red fuzzy jesus

Why Do We Care?

Oh the heartbreak, the pain, I can’t stand it. The Jets were so close to advancing in the playoffs and that stupid kicker had to miss not one but two field goals. I can’t get over this. Then there’s the demise of Brad and Jen’s marriage. And I thought they had made up over New Year’s. The photos in US Weekly seemed to suggest that. I’m just glad Scott Peterson got the death penalty. Even though he’ll probably sit on death row and never actually be executed, at least photogenic young pregnant women can sleep better knowing he’s behind bars. But one thing bothers me more than any of these events. Why do we care?

I’ve never been much of a sports fan. There’s nothing the Jets, Yankees, or Olympic figure skaters can do to affect my life one iota. I’ve never met Brad Pitt and don’t see how the state of his marriage can make a difference to me either. And there are thousands of murders every day. I’m not sure why some get so much attention. In spite of my indifference to these events I can’t escape them. That’s because a lot of people really care about this stuff and like to talk about it – constantly! I don’t know why.

I can’t claim any high rode. I do follow film and music and, obviously, politics. But I can’t say my interests are any more significant to personal wellbeing than anyone else’s. After the election I pulled back considerably from world events. It wasn’t just because of Kerry’s loss. That was part of it but I had focused so intensely on current events that I had some nauseating awareness fatigue and needed to opt for Simpsons reruns over the evening news.

For the first time in my life I understood why people didn’t pay attention to politics. I always knew the individual players could be a bit repelling but I always thought the importance of the discourse trumped the ineptitude of its participants. Not always. So, after years of explaining to others why I care about what I care about, I now seek to figure out what’s so important about some other distractions. No surprise, I discovered a lot of things really don’t matter at a personal level. But there is value among the frivolity. So, based on numerous conversations with people of varying passions, the following are my best explanations for the never-ending question – why in the world do we care.

Brad and Jen…

As a society it is important that we elevate some individuals as models of fortune, success, and happiness. Most of us aspire for certain things so we collectively denote others as indicators of when those things have been accomplished. However, equally important is our drive to establish commonality. So, while we obsess over the appearance and wealth of the successful we seek ways to humanize and equalize them. The story of Brad and Jen shows us what’s possible. It also shows us that no matter how wealthy, beautiful, or successful you become you are still subject to human foibles and the instability of relationships. We need both aspects. So, Brad and Jen’s divorce is important to be aware of because it simultaneously teaches us lessons on superiority and equality.

The Jets in the Playoffs…

No athletic feet will ever directly affect your life unless you are closely related to an overpaid professional athlete. However, sports victories give regular people pieces of greatness to accessorize their banality. Athleticism and skill are amazing and when one mighty athlete conquers another the residual victory is shared among fans. I may just be a cubicle dwelling 9-to-5er with nothing to do on a Friday night but I live in a city represented by someone who can run incredibly fast and catch a ball. Therefore I too have a little stake in greatness while those Cleveland people can eat their "Browns."

Sports are also metaphors for life. When you love a team they win and lose, break records and sometimes get indicted. Such is life. You learn to accept the ups and downs on and off the field and remind yourself there’s always next season and she probably really loves you sometimes.

Scott Peterson, et al…

We have a pretty good justice system that punishes the guilty and gives the innocent a fair chance to defend themselves. We need to be reassured of order and fairness in society but who has time to follow the whole legal system? One fascinating family courtroom drama can serve as a microcosm of a greater system giving us peace of mind. We also like to see pretty people get their comeuppance (See Brad and Jen, above) so seeing a good looking guy get sentenced to death makes us feel a little better about our own dysfunction and incompetence. There are no hot stewardesses in hell, pretty boy.

Film, Music, and Television

Art in all forms has the ability to enlighten life. One learns from the subtlety of Lost in Translation or the depth and pain of Andrea Bocelli. It is important to establish a public forum where we reward art that speaks best to the human condition. The Oscars and Golden Globes help us determine what visual media is compelling while the Grammies award crap that sells well to dullards. After decoding the importance of these award shows I still have no explanation why it matters so much what people wear to them.

