Just another new year

Yes, tomorrow marks the beginning of another new year. Oh, sure, we've had a plethora of them recently. Fall seems to be good for that sort of thing ... just as spring is in other circles. When a year starts or ends is a pretty arbitrary thing. There are good reasons for any of the choices, and I'm happy to let everyone have their way.

The year that begins tomorrow, however, is the Church Year. It's is, if you will, the beginning of the Christian Year, even if most Christians (at least the ones that I know) have no idea that tomorrow's the day.

Fact is: the "church"; that is, those of the Christian persuasion (except for all those who call themselves "Orthodox"), be they Roman Catholic, Protestant (in any of its various flavors), or adherents of any of a nearly innumerable number of "Christian denominations", have set their New Year's Day as tomorrow: the First Sunday in Advent. Four weeks from now we will celebrate the birth of Jesus (though the high point of the year will be Easter) A new cycle has begun.

Now, I'm sure that quite a few of you are asking yourself why I even care. I mean, what do I, proponent of the positions I hold, everyday guy that many of you know, mundane blogger, politically interested, left-leaning advocate of change have to do with the Church year? Good question. Be forewarned, however: answers are never as interesting at the questions.

The fact is that I was born and raised in a "Christian" environment. My upbringing was very "fundamental", if you know what I mean. I lived most of my youth in a country that expounded "Christian values". I moved to a country that still levies a "church tax" (albeit voluntarily ... and yes, I pay it). In fact, I even spent two years studying for and eventually receiving the authorization to teach religious instruction in German public schools. I spend an inordinate amount of time with my nose stuck in the Bible (i.e., Old and New Testaments), trying very hard to make sense not only of the translations, but also of the original Hebrew and Greek texts ... by choice, I might add. I know about the externalities of the "faith" (e.g., how the Church year runs). So, the question is: am I a Christian? Am I making all of you aware of this (latest) New Year, because it is the "real" way to mark our progression through time?

The (I'm sure) very disappointing) answer is "no".

For those who consider themselves and who call themselves "Christian", I'm not a member of their club. For those who are "other" believers, from religious individuals of all faiths to atheists, I'm I-don't-know-what. And that's fine with me.

And so, given that I'm a stranger in a strange land -- regardless of who is doing the observing -- I thought it might be a good idea to simply sort a few things out. And that will be the subject of our run-up to Christmas or, if you will, the next few blogs.

I hope you stay around. I'm pretty sure that what's to come will be anything but "the party line".

Change of seasons

OK, you know where I'm coming from. For as much as I like Thanksgiving, it's really not about the food, it's about family. I don't know about you, but my family is important to me. Why? Because ever since I really left home (that is, where I was born and grew up), my (acquired) family has been all I've had.

Most of you have never left home. Sure, lots of you have traveled and seen exciting things in exciting places; you've had stimulating experiences in exotic environments, but, at heart, you're still American or German or French or British, and you've probably gone back to somewhere near where you were born or at least in the same country. Me, I'm an expat ... and have probably always have been, even when I was in exile in my home country (14 years in California but was born near Pittsburgh, and "being on another planet", doesn't quite capture the true essence of it all). For me, home isn't where you hang your hat, it's where your heart is, and my heart is always with my family ... and by that, I mean "immediate".

A corollary to this is that being with family means giving thanks. In fact, giving thanks has become one of the most important activities in my life. I'll be the first to admit: I've got it good, maybe even better than a whole lot of others. And I'm thankful for that. I've got a decent job that's halfway interesting; I've been able to see and experience things that others have only dreamed of; I know some people who are - for lack of a better word - unique, one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable; I have, in short, been blessed.

But, we have to ask ourselves what that means? Some of my best friends are atheists, and the word "blessed" doesn't fit into their reality very well. For them, and I agree, I've been "fortunate" or just downright "lucky". We all know, be we atheists or some kind of believers, that my life has been enriched in unfathomable ways. I'm one of those dorks, I suppose, who, given the chance, wouldn't trade a moment of my existence for anything else. I've got more than I bargained for, have received lots more than I deserve, have luscious regrets and the peace of mind of knowing that had I all to do over again, I wouldn't change a single thing. Why? Because I'm religious and I know it's all "God's work"? Because I'm an idiot and don't understand the world? Because I'm unambitious, for there could have certainly been more (whatever that is)? No, because it all is just as it is because that's the way it is and no way else.

Right after Thanksgiving, you see, there is a change of season. For Christians (even if most of them may not know it), the New Church Year begins. That would be the First Sunday in Advent, or for the more mundane, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. That doesn't mean much to most of us anymore. We've forgotten (or have chosen to ignore) when what happens and why. For me, however, these are markers that remind me of what might do me some good if I don't forget.

Does this make me religious? No. Does it make me irreligious? No. Does it make me anything at all? I don't think so.

Being conscious of what's happening is -- at least in my little world -- a good thing. I like to note the passing of time and the recurrence of events as a way of reminding myself where we are. It used to be the norm, but it is now the exception ... which is one of the reasons why I have, at times, simply been referred to as "Edwierdo".

Just a small confession

It's time for me to make a small confession. In living the life of an expatriate, one knows there are just certain things that you have to do without and you learn to live with it. The differences between the US and Germany are not so different that it's not possible to fake it every now and again. Still, there is one thing about America that I go out of my way to compensate for, and that's Thanksgiving. It is, without a doubt my favorite holiday.

In my mind, Thanksgiving is the absolute, picture-perfect ... no absolutely perfect ... holiday. Americans don't get everything right ... in fact, they even got this one wrong, but when seen in its proper light, it is the holiday of all holidays. OK, OK, we have a terribly sordid past when it comes to both Pilgrims and Native Americans, and I believe it's long past time that we owned up to that and did something about it. But, that's another blog. At the moment, I'm more interested in where we are than how we got there.

First of all, it's a guaranteed four-day weekend. (That my fellow country-people have perverted it into a kick-off for the Christmas season is, well, their own fault, and so too many people have to work anyway: consumption must go on). Secondly, the celebration part takes place at the very beginning of the break, so you have plenty of time to wind down. Third, when done right, the focus of the holiday is family. Since there is a little extra time, since there are school vacations and plant shutdowns, more people have more opportunity to get together with their family than perhaps at any other time of year. Fourth, it's about being thankful ... thankful for everything you have. Being thankful is a good thing. Stopping for a moment and thinking about how good we all have it (and just about everyone reading this is doing well) is something we need to do more often, but at least we've formally recognized that it's something we should do. After all, they made it a holiday. Finally, and for me, most importantly, this holiday is simply about the food.

Yes, I know, there are not a few families who actually suffer on this day. There are more than a few folks I know who won't go near a turkey because they'll just screw it up. I know there are lots of ways to do it wrong, but I can assure each and every one of you, that in our house, guests who don't even like turkey have asked for seconds. If there is one meal a year that I put every ounce of love in my being into the food put on the table, this is it, and everyone who's ever had it has declared they will sign a sworn statement to that effect. (OK, I'm exaggerating right now, but you know what I mean.) So what's the issue.

It's simple: since it's not a holiday here, and since the "thanksgiving" they the Germans have is not celebrated as extravagantly as we do in the States, I have to make major adjustments to have the holiday at all. Fortunately, none of the family in the immediate area have jobs that require them to work on Saturdays and with a modicum of effort, we can get everyone together. So, this year, yesterday, we got everyone together and I did my magic in the kitchen and there were nothing but satisfied faces around the table after dinner.

So, to all my European friends: you don't know what you're missing. To my American friends: I hope, on Thursday, you enjoy even half as much as I did yesterday. And regardless: take a moment and just be thankful.

Boring and uninteresting

You don't have to be paranoid to know everyone's after you. Paranoia, at least this side of a formally diagnosed illness, is simply a feeling. I say "simply" knowing full well that it's much more than that. Truth be told, I tend to think that what we feel is often more significant and important than what we know.

I know that there are lots of folks who "feel" that they can't live without their personal technology (laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.) and there are a whole lot more who feel that they have nothing to hide. After all, most of us lead such boring and uninteresting lives that ... well, who really cares whether I was at the movies or the mall last night, or whether I stopped in this fast-food joint as opposed to that one? In general, I agree. Who cares? More specifically, I would say that eventually, the wrong people.

Information can be a powerful tool, or a powerful weapon. As my friend Julius used to say, abusus non tollit usus; that is, just because something is abused or misused doesn't make the thing itself bad. In this regard, information are like guns. They can be very helpful and provide a lot of "feeling safe". But, in the wrong hands at the wrong place at the wrong time, they can be deadly. You just have to know that about guns, and the same holds true for information. What is more, if you have a gun, chances are very high that you are going to use it at some point, willingly or unwillingly, consciously or unconsciously, seriously or frivolously. And the same thing holds for information.

Personally, I'm not all that comfortable with third parties -- be it the government or the shop around the corner -- having, storing, and what's even worse, manipulating my personal data. I'm not paranoid. I know they have it and I know they use it, but I'm not convinced they need it. It's at this point that too many people say, "Well, I've got nothing to hide, what does it matter?" or "Who could possibly be interested in my boring life, so who cares?", but I'm a firm believer that if you don't need it, you needn't have it.

My point is that it is data about me. All the little bits and pieces than everyone is collecting is being shared with everyone else who is interesting in collecting, and the next thing you know, others know more about me than I do, and they're not willing to tell me what they know. At that point, I say it's time to rethink this data or information-collection thing. If it is information about me, why shouldn't I have a right to know what it is and what's being done with it? If they are using this information, say as a corporation, to generate profits, why am I not receiving royalties? If it's the government, why shouldn't I know what they have and who has it and what it's being used for? In other words, when do the rest of us find out what apparently so many others already know?

Like I said last time: I'm not saying we need to opt out of society or go into seclusion. I'm not saying that we need to fear either corporations or government, but we do need to be aware, and since we are involved, I believe we have every right to know. What I'm making a pitch for is more personal involvement and awareness. It is personal, so let me be personally involved.

At least you should know

While most of us like to think we're hard-boiled enough to know what's happening, the real fact of the matter is that most of us are still quite naive. I'm not saying naivité is a bad thing, but too much of anything can be less than good in the end. By the same token, knowing a whole lot of little things and not putting them all together can be just as bad. Technology, though not bad in and of itself, can be used to do lots of things that aren't in our best interest. Quite often, little "perks" are included to distract us from the bigger issues.

For example, collecting bonus or payback points or whatever they're called just tell retailers more and more about our purchasing decisions. The "old" system of figuring out what you bought and offering you discounts on name-brand products is really old. Since you voluntarily give them your information, they can link you to what you buy. The next new twist will come, I believe, when they've refined face-recognition. Anyone who has been tagged in a Facebook picture has their face charted and plotted, but this is perhaps the harmless side of the passport photos that are required these days. Frontal shots without smiles are required now not only for passports but also for driver's licenses and other identification documents. Why, because it makes it easier for the face-recognition software to work and refine.

There are two aspects of this I find interesting. On the one hand, they (whoever "they" are, it doesn't matter) know what we look like. They don't have to know our name, that's secondary. Anytime you are "seen" by a video surveillance camera ... and these are popping up everywhere, though in some countries (e.g., the UK) more than others (e.g., Germany). It is becoming ever easier to recognize you. On the other hand, a number of retailers have installed cameras to monitor what customers actually look at. Do you scan the top shelf in a grocery store before taking something off the bottom? Do you tend to pick from the middle? In neutral terms, "they" are merely trying to determine you search behavior ... or whatever. It won't be long till retailers know who you are and what you generally look at as well as buy. We're all going to be receiving more offers than we might like.

Smartphones have taken on new dimensions as well. In addition to GPS tracking and signal triangulation, newer models register how many steps you take, in which direction, how often you take it out of your pocket or purse and more. This is all getting transmitted to "someone". Some have incorporated face recognition so that they not only know how often you look at it, but soon they will also know to whom you are showing it as well.

Now think about it all for a moment. Think about the different pieces of the puzzle, and you quickly realize "they" know a lot more about us and what we do than we like to think.

Am I trying to instill fear or get you to stop using your phone? No. We can't live without our devices and they can be very useful too. What we need to think about, however, is what kinds of information do they need to know about me, individually. How much of this should "they" be allowed to collect? How long should "they" be allowed to store it? At what point is my privacy (and security) being violated? These are more relevant and important issues than you might think, and if you are interested at all in either your privacy or security, you may want to give it all just a bit more thought.

Here is not there, but maybe it should be

In all our thoughts about ourselves and our own individual lives, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that we are part of something bigger, namely the world around us. Yes, this is what causes us so often to retreat into ourselves, but we can learn things "in here" that we can put to use "out there".

For example, employment, unemployment and underemployment are all problems we face. If we have a job, we're afraid to lose it, so we tow the line. If we don't have a job, we are often willing to take anything, since we (often erroneously) believe that something is better than nothing. I don't know if it's a majority of us but it's certainly more than anyone would like to admit, many, many people are underemployed; that is, they are working in jobs that don't make full use of their qualifications. (And, by the way, if anyone tells you that unemployment is high because there is a skill shortage, feel free to just slap them ... there's hardly anything that is more meaningless to say.) This, however, is all positioned to change ... and not for the better.

In at least tuning in part-time to the world around us, our American friends should be aware that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is heading toward closure. This is a free-trade agreement that the Americans are negotiating in secret with a number of other nations around the Pacific Rim. Simultaneously, the EU is negotiating with the Americans regarding an EU-USA Free Trade Agreement as well. Neither bode well for us little people. Both of these exercises in insanity must be stopped.

In principle, there is nothing wrong with free-trade agreements. It is precisely this that makes Europe (both the EU and the EFTA) as strong as it is. Our problems come from imbalance; that is, from treating unequal partners equally. This is the same reason why NAFTA is not working as it should, but NAFTA was taken as the example of how to develop a trade deal that offers only benefits to the corporations, not to the people. The TPP and the EU-USTA are designed with only corporate interests in mind. If either (or both) of these are put into practice, we can't begin to number the people who are going to suffer. If you don't believe me, read up on them yourself. And once you have, you will soon realize that regardless of how politically different you and your neighbor may be, when it comes to these, you are both going to get screwed equally.

This is one of those instances where the Devil is truly in the detail. When spoken of from a high-enough level, it all sounds very nice, but once you look behind the facade, through the smoke and mirrors, you quickly realize that our good plays no role in the negotiations whatsoever. So, once again, though we are apparently on opposites sides of an issue (for example, capitalism and free markets), we soon come to realize that we little folks are not intended to have any say in the matter. I can assure you, though, that we little folks will be the first ones to feel the effects. I'm not over-exaggerating when I say that a lot of us are not going to survive either one, and a whole lot of us won't survive both.

I mention this for the simple reason that faced with such bleak prospects, rash and false decisions on our part will only increase the damage. If there was ever a time to get informed, to understand what is happening to us, this is it. You can't say you weren't warned.

Common is not the same

There is something I think I should make clear. Common is not the same as same.

I'm fully aware that we in the Western World place a high value on individuality, but truth be told, most people have no idea what they are talking about. We think we have to be different from everyone else, but we never want to stick out in a crowd or elsewhere. We think we have to be unique, but that's something we are by nature (no two human beings are identical, not even monozygotic twins), but it is so subtle that no one notices anyway. We say things like we have to be our own person, or march to our own drummer, or whatever other sappy metaphors may come to mind, but deep down, we're more like others than different from them.

In fact, we are so much alike that it is simply a lot of fun to find out what the subtle differences are, be they favorite songs of groups we both like, or different shades of the same color, or more sweet or savory dishes. The list and the possibilities are endless. What is so interesting about it all is that regardless how different we are, we're still very much the same, but we're not the same. We simply have a lot of things in common.

While are lot of people I know aren't up to it, I find this exercise particularly fascinating when I do it with people whom I can't imagine I have much in common, say, young, radical people of color, or maybe middle-aged, white, self-professed, religious ultra-conservatives. I don't care who it is, or what they think, or what they think is right, I am always surprised by how much common ground we can find. Granted, these common points are not in politics or religion, but they are definitely there at the human, feeling level. We often share the same fears and apprehensions, have the same doubts, but are thrilled by similar things too, like literature, music, art, or just a sunny afternoon in the Biergarten. I think it's important that we take that in and not only savor it, but also remember it. Later, in the heat of an argument, it is all to easy to forget that our argumentation partner is a human being too, one with dreams, hopes, and feelings, just like myself. We may not and we may never agree on how to get to our goals, but at some point we realize that our goals are not all that different: a simple, secure life in which we have time to do things we enjoy with the people we love. It's surprising how little of that there is these days.

Let's face it, some people are bucking for a promotion, trying to score the big deal, make a fortune or win the lottery, and they lose sight of the fact that believing that having enough money will mean having enough time never really works out. Others are simply struggling to get by, working two or more part-time jobs, trying to keep the collection agents at bay and making the rent. In both cases, we have too little of what makes us human, and we have too little because we have simply forgotten what is really important in life.

Sometimes just knowing that others are struggling like you are is enough to form some kind of bond. Showing a bit of understanding, and even performing the random act of kindness with someone you normally would never, ever even think of associating with can do a lot to help you get off dead center. But, don't believe me, just because I'm telling you. Give it a shot. Find out for yourself.

What the system doesn't like, the system will fight

TPTB, or "the system", if we choose, like to have things their way. That's been pretty much standard for most of the history of humankind. The apathy of the Baby Boomers has mutated into an active I-don't-care in many of their offspring. Though most have believed throughout history that strong leadership and beneficial policies must come from the top, there is a growing number of people, both old and young, who know that's simply not true.

The pessimistic view sees everything is broken, and it is: our political and governance systems, our educational and training systems, our financial and economic systems, our legal and (so-called) justice systems, our religious systems ... and the pessimist is right, they are broken, most beyond repair. Those running or managing those systems never tire of telling us they are either not broken (which certainly doesn't ring true because we all see that they are) or that they can fix them, which they can't (or don't want to), otherwise they would. The optimists think we should support them in making the necessary changes, but sooner or later they realize that nothing is really going to change because, well, nothing is really going to change ... officially.

So, while some people are thinking about what can (or should) be done, others are simply doing it. There are any number of things ... little things, seemingly insignificant things, but important things ... that can be done. It all starts with talking, really. I don't mean talking about the weather with your neighbor or the cashier at the supermarket, I mean talking about things that matter with people who matter to you. The question cannot be "What can we do to change things?" Rather, the question is simply, "How can we make our (not my) immediate lives better?" But, what's "better".

This is pretty simple too: "better" is less stressful, more rewarding, more harmonious, move involved, more communal. Celebrating a birthday is always better with others than alone. Holidays are more enjoyable with family or friends than "just the two of us". Once we realize that a helping hand is worth its weight in gold, we can learn to accept support from others in doing whatever it is we think needs to be done. What starts at home, in house and garden, can slowly, but steadily expand to the immediate neighbors, the neighborhood and beyond.

The key, however ... and I can't stress this enough ... is finding what we share in common, not what makes us different. In other words, in spite of all differences between us, there is still a whole lot we have in common. These can be wishes, hopes, dreams or aspirations. The moment we realize that if my neighbor is doing well, I'm probably doing well, too. But, believe me, folks, that's where it starts. So, if you're already on good terms with your neighbors, expand your horizons, increase your action radius, find someone different to find out what you have in common. Just do it.

Maybe there's change in the air

Truth be told, I'm rather ecstatic about hearing that there are young people who aren't willing to worship the Golden Calf, even if most of them wouldn't know what that metaphor meant. There appears to be a growing number of young people who are realizing that what their parents and, maybe even grandparents, are telling them is hollow, empty, and untrue.

Let's face it, you can work your butt off and be let go at the very next downsizing. It's not personal, it's business. What you do doesn't matter. Only what the books look like matters. How much pain and suffering are inflicted upon how many people -- and I'm only talking about our oh-so-modern-and-advanced, industrialized West -- because of abject poverty or, what may be even worse, the fear of falling through the non-existent social safety net into that poverty? It is a well-know fact that fear causes stress and that too much stress will make you ill, if not ultimately kill you. Thankfully, more and more young people are realizing that the benefits never really justify the efforts. It's a gamble at best, and some people are simply dealt better hands.

On top of all of this, we're faced with too many unsolvable problems these days. Yes, there are political blockheads who will never cease trying to tell us there is no such thing as science and global warming and pollution and blood-for-oil and addiction to fossil fuels that hard work will make you rich. But it's too easy to see them for what they are, namely, ignorant, obsequious pawns of merely monied interests. This isn't a new phenomenon, by any means, for in my own time, many of us realized just how phony the obsession with money was. A good number just opted out of the system -- they were called "beats" before my time and "hippies" in my time, and while they got the point right, they never quite figured out the process. I'm thinking that maybe that's what's changing.

Though not in the headlines every day, where they should be, there is an increasing number of people who are simply turning their backs on the "system" and doing what they know is right. They are establishing multi-generational living spaces, cooperative enterprises, locally owned utilities, public initiatives that are helping themselves and those around them live better lives. Have they solved the problems of the world? Of course not, but they have realized how much can be done if you simply do it. All of these efforts are, of course, set up within the boundaries currently permitted, but they have effects beyond that.

What's different? The attitude. In each and every one of these successful projects, the primary concern is WE. None of them are single-handed, individualistic, only-me-benefitting undertakings. They are about getting together to do more than any single person can and in which no single person has any more benefit than anyone else. This is bad news for "the system", and the system knows it.

There's never enough time

There's never enough time ... at least not enough to really do what we want. It seems the more "advanced" our society becomes, the less time we have for things, important things, like family, friends, rest, relaxation, reflection. All our conveniences and labor-saving devices have failed us. How many of you feel like you're working more than ever, even if it's only because your mobile (cell) is on making you "on call". When I travel -- which is way too often -- I see people of all ages, glued to their devices, be they smartphones, tablets, or laptops. Some very few are listening to music or playing games, but most of what I see looks like work: lots of spreadsheets, lots of calendars, lots of email windows with long, long lists, and serious-looking PDFs. There are some Luddite-likes on board; that is, people working on paper. But these, too, often look like printed versions of what others have on-screen. Sure, during normal working hours this doesn't strike me as odd, but I'm talking about evenings and weekends. I hate it when I have to do business travel at these times, and I avoid it as much as possible. But even when I must, I certainly see no reason why that should obligate me to do business then as well. Sometimes, we simply need some time to ourselves.

You see, our modern, average work week is somewhere between 35 and 40 hours. It seems to me that if this is what we are paid for (and granted, here in Europe, many employers have general-time and/or comp-time accounts for their employees, most of which I've ever heard about have upward limits ... and oddly enough, everyone I've ever talked to was always pushing those limits as it is), this is what is expected of us. I'm the last one to advocate just letting your pencil drop at 4 or 5 or whenever the working day is over, and there may be exceptions to the rule, but what happens when the exceptions become the rule? This is what I'm seeing too much of, and it bothers me. A lot.

What I see are too many parents who are either working or going back and forth to work, so the children are too often on their own or with a baby-sitter. I see men and women consumed by their jobs and unable to switch gears for the family. I see kids who are shuffled from school to sports activities to music lessons to tutoring sessions to who-knows-where-else so they'll have greater opportunities in life. But what opportunities are we talking about? It's clear: a life of work-work-work with little family and if you end up with one, not knowing what to do with it, because you never learned how, because you never experienced one growing up.

But here's the real issue: why do we work so hard and so long? Because we need (and there are some who want) the money. We do it for the money. In the end, it's about money. The house, the car, the alma mater, the boat, the plane, the power weekend in the Caymans ... but money, well, there's are some things it just can't buy, like peace of mind, love, friendship, compassion.

Recently I read that some US law firms started offering dual career paths for incoming associates. You could choose a modest, but decent salary, a 40-hour (only) week, and no real chance for advancement; or, you could opt for the standard career path: long hours, big bonuses, and a chance at becoming a partner one day. The encouraging news was they were having trouble finding recruits for the partner path. Maybe, just maybe, younger people are realizing how ridiculous our generation has made the world. At least it's reason for hope.