If you've ever been to Paris, perhaps you've strolled by a bronze and marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin held in the Musée Rodin. It depicts a man in sober meditation seeming to be engaged in a powerful internal struggle. The piece was originally named The Poet, and it's said that Rodin based his theme on The Divine Comedy by Dante and The Thinker was originally meant to depict Dante in front of the Gates of Hell, pondering his great poem.
Rodin made a first small plaster version around 1880. The first large-scale bronze cast was finished in 1902, but not presented to the public until 1904. It became the property of the city of Paris – thanks to a subscription organized by Rodin admirers – and was put in front of the Panthéon in 1906. In 1922, it was moved to the Hôtel Biron, which was transformed into a Rodin Museum.
Unlike any other piece, this work of Rodin seems to epitomize what I consider to be "true intellect." Without question, It stands as an icon of unadulterated deep thinking.
But what exactly is "True Intellect" and what constitutes "Deep Thinking?"
I've recently wondered if there is really any "True Intellect" left in this world.
Until now!
I'm here to tell you that Uncle Jed Clampett (from the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies) is now the "Big Cheese" of thinkers in my book!
Yes, they always raved about Jethro Bodine being the smart one in the family and having a sixth-grade education and all but a few days ago I heard Uncle Jed say something that made me stop in my tracks and take notice. Jethro was in his usual excited state and just about to run off half-cocked to do something destructively stupid when Uncle Jed hit him with the "Quotable Quote" .........
"Now Jethro, Don't Commence A'Swimmin' Until You Hit The Water!"
I tell you, I had to stop what I was doing and sit down and ponder this complex literal masterpiece. Wow, I was stymied! I'm not nearly as quick as good ole Jethro. But after a few minutes of deep intellectual thought myself, I was able to come up with the true meaning of this statement.
Uncle Jed was trying to tell Jethro to "slow down.... Don't put your cart ahead of your horses... Or hold your horses. " In other words, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Timing is everything!"
Cosmic Thinking uncle Jed. I'll be using that phrase a lot in the near future!
We've all seen them. Every city seems to have them.
"The Homeless"
I think somehow we all individually find a way to rationalize their existence in our minds. We reason that some are mentally ill. Some are substance abusers. Some just don't want to work at all. Some of us even question why we should give them our hard earned dollars when we know they'll just use the money for drugs or alcohol. Right? Sound familiar?
Last week, while waiting at a traffic light, I watched a woman sitting behind a "Hungry! Please Help" sign pull out a cell phone and make a call. She talked for the full 2 minutes I was at the light and was chatting as I pulled away. No one gave her money while she talked. The contradiction was clear..... Here's a seemingly homeless woman sitting on the ground with no food yet she still has a cell phone and service. Where do they send her bills? Perhaps a tactical error on her part unless she was using her telephone to advocate for homeless people? My guess - Probably not!
So while I sat there, I pondered the life of a homeless person in Los Angeles. It's got to be better than being homeless in Green Bay, Wisconsin or Chicago in winter but certainly nothing to aim for. I also reflected back to a time a few years ago when I was running several times a week. My jogs took me along a stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. On the north side of the blvd. between Doheny and Wilshire Blvd. is a nice walking/running path. Many mornings I'd find myself up and running before the sun came up. That's when I first noticed that this area was also the temporary home to some of the city's homeless population during the night. It was eye-opening to jog by as they stirred from their slumber on the benches that lined the walkways. I eventually reached a point when I knew their schedules and locations. Two of the people occupied benches about a half a mile apart. I was startled once by a third person who made his nightly nest in some bushes just off the trail. As I ran by I heard a rumbling noise in the bushes. Not knowing what or who was hiding in the bushes, my response was to turn on the jets and run faster. As I looked back over my shoulder I spied a gentleman zipping up his pants after relieving himself. I think I scared him as much as he scared me. From that day on I knew where to look for him as I ran by. He was usually the last one of the three to wake up. This continued for a few months and then one morning - They were all gone. I don't know if the police asked them to (uhmnnn!) move on or if they found a better place to hang out or what. I suppose in my optimism I always hoped and imagined that they found a more comfortable and better existence.
The reality is, they probably moved further west on Santa Monica...... Where they could interact with more people and not be hassled.
During this period I heard a song on the radio. Mr. Wendal by Arrested Development.
I'm playing the Youtube video below.
When I first heard the song I thought it was a catchy tune. I enjoyed the grove. I really didn't listen to the message.
According to Wikipedia:
The song was written about the plight of the homeless and encourages people not to ignore them just because of their status or how they look.
The lyrics imply that there is wisdom to be gained by listening to the homeless.
I think I now have a better appreciation of the message the artists were trying to project.
To illustrate this point, Eric Sheptock, a homeless man in Washington D.C., has just found his voice through modern technology and the Blogosphere. And people are listening.
In his words:
All in all, people are homeless because they can't get a job and they can't get a job because they're homeless. It's a catch-22.
He offers an interesting and accurate perspective. He highlights issues that many of us don't consider. Like, what do you do with your stuff when you go for a job interview if you're homeless? And given the choice of eating, working, and having a place to sleep, which do you choose? He's blogging about something near and dear to him and subjects he knows intimately - Living in the streets and the plight of the homeless. He finds computer access in public libraries and he seems to be developing a following. And guess what? He owns a cell phone! My feeling is - He won't be homeless and unemployed for long. You can catch more of his writing at: On the Clock with Eric Sheptock
