As the Roadside Philosopher I wanted to shout and point fingers and get angry during the government declared pandemic. I had to wait till I sorted things a bit.

I have watched in horror the confusion that keeps mounting in our world societies and I think I finally have figured out the cause!

“Vista starvation”! It often occurs in cities, but can be found rurally as well. In the cities they can’t see the sky or the horizon. They are literally limited by their vision. It is hard to know where you are in the world if you only see a box of a humanity-made world. With that frame of reference they expect the “city” to take care of them. They are immersed in the belief that there is a benevolent government that should make all their wishes come true. If they want water, there should be water and the city should make that so.

The belief system is always around “me, myself and I” and the government is suppose to make things ok for us. Therefore, only humanity and our government can wave the magic wand to make things right. If things aren’t right, i have a right to blame everyone else. We are only a peg in the board of the things we can perceive. Everything else is an illusion. Only my human-centric way is of value, because that’s all I can see. So I am right, you are wrong.

Vista starvation also pertains to our historical context. We have no vision nor wish to know what life was in the past. When we ignore history… like the old adage goes, We are doomed to repeat it.

This goes the other way of vista starvation with the rural perspective. They live as if the past is the only thing of value. If you did not have family here for several generations you are devalued. They block incoming information that could be very valuable and deny there is anything out there that will dislodge their vision of what reality has always been.

What the rural people have over urban is they get to see horizons and sky. They know that this distance means you have to do things yourself. The chance of the government helping you is nil..in fact, it is government who comes out and takes and rules illogically their world. Those who don’t understand, push their laws and rules without knowing the culture or environment they are attempting to control.

Seeing things from a bigger picture is scary. We realize times were always worse than we have now. Does gratitude ever come into the picture? No, because if every morning water comes out of the faucet and the sun always rises, well then everything else doesn’t matter. No need to seek, to understand…Always will be always. Hmmm

So what can we do? My optimistic solution is cultural apprenticeships. Do a compulsory month cross culture experience. Have a city person come to the country… have a rural person be apprenticed in urban life.

Travel has always been an eye-opening experience. Why not have culture experience cross pollination. Understanding has to be the motivation. Can we get curiosity revived?

My life epitaph goes like this:

First we have to acknowledge that NO ONE knows everything.

Then this should be the solution of understanding: “We do not live for reality; we live for our fantasies! Enjoy yours… but don’t force your story on others.”

Racism and LGBTQIA’s all want what we all want. To belong to a belief, whether that is determined by skin color or sex orientation or the belief that we are really a horse. Whatever belief that makes us happy. Belonging IS the need.

Religions and governments are all over the map in belief systems, but it is only when we try to force our belief on others. Force feeding the claim that truth can only be accepted by so-called experts is VERY limited. You can only talk if your male, or black or your hair is purple stops progress and ends peace.

New thoughts are exciting and cross-pollination of ideas is what makes new successes.

Seek to see vistas…horizons where you are really only a small part. The wider your vision of vistas the more peace you will have. When we have gratitude and think larger than ourselves THEN we will belong. We belong to our family, our city block, our favorite bar, our city, our nation, our planet, our position in the universe. No matter what group you affiliate with… make your gratitude larger than you and be grateful for that belonging.

Hugs, Pam

The Roadside Philosopher