021: Autumnal Equinox (Homecoming)
Front of House
YOUR DESTINATION IS STRAIGHT AHEAD
“THE GREAT ADVENTURE OF OUR TIME IS TO DISCOVER WHO INHABITS THE EARTH.”1
THERE IS MUCH TO BE SAID ABOUT THE CLASSES AND CATEGORIES INTO WHICH HUMANS CAN BE MORE OR LESS UNCOMFORTABLY FITTED, THE INTIMATE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF EACH UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL REMAIN WIDELY UNKNOWN.
THE MINUTE DISCREPANCIES IN THE EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL, WHICH DISTINGUISHES US FROM THE STATISTICAL ‘AVERAGE PERSON,’ ARE THE ESSENCE AND DISTRESS OF EACH LIFE, WHAT ATTRACTS AND REPELS, AND WHAT MAKES ONE WHO ONE IS. THOUGH PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE INTERESTED ABOVE ALL IN OTHER PEOPLE, THEY DO NOT KNOW ONE ANOTHER – PARTLY DUE TO NOT KNOWING THEMSELVES.
A START ON THIS ADVENTURE CAN BE MADE BY SETTING OUT TO EXPLORE THREE NEGLECTED PLACES:
PATHOS (the spirit)
PRIVATE LIFE IS THE PART OF LIFE THAT IS MOST HIDDEN FROM VIEW – EMERGING FROM OBSCURITY AND CHALLENGING PUBLIC LIFE AS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.
ALTHOUGH MANY MAY ATTEMPT TO PRESERVE THEIR PRIVACY, THEY ALSO WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ‘SOMEONE SPECIAL.’ A NEW AGENDA OPENS WITH THE CONTRAST OF THESE SENSITIVITIES: THE DESIRE TO CONCEAL, AND THE OCCASIONAL EAGERNESS TO REVEAL AND BE SEEN AS ONE REALLY IS.
It was prescient of the Chinese to write the word ‘humaneness’ or ‘co–humanity’ (ren, 仁) with a picture of two human beings, recognizing that its essence is in the relationship.2
THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TWO (or more) INDIVIDUALS WHO DEVELOP EMOTIONAL, INTELLECTUAL OR CULTURAL LINKS PRODUCES A NEW MOTOR FOR CHANGE. THE DUO (or collective) IS AS SIGNIFICANT AN INFLUENCE AS THE SOLITARY SOUL OR THE IRRATIONAL CROWD. WE ARE NOT LIMITED TO A CHOICE BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL SELF–RELIANCE AND COLLECTIVE STRUGGLE. ONE–TO–ONE RELATIONSHIPS NOW HAVE A MORE CENTRAL PLACE TO RESIDE. THIS IS NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE SOURCE OF MANY EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENTS IN VARIED FIELDS OF ENDEAVOR.
FAMILIES CEASE TO BE DOMINATED ENTIRELY BY PROPERTY, AND THE SEARCH FOR CONGENIAL PARTNERS HAS BECOME OVERSATURATED AND CHALLENGING – PRIVATE LIFE IS BECOMING A SOURCE OF A NEW KIND OF ENERGY AND PRIORITY. HAVING ACCESS TO CONTACTS OUTSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, RELATIONSHIPS OF VARYING DYNAMICS, BOTH TRANSIENT AND LONG–TERM, ARE RESHAPING THE LANDSCAPE.
ETHOS (the body)
WE ARE LIVING IN THE PAST AS MUCH AS IN THE PRESENT, PERPETUATING IDEAS AND HABITS FROM LONG AGO, OFTEN WITHOUT BEING AWARE OF IT.
TO BE POOR IS NOT ONLY TO BE SHORT OF RESOURCES, BUT ALSO TO POSSESS ONLY ONE’S OWN MEMORIES. THE ORIGINALITY OF OUR TIME IS THAT THE WORLD TODAY IS RICHER IN MEMORIES THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN, MORE THAN TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES LIVED BY, YET IT IS MAKING MINIMAL USE OF THEM. THERE IS A VAST INHERITANCE OF MEMORIES WAITING TO BE DISTRIBUTED.
TO BE MODERN INITIALLY MEANT LIVING IN THE PRESENT AND LIBERATING ONESELF FROM OUTDATED SYSTEMS BY OBLITERATING AND FORGETTING THE PAST – OLD TRADITIONS HAVE SURVIVED WITH A TENACIOUSNESS THAT WAS LEAST EXPECTED.
ADDING OTHER’S MEMORIES TO ONE’S OWN MEMORIES TRANSFORMS ONE’S IDEAS OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO DO IN A LIFETIME. A NEW VISION OF THE PAST MAKES POSSIBLE A NEW VISION OF THE FUTURE!
LOGOS (the mind)
EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS A PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY, EXPLAINING FOR THEM WHY THEY ARE BEING GUIDED ALONG BY A SERIES OF INEXPLICABLE EVENTS.
SOME OF US ARE WRAPPED IN A MELANGE OF PHILOSOPHIES, INHERITED FROM DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS, WHICH WE EACH PUT TOGETHER IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PATTERN. THEREFORE, THE ADOPTED MINDSET CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THE HARSH KNOCKS OF EXISTENCE, BUT FRAGMENTS OF yesterday’s ATTITUDES ALMOST ALWAYS SURVIVE BENEATH THE SURFACE.
NOTHING LIMITS A PERSON MORE THAN THESE INHERITED CONVICTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND WHAT IS NOT. WE ARE SEARCHING FOR NEW APPROACHES TO DISAGREEMENT, A NEW SKILL, NEW WAYS OF PUTTING OUR DIFFERENCES TO BETTER USE. INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON WHAT PEOPLE OR NATIONS OR GROUPS HAVE IN COMMON, LET’S PROPOSE TO CONFRONT THE INNUMERABLE MINUTE DIFFERENCES, OFTEN SEEMINGLY TRIVIAL, THAT KEEP US APART, AND INVESTIGATE HOW THESE CAN BECOME FERTILE RATHER THAN FUTILE.
OF COURSE, NO PERSON CAN KNOW EIGHT BILLION PEOPLE, BUT THAT NUMBER SHOULD NOT BE ANY MORE INTIMIDATING THAN THE MANY MORE BILLIONS OF NEURONS AND MOLECULES INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE.
TO SET OUT ON A ROAD THAT HAS NO END WITH NO EXPECTATION OF FINDING ALL THE ANSWERS, HAS ALWAYS BEEN MORE EYE–OPENING THAN TRAVELING TO A FIXED DESTINATION, BECAUSE IT LEAVES FEEDOM TO STRAY INTO BYWAYS THAT MAY PROVE MORE REWARDING THAN PREORDAINED GOALS.
SOME OF HUMANITY’S GREATEST ADVENTURES WERE UNDERTAKEN BY A FEW DETERMINED INDIVIDUALS WHO DISAGREED WITH THE MAJORITY. LET’S SEE IF BENEFITING FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE IS MORE CHALLENGING THAN GETTING TO THE MOON.
WE ARE RELOCATING! THIS IS AN OPEN INVITATION TO OUR NEW YORK HQ MOVING SALE. STAY TUNED VIA INSTAGRAM FOR AVAILABLE LISTINGS.
PLEASE NOTE, AVAILABLE ITEMS WILL BE SOLD AS IS (OBO). LOCAL NEW YORK PICK–UP ONLY. DELIVERY UNAVAILABLE. VENMO AND CASH PAYMENTS ACCEPTED.
THANK YOU FOR THE INITIAL SUPPORT AND ASSEMBLAGE. PLEASE EXERCISE PATIENCE AS WE CONTINUE TO COMPILE OUR THOUGHTS.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE INVOLVEMENT OF THIS HOUSE PROJECT – OR HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A NOTE.
A REMINDER TO CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER OR PROMOTIONS TAB, IN ANY EVENT YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND US IN YOUR MAIN INBOX.
Original publication date: September 22, 2024