Sunday, January 18, 2009

Guaranteed Growth

Guaranteed Growth

If you are not too large for the place you occupy, you are too small for it.

President James Garfield
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It seems we are all under a moral obligation to grow, to make our world, our universe expand to accommodate a bigger existence. Only we rarely know that until we are forced up against the walls and ceiling of the place we "occupy."

I have learned certain skills and crafts in my life by being forced to jump in the water and being willing to lose sight of the shore for a time. Now, in my retirement, I have asked myself if I am willing to peer out of the nice, snug, tidy rabbit hole again and see what's out there.

There is an entry in Nutwood Junction for January 17 on the topic of boredom. http://nutwoodjunction.blogspot.com/ Nobody should ever be bored, (unless they want to be, which is a pity). But when boredom sets in, I think it's a sure sign that we have grown too large for the rabbit hole. If there is nothing more to do in here, why not get out of it.

Of course, the computer gives one the ability to peer out of the hole and look around without leaving the physical safety of the hole. But it doesn't provide the safety of new ideas for the mind to discover. And without that risk the deterioration of the brain, overstuffed with safe thoughts, is in danger without knowing it.

I'm reminded again about the toad who crawls into a hollow rock to escape its enemies and that feeds on whatever bug happens to pass the hole. It keeps on growing and one day it is too big to leave the rock. It's stuck in there for the rest of its life.

So I keep gathering knowledge that i can grow into until I'm too big for it, but I won't stay inside my rock or my rabbit hole. Not for long anyway.

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the linky, D. Sometimes you just have to push the envelope a little bit, right?

    B.

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  2. Good reminder that we all need to leave our holes occassionaly to make sure we do not get stuck :o)

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  3. Well said. We all get stuck once in awhile but we all manage to get out of the hole.

    Life throws us some curves at times but we are all strong to pull through.

    Hugs, Rose

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  4. It's as Ray Kroc said. "When you're green, you grow. When you're ripe you rot." Here's to staying green, DB. Great post.

    Ben
    http://ben-better-left-unsaid/blogspot.com/

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  5. Prodigiously gifted people don't often get bored, AND NO, I'm not talking about me!
    You are a very sharp guy. ~Mary

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