Politics

It is important to pay attention to who is maneuvering for power in our country because around here you can actually do something about it without getting your village burned down. It’s important to know where you stand on reproductive rights, taxes, or education because laws passed on these subjects really can directly affect every single aspect of your day-to-day life. While the b.s. surplus of some politicians – who am I kidding, all politicians – may turn you off it is still important to muddle through the muck to decipher issues and agendas. If you don’t pay attention it is conceivable we may invade a country that hasn’t attacked us in order to stop the use of imaginary weapons while we ignore someone who really did attack us. Of course, this scenario is far-fetched but ultimately possible in a country that pays a little too much attention to Brad, Scott, and various forms of balls.

There you have it; why we care in a nutshell. Now, if you’ll excuse me the bachelorette is about to hand out roses and I need to know if Daren is going to make it till next week.

Force and Frailty

Two recent, contrasting events have haunted my mind lately; mostly because of the paradoxical messages each sends about human kind and where we are as a species. One is the unfathomable devastation of the Southeast Asian tsunami. The other is the opulent pageantry of a presidential inauguration.

When I think about the tsunami I consider another story about a great flood – the story of Noah. According to the Old Testament, mankind had become wicked and God sent a flood to destroy them. Noah and his family were saved because of their righteousness and obedience. The story of a great flood wiping out masses of people is nearly universal throughout the world’s ancient religions. This is for one of two reasons. Either there really was once a great flood that covered the entire planet inspiring many different civilizations to write about it or devastating floods are so universal one occurred in almost every part of the world at one time or another.

Stories of natural disasters have almost always been told this way. I remember in middle school learning that Vesuvius had erupted and destroyed Pompeii because the people had become decadent. More important than the devastation of an event is how we recount it. By creating stories of an angry God we seek reason and control behind natural catastrophe. If you believe floods are sent as punishments for evil behavior you feel empowered over your destiny. By making sure you and your people are good you can prevent death and destruction. Without such rationalization you are forced to accept uncertainty, helplessness and random, meaningless disaster.

For the most part, human beings have advanced beyond metaphysical explanations for physical phenomena. I have not heard anyone say the tsunami was sent to punish Indonesia or that India needed to repent. If there are people out there with that view surely they represent an acute minority. The flood ravaged people representing many different religions, races and economic levels. From wealthy tourists to penurious fishing villages the waters were indiscriminate in whom they killed. Rather than ascribe this to a malevolent higher power we simply joined together in our common humanity to commiserate and begin rebuilding. In one way this new response to disaster can make you feel alone and insignificant. Despite all the advances in technology, all our little planet has to do is hiccup and our lives can be washed away.

In stark contrast stands the presidential inauguration. No matter how one feels about the outcome of the election you can’t help but be moved by the pomp and majesty that is the American version of a coronation. Watching the oath and the procession afterwards forces one to think about the way we humans organize power among us – and why. We create dynamic channels of authority that can level a foreign government or mechanize boatloads of relief delivered to suffering people at mind-boggling speed. That man in the motorcade has the technical ability to obliterate millions of lives or save them from agony. Seeing that giant white Capitol in the background of a tableau of world leaders inspires anything but helplessness.

Although the cost of the inauguration has been widely criticized, it is helpful for such an event to demonstrate what a powerful and stable nation we live in. Though not perfect in our execution our country does accommodate dissent while peacefully continuing a succession of power. Our president is powerful but so are we. Again, though not perfect, our system provides a nurturing environment for personal advancement. We are never completely held back by class or law and have a great deal of control over our own destinies through the liberty of personal choice.

During the holidays I flew in and out of New York several times. From ten thousand feet I was perplexed by how the city that had intimidated me for months could seem so minute. From up high you can see the countless towers of human ambition that denote the greatest city on Earth. There are endless avenues of opportunity, commerce, culture, and pride. But, you can also see that we barely escape the surface of our surroundings and we’re nothing but tiny animals scurrying on top of a volatile rock in space.

Are we alone and insignificant, uncontrollably subject to fortune and demise? Or are we infinite in our potential for greatness and destruction? Are humans more isolated now that we don’t link every possible event to a universal deity or more connected because we respond to hardship with common effort rather than stories of judgment? I’m not sure. All I know is that it is beneficial to see the images of political grandeur because they make us feel so mighty and great. But, it can be equally beneficial to see the images of helplessness and despair if for no other reason than to remind us we are so very, very small.