What makes Us the Way we Are?

Is it genes or environment, ancestors or teachers, food, Karma, or our place in the family that determines who we become or who we are? Or do all these factors have an impact?

The latest epigenetic research suggests that our genes may be the prime suspect. 

This may be good news or bad, depending on the type of characteristic we are looking at. We have thousands of them, some good, some not so good. 

Suppose we are inherently lazy. Does it mean we can sit back and point at that gene of ours as an excuse? 

Not necessarily, unless we are willing to favor that lazy-gene and strengthen it. Because our genes have epigenetic characteristics—they can be influenced, slowly, over time, and with plenty of effort. 

Practice makes perfect, they say. It’s an encouraging motto. If we practice tennis or playing the piano regularly and long enough, we are bound to get better. However, it will not change our genes, nor will it turn our children into tennis champs, unless they themselves practice, practice, practice.

It’s a pleasing thought that we need not be born with great talents, but that we can achieve greatness with our own effort if we so desire.

Free Will or Predestination

Philosophers have argued the question of Free Will versus Predestination for centuries. Are we free to choose? Or is our destiny written in the stars?

Strong arguments can be made for and against either case. 

We certainly are free to decide whether to eat a second piece of cake or not, but it’s a different matter to choose our career. Opportunity, talent, connections, effort—all play a role.

From early childhood it was my fervent dream to become a prima ballerina. I happily performed for many charitable events while mother played the piano for me. The life-long, all-consuming effort to become a first rate ballerina did not deter me. 

Opportunity, however, was a different matter. When a dance company asked me to join them, my father irrevocably said no. And to disobey my father was out of the question. Predestination? No. Lack of opportunity? Yes.

Yet opportunity and effort do not define predestination, though they do cause definite limitations.

Maybe our first question should be what is the purpose of life? Is it to become a better person? Or is it to atone for our sins in our distant past? Or is it to evolve on the timeless, mysterious ladder of evolution?

We may never know the answer, but it confronts us with the question of reincarnation. Is reincarnation a fact of life? Will we be born again, on this planet or another? Looking about me, life appears to be continuous. Even the weeds reappear every year; why should the human spirit simply perish?

Let us suppose then that our fate is not entirely predestined. Predestination has its limitations—many factors that speak for it; yet many factors speak against it. Could it be influenced by our actions? The thought of karma comes to mind. It is we who sow the seed of what we will reap. The more we practice playing the piano, the better we learn to play it. The more we practice self-discipline, the easier it is to decline that extra piece of cake.

How about free will? 

Are we able to freely exercise our will? I fear free will has many limitations too. Some factors speak for it and some speak against it.  And yet, with enough effort and patience—possibly over many life times—we may eventually achieve what we are striving for.

 
Perhaps our basic yet most important endeavor should be to become a better, kinder person. Kindness encapsulates what most religions preach.  Treat a person with kindness and they will—in most cases—treat you with kindness too. Or, as we are told, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Of course, we all know from experience that not all people will respond in this fashion—probably because they have never known kindness. But then, kindness is never wasted. Kindness is the most quintessential of all virtues. 

Life may not be easy, but the more we learn to accept it and try to make the best of it, the happier we are bound to be. As Goethe said, "Wer immer strebend such bemueht, den werden wir erloesen." In plain English, Try and try again, and you'll succeed. 

The Benefits of Age

       It’s true, getting older means getting wrinkles, being less agile, getting tired more easily.

       Yet age also has benefits. People tend to be more courteous to you, more respectful, more solicitous. 

       I must admit though, it does come as a shock when a gook-looking young man walks right by me without even noticing me. And then I remember my age—I could be his ma’, maybe his grandma.

       The other day a six- or seven-year old boy truly warmed my heart. He and his friend were joyfully running out a door. When he saw me, a total stranger, he stopped, thought for a moment, and then hurried back to open the door for me. May his parents be blessed.

       One of the benefits of age is having survived the years of Sturm und Drang, of having found a niche and a direction. We are more certain about our future. We rarely get rattled anymore.

       You may still not like the idea of getting older. Then think of the alternative—no, not of getting younger though it may sound appealing, but of saying farewell to family and friends, to the eternal blue sky and to life itself. It may still be worth living. We’ll never know.

       Until next time,

       Rosi

What a World!

         It’s Saturday morning; I’m sipping my coffee reading the paper:

Venezuelans facing economic crisis, Russians interfering, flooding in the Northeast, Trump venting about press, Bangladeshis offended by lovers kissing, trade tension, racist comments, pressure mounting, …

         I sadly shake my head: What a world!

         I get up to stretch my legs and walk to the store, Trader Joe’s, my favorite store. 

         It’s sunny in California and our coastal town is pleasingly cool. I patiently wait on the sidewalk to let the traffic pass; but no, cars stop and insist that I cross the street first. It happens often. People are amazingly courteous, so different from what I read in the papers. 

         I went shopping yesterday, and don’t need a thing—well, maybe some cheese and a bit of chocolate. With a contented grin I stand in line.

         “That’s all you have?” the two ladies in front of me ask. 

         “Yep, chocolate and cheese, wouldn’t mind living on it,” I smile.

         “Do go ahead,” they insist. “Do go ahead.”

         “What a wonderful world!” I muse.

Until next Time,

Rosi

Pigeons

I like birds and secretly wish I could fly too.

But today, my affection for birds was severely shaken. Pigeons had designated my smaller and rarely used balcony as their outhouse. When I went to water my plants on it, there wasn’t a spot where I could safely put my foot—it was covered with you-know-what. 

The floor, the walls, the glass, even my coveted plants were soiled. With a large needle I cleaned the netting of the screen door. Come to think of it, how in the world do they soil a vertical surface?

After two hours of scrubbing and cleaning I was determined that this was not going to happen again. I googled “how to keep pigeons from nesting on your deck” and adapted some of its suggestions. Instead of buying owls, I found five plastic water bottles in my recycling bin. I painted big black eyes on them. 

Then I strung a line across my deck and hung the bottles from it—some higher, some lower. They are gently moving in the breeze now looking downright threatening. For added effect I took off my black plastic gloves and tied them to the line too, hoping that the pigeons will take them for hungry black ravens. Then I sprinkled hot cayenne pepper on the banister and floor.

I straightened my back and looked at my work with satisfaction, wondering what the condo board will have to say. 

In the meantime, one thing is for certain — pigeons won’t visit me anymore.  

Until next time,

Rosi