This is a piece I wrote some two years ago, a piece for my daughter before she was born. The reason I did this was because I felt that if something happened to me, I wanted her to have some idea as to who her father was, I wanted her to not be left wondering with nothing but the words of others. It is also where I began to actually connect with her, it made me think more heavily about who I am and what kind of parent I aim to be. It is also where I really started to connect with what I wrote. Perhaps there is some value in it for others too.

This is for the new tag #forthechildren

To Part Five

The Endless Conversation (part six)

I have been tapping away at the keyboard for awhile and am mildly impressed that you have made it this far. You may be thinking damn, I got a little bit into it and was thinking to stop but kept going. Though soon, once I had invested all of this time, I had to finish reading otherwise it would be a waste of what I have already invested.

Don't worry, I have watched many terrible shows for several seasons because of this mental bias and many large investment projects have reached completion and met a failure that could be easily seen at the halfway point. You may also be thinking that I am some self-righteous so and so and has no qualification or right to comment on any of the areas covered thus far. You are right of course, yet here we are. Should we continue a little farther?

Being right seems to be imperative to our feelings of self-worth. But being right is quite an exclusive club. There are a few equations and a few known natural laws that are correct. To be a truth, it has to be unbreakable and singular. Which means it can't be true now, but not tomorrow. If truly truth, it always was and always will be true. It is perfect and perfection can't change as it isn't time dependent, it is an absolute.

In humans though, we have a limited concept of truth that ignores the data we don't yet know. At some point, someone might have believed that the world is flat. Believing something doesn't make it true. Otherwise, I should still be able to run as fast as when I was young(er).

We all say that we want to know the truth yet simultaneously are rather unwilling to investigate and question our own beliefs. But why? It is obvious maybe: we don't want to be wrong. Why would we question our position, an uncomfortable act in itself, only to prove ourselves incorrect in something we have potentially been acting upon as if true our entire lives? This process will lead to certain pain.

It makes far more sense to ignore the possibility, denounce detractors and cover our eyes, ears and any other hole questions and contradictions may leak in. The problem is, once the question is raised, innocence is lost. One must then actively work to not explore the possibility of being wrong which is a choice to remain ignorant.

The funny thing with this choice is of course that once the question is raised can one truly continue to believe without a shadow of doubt? Or, will that niggling feeling always remain in the back of the mind. What if I'm wrong? When it comes to beliefs, not many believe so strongly it seems that they are willing to rigorously test their belief until they prove it right. But then, what if we ARE right?

To me it seems that there is a lot of conflict going on. Lots of people claiming right and wrong and everything in between. I don't think anyone can be right if they have to argue as once right is truly found, it can't be argued. Once seen, the truth cannot be unseen. This is not the Matrix. Or is it?

Before teaching to fight for what one believes in, the first lesson should be to question whether the belief is valid and actually worth fighting for. A few more questions aimed this way and a lot of prejudice and violence would not eventuate and a lot of discovery would be made. Remove the societal programming and we can discover who we are rather than the labels with which we identify.

I do think that there is a solution to the problems we face and have always faced. This society we live in is ours and each unit within has the power to affect it. I don't mean that we could affect it, I mean that we are affecting it. Constantly. Each movement we make, every word we speak has an effect on the world and everything it contains. It ripples and flows through all eventually. We even affect the atmosphere surrounding the world and send probes into deep space that have an effect on some other world.

All of these systems, hospitals, governments, innovations, wars, businesses, schools, charities, space programs and families, have been created from our thinking. But not just ours. The collective thoughts over the space of many millennia that have combined and transformed, reproduced and mutated. A massive movement of thought. And the beauty is, it is ours. We can direct it, harness it and release it. We can choose how we use it and where we take it. We decide how we evolve. And if we choose to, we can do better.

This is what I call the endless conversation. We are all a part of it, affect it and influenced by it. Our words and actions add to the conversation, our art pushes known boundaries and science provides technologies that inspire others to join in and create new conversation streams. Some threads of the conversation funnel through a complicated process into simple solutions that become tools to simplify other parts of a different conversation string.

Active or passive, we place pressure on each strand, pulling this way and that with some looking to develop and move across strings and some, holding onto the threads of the conversations that they know and with which they feel safe. There are an immeasurable number of strings of infinite length with endless possibilities. Pathways that I see as eternally leading towards the same point; truth. Whatever that is.

This is why I think.

I am not trying to convince you of anything as I hope you are free of all influence and authority including mine, but perhaps you will find something here useful. Maybe a single word, a phrase or the beginnings of an idea that will spark your creativity. I imagine you being curious, objective, unattached and willing to think for yourself without prejudice. I picture you as free, an individual that discovers your gifts with the integrity to grow, create and simplify this world into a better place. I hope you are compassionate towards others and offer a hand to those in need, those that may not yet have learned what you have learned. And forgive and move on from those who are unwilling or not ready to take your hand. I hope you learn from them also, as value can be found in the most unlikely of places. At times you may hold an incorrect position, discover it, acknowledge it, learn from it, let it go and move onward. There is so much in this life to enjoy, there is no need to hold on to what is gone. You will face many challenges and challengers but this is nature in its element as pressure produces change and there is beauty in the uncommon, the different, the variation. There is beauty in everything if you pay attention. And we are all unique. All beautiful. Become aware of your environment as there is intelligence within and it holds lessons on simplicity, function and structure. You will not fit in with everyone so accept this but know you will always have your place and leave a mark as every movement you make, each string you vibrate, will forever travel along the networks of the universe. Energy cannot be made or destroyed, only transformed. All that is, always was and will always be. Only the arrangement of the energy changes, like the notes of music. You are this energy, discover it for yourself, use it as you choose, move what you will.

For my unborn daughter, Your journey has started, the ripple has begun, the first strings pulled, your effects felt. You have already moved me to be my best for You and are now and forever a part of the universe. I look forward to meeting you, learning with you, adventuring, journeying and discovering together. I look forward to the discussion, listening to your music and seeing what piece you will play in the endless conversation.

Taraz

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Perhaps you have heard some of this before, perhaps not but it is was a point where many ideas converged and a point from which many more sprang. This was almost a year before I joined Steemit and started to write. Some of my thoughts might have changed, many have stayed the same but, I do feel like I am growing and each day, becoming a better parent than I was yesterday. Feel free to comment and add your views.