and welcoming to everybody, but they do not want westerners influencing or changing their culture and traditions. Some will fight over it.
• There is garbage everywhere because Hindu's believe that everything (including garbage) is Brahman (supreme spiritual entity). So it means nothing to throw Brahman out the window on to Brahman.
• The beliefs of the Hindus are strongly influenced by their mythology. If you know their mythology you will better understand their customes and beliefs.



Here I am standing on the grounds of Indira Ghandi's grave. This was in a park dedicated to the Ghandi family. Mahatmah Ghandi's grave is located off to my right. This was the last place I stopped before heading to the airport to fly home.