A Change is Often Necessary

Writing, as I have said many times before, is a form of therapy or catharsis for me. The act of forcing my thoughts into a coherent form for presentation often forces me to reframe and retard my racing ideas into manageable structure. Oftentimes, that does not necessarily result in succinct and pointed posts, but a change is often as necessary as it is an inevitable imperative.

Therefore, I am going to make an effort to post more frequently, but with the limitation of 500 words; after all, as much as it is an investment in time for me to find the creative inspiration to capture my thoughts accordingly, it is even more of an investment for the reader to sit and digest a considerable serving of odd pairings and spices.

It is a work in progress…

History has a rhythm which transcends borders, barriers, and language. Sometimes, it might take a bit to recognize the foundational aspects of tuning, scale, and structure… but even a non-musician like myself can find the proper beat to tap to and might even begin to predict when and where major and minor changes will occur.

At some point in the last few weeks, I found myself reading more about the Albanian Civil War of 1997 and the rapid financial and political changes which were both instigators and repercussions. Along the way, I jotted down three distinct quotes from the video “The Pyramid Scheme that Collapsed a Nation” by Rare Earth:

As their power reached its zenith, they must have seemed unstoppable.
Both the ruling party and the opposition found themselves corrupted.
The Prime Minister even had his economic advisor imprisoned for telling the truth about the oncoming collapse.
@ 06:39

Most people in the middle of a confidence scheme will fight tooth and nail to legitimize it.
They’ve invested their personalities in this, let alone their money, so even hearing that it might not be true is enough to send them reeling.
@ 09:23

Remember that a con man won’t sell you facts, but emotions.
Because they know that you’ll fill in the rest, and once you’re invested a penny, psychologically you’ll be invested a pound.
@ 09:34

One video on YouTube doesn’t qualify as anything close to absolute in terms of understanding an event in the past, present, or what it means for the future. However, these three observations resonate with other similar ones in the past as much as they could be suggested as relevant to what we see in the U.S. today.

“…Corrupted…,” “…fight tooth and nail to legitimize it…,” “…won’t sell you facts, but emotions…”

Take those quotes and apply them to both the side you support as well as the positions held by your opponents. See how easy those basic concepts are interchangeable? If it is disconcerting, then you get my point; if you don’t see how it is a plausible notion, then you might be part of the larger problem of polarization.

Either way, it’s fine by me – I enjoy history… even the slowly unfolding history we are immersed in and engulfed by. History can also be compared to waves upon the shore: they can be gentle and unremarkable… or picturesque… or chaotic and shapeless… or so powerful that the low-frequency rumble can be felt by those on the shore who are paying attention… but they are unstoppable and something to be respected as they are warily regarded. Waves may be destructive beyond all imagination, but they also shape the coastline and create anew once they have subsided… for the time being.

What is important to understand when admiring the surf… or the past… or what the result of either are upon the landscape might be is simple: understand the medium, have faith in ability, know personal limits, and – most importantly – pay attention.