Comments on: thank you http://cygnoir.net/2009/11/18/thank-you/ the black swan with digital wings Fri, 25 May 2012 13:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Gary Walker http://cygnoir.net/2009/11/18/thank-you/comment-page-1/#comment-7189 Gary Walker Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:43:00 +0000 http://cygnoir.net/?p=3260#comment-7189 This calls to mind something Becky frequently does. When she's had a miserable day of having to report to parents the outrageous crap their kids have tried to get away with she'll make a point of picking a couple of kids who have been the exact opposite--perfect, brilliant students--the kind that trick you into staying in the teaching racket--and sending a note to their parents to tell them how much their kids do to make every day more worthwhile. It is, arguably, a small thing, but I learned something important from it that informs my own goofy positivism--there may be nothing to the idea of Karma. There may or may not be a future judgement of us for our actions. What there is--what we can see--is a world which is unbalanced, and we have to keep balance and all that it implies--patience, mindfulness, connection--at the center of what we do. Now I am, by nature, a cynic (as well as a great abuser of the em-dash). Balance does not come easily or readily for me, but I try to be mindful of it and its implications. Thanking someone is recognizing that they have used some amount of energy and transferred its products to you. It can be rote, but if we look at the etymology of the word we find that it originally meant something like "good thoughts" (thank and think have the same O.E. root). When we thank someone we are, in a fashion, pledging to give that energy back to them in the form of good thoughts. Thanks for writing this piece, 'Sted. Good stuff and well worth the reading and thinking. This calls to mind something Becky frequently does. When she’s had a miserable day of having to report to parents the outrageous crap their kids have tried to get away with she’ll make a point of picking a couple of kids who have been the exact opposite–perfect, brilliant students–the kind that trick you into staying in the teaching racket–and sending a note to their parents to tell them how much their kids do to make every day more worthwhile. It is, arguably, a small thing, but I learned something important from it that informs my own goofy positivism–there may be nothing to the idea of Karma. There may or may not be a future judgement of us for our actions. What there is–what we can see–is a world which is unbalanced, and we have to keep balance and all that it implies–patience, mindfulness, connection–at the center of what we do.

Now I am, by nature, a cynic (as well as a great abuser of the em-dash). Balance does not come easily or readily for me, but I try to be mindful of it and its implications. Thanking someone is recognizing that they have used some amount of energy and transferred its products to you. It can be rote, but if we look at the etymology of the word we find that it originally meant something like “good thoughts” (thank and think have the same O.E. root). When we thank someone we are, in a fashion, pledging to give that energy back to them in the form of good thoughts.

Thanks for writing this piece, ‘Sted. Good stuff and well worth the reading and thinking.

]]> By: Mordaxus http://cygnoir.net/2009/11/18/thank-you/comment-page-1/#comment-7188 Mordaxus Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:03:00 +0000 http://cygnoir.net/?p=3260#comment-7188 You're welcome. Thanks for writing. You’re welcome. Thanks for writing.

]]> By: Ned Morrell http://cygnoir.net/2009/11/18/thank-you/comment-page-1/#comment-7187 Ned Morrell Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:43:00 +0000 http://cygnoir.net/?p=3260#comment-7187 And thank you for saying it! I've found it's definitely worth assuming the best rather than the worst. Sometimes, wrongly assuming the best will bring out the best in them in future. And thank you for saying it!

I’ve found it’s definitely worth assuming the best rather than the worst. Sometimes, wrongly assuming the best will bring out the best in them in future.

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