My original vision for this blog is very different from what it is now. I have always loved that timeless tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, which never seemed more relevant than it does today. The story plays out as each new emerging ideology seems farther out of touch with reality than its predecessor. I would, therefore, create a blog whose connection with this story was reflected in its URL: “teiwnc.org”, an acronym for “the Emperor is wearing no clothes”. It would focus on the colossal absurdity of the ideology de jour, and even present a weekly “Naked Emperor” award for news stories and viewpoints that are particularly absurd. I would bring years of experience commenting on other blogs and websites from this perspective, where like minded people applauded the cleverness and insightfulness of my comments. However, I only managed to engage “the opposition” when I paid less attention to cleverly refuting arguments and more attention to the connecting with the person presenting the arguments.
The new vision for the blog takes a less argumentative approach that is reflected in the final title: The Emperor’s TRUE Clothes”. I