nobody asked…

Longer ago than I care to think about, April 21, 2007 to be exact, John B of Blog Meridian fame tagged me to participate in a most unusual meme. As loathe as I am to meme tags in general, this one was intriguingly different. Coming from my highly respectable friend John B, its allure pulled me in. Unfortunately, the work and life schedules have been far too densely packed of late to allow an effective level of blog reading and writing. But at last, here is my response.

The original challenge was from John B’s friend Rene in Mexico City and went like this:

I now propose a new tag: Things which one has read and has been influenced by which are not confined to those paper-bound vessels of the printed word we refer to as books. Let’s call these Non-Books. Or maybe Impossible Books. Or Limen Books? It’s up to you. List five.

These things usually roll out quickly. This one took some real thought, along with some personalized interpretation of the challenge. Here goes…

1. BLOGS… My several brain cells became accustomed to hard work back in Engineering school and again later in an MBA curriculum. Seldom since then has said dwindling population of cells received as vigorous a workout as they get almost daily from reading and writing blog posts. I have been heavily influenced and stretched by reading numerous blogs on a regular basis. Yes, it has been a learning experience, but that experience has been more vivid and enduring than most books because there are real live people behind the words, people that I know and respect.

2. FEELINGS and EMOTIONS… of those I care about really do influence me, my feelings and emotions, my behavior, and my reactions to those people. It is dangerous to play psychologist, so I don’t. I also run the risk of appearing to be too maleable, too wishy-washy, or overly sensitive at times. But I believe it is important for each of us to be aware of the temperature of those around us, pushing ahead when needed, pulling back when warranted, fine-tuning our interactions with others as indicated to develop the most synergistic relationships possible for the good of all. Win-win is almost always better than win-lose, and certainly bests lose-lose on all counts. Learning to read and interpret the feelings and emotions of those around us is a life-long job at which we never truly excel because it is always a dynamic and rarely a non-invasive process. But try we must.

3. TRAFFIC SIGNS… Our very survival out there in the traffic jungle depends on reading and being influenced by traffic signs. The STOP and YIELD and ONE WAY and 45 MPH signs on metal poles along the streets and highways are obvious. Almost as important are the signs of what’s going on around us. If the woman tailgating you is leaning over to use the rearview mirror while applying mascara and lipstick, give her wide berth. If the maniac hanging out the window of the pickup truck next to you shouting obscenities and shaking the single-fingered salute at you does not generate a self-preservation reaction, you’re no better than him.

4. RESTAURANT MENUS… can be a great source of education and entertainment. Eating is my thang. Not in any gourmet sense, mind you, though I do enjoy many items that might normally attract only a nose-in-the-air gourmand. Nor am I just a simple glutton. In fact, I do not eat very much by most American standards — often the wrong things, but not very much of it. Planning of my day, whether at work, at home, or travelling, almost always includes consideration of where and what to eat. I love eating out at familiar or new restaurants, reading the menus, searching for the innovative twist that might transform this from just another meal to a memorable gastronomic experience. Pass the Pepcid, please.

5. LEAVES… on the trees outside my windows provide a constant reminder, either by their presence or absence, and by their color, that I now mark time not by the clock or calendar, but by the seasons. I always heard this happens when we get older. I did not believe it. It is true. And the leaves are turning and falling too fast. No matter the date, eternal winter is coming.

OK, that’s it. Scoff, laugh, criticize, or read ‘em and ponder my insanity. To lend credence to my first one, just by reading John B’s post wherein he tagged me to participate, I learned a new word: limen. It means threshold and is defined as the point at which a stimulus is of sufficient intensity to begin to produce an effect. For example it can represent the threshold of pain, or the threshold of consciousness. Perhaps I should have named this post The Threshold of the Pain of Consciousness.