I am procrastinating on several fronts, but then again, that is my nature in regards to things
I don’t really want to deal with. I decided to take a rather long walk to a cafe as opposed to jumping in my robotic car or simply stumbling down to the closest cafe. The weather is particularly nice for this time of year so I wanted to get out and about. I decided to take a walk to the locks, which is one of the busiest locks in the country. It is really an enjoyable spot with all the activity, the Salmon Ladder, and the pretty park around the engineering wonder.
One of the things I like about the Northwest is that the cities still have a lot of old industry — logging, manufacturing, fishing, boats, and trains. There is still some blue collar feel to the Northwest. I find this strange that I am attracted to that aspect of the Northwest. I enjoy unspoiled beauty, but when it comes to a city or town, I kind of like the unpolished feel of old blue collar industries. This is also a strange sentiment given I don’t know how to do shit with my hands. I played sports all my life, but if you asked me to fix a door or a toilet…the outcome would not be pretty.
If you think about the human momentum, there are some great engineering achievements. We have become a very industrious species and we have created some pretty amazing structures and technology. But, what I don’t understand is for what are we building all this stuff? Is it just so we can have more people alive and fed? Or is there something bigger that I am just not seeing? Is there a grand direction or purpose for which we are constructing all these amazing things? If you know what the answer is, please fill me in on the grand plan.
Contemplating The Human Direction 
is there one? Progress. That’s what my 18 year old son says it is.
LOL…that is what my 72 year-old father says…well…ask your son progressing towards what? LOL
haha maybe this goes back to leaving something for the history books…leaving a mark of our existence also in the objects we build. we love to create and claim ownership to things. but then again, i guess it depends on what it is…looks nice over there. can’t wait for this grayness and snow to go away…have you come up with a theory yet as to why you are enamoured with the old blue collar feel?
Yes…I know exactly what it is….men and women using their hands, minds, and energy to create something…but the why is missing:).
Sent from my iPhone
It does depend on what it is….the locks make sense…to let fishing or pleasure boats or other types out and back….seems like most things built for commerce…or to keep us warm and cozy so we can do commerce…or so we can get easily around anywhere we want to go….for commerce…..so is commerce our purpose?
to build… a common habit of unhappy people. So many people build things just for the sake of doing it. (ex: Spain)
Interesting. Why do u say unhappy people do this?
because in my point of view these people are the most frustrated ones. and because for them enough is never enough, they build and build… even they dont need it.
I see what u mean. My opinion is we build most things for commerce…it consumes all we do.
Why do we do anything? Why did you play sports? I think you have answered your own question with: “I know exactly what it is….men and women using their hands, minds, and energy to create something…” we can create or we can destroy or we can be bumps on a log…
” Is there a grand direction or purpose for which we are constructing all these amazing things? If you know what the answer is, please fill me in on the grand plan.”
I am reading this as rhetorical, right?