The East Fork of the White begins at the confluence of the Driftwood (left) and the Flatrock (right) Rivers at Mill Race Park in Columbus, Indiana
“And the evil done in hopes that evil surrenders/ But the deeds of the devil are burned too deep in the embers/ And a world of hunger in vengeance will always remember.” – Phil Ochs
Tabula rasa – The mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions; or something existing in its original pristine state. Source: Merriam-Webster.com
In Latin, it means, “scraped tablet”. Humans are born “blank” and our identity is defined entirely by events after our birth. This theory was expounded on in the seventeenth century by the English philosopher John Locke, who posited that, at birth, the (human) mind is a “blank slate” without rules for processing data; over time, data is added and rules for processing such data are formed solely by one’s sensory experiences (Source: Merriam-Webster.com).
“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.” – William Blake
Whose image do you see when you look in the mirror? Is it a stranger or an old friend? Whose reflection? Do you want to pack a leaving trunk? Is it who you are or who you long to be? Or, whom you long to return to? Does it smile back at you when you smile, or sneer at your hypocrisy? Does it frown with you or laugh at you? Does it laugh with you? Does it chide you for your arrogance and serve up a good slice of humble pie? Does it see the lines and blemishes on your face and make you realize you’re not young anymore?
Have you decided to throttle old age and declare war on decline? Will you welcome tomorrow as an old friend rather than a thief stealing away time? We do have the opportunity to choose who we want to be, even in our fading days.
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. – Mark Twain
“Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanks!