What Is To Be Done?

Whenever the question arises Why did you stop working as an architect? the deepest answer is that I simply, at that time, was too restless to sit in a chair for 10 hours a day. A more active job, one with promise of movement, had allure. I toyed a bit with being a river runner – but between road noise, Red Cross lessons, and sitting (while the world moved by) I moved on. No, I did not expect to land in television. While the job offers very little in mental movement, physically it is quite engaging.

Today, however, no one watches television. The resulting loss of economic status in the industry has sent us from flying first class to coach to not flying at all. Stripped of travel, television production (for my news magazine shows)is now a series of white walled conference rooms, distracted on camera personnel – (no one will deny it is a producer driven arena), and interviewees who end up, after the end of an hour interview, contributing at times 2 sentences. Being present in the interviews, often they are quite interesting and informative. The networks have lost sight of how to present the interest.

A fellow bike messenger in Denver always said “Movement is the democratic universal.” Brilliant of course. But how now does one project oneself in a constructive manner? How does the drive to produce, even if it is only ego, the drive to create, the will to be, and the desire for messianic control – how can this be expressed in today’s world? At the scale of dominance for those of us messianic types?

That’s a serious question. The pace and breadth of the world today is beyond comprehension. The ability of any single individual to influence any aspect of the world beyond your circle of intimates is in doubt. Those that do have wide circles of influence often have wildly thin influence. Think of your B list last week celebrity.

No conclusions here. Addressing the question, stating it, and expanding it to meet the limits necessary for a proper resolution will be our start. Here. Now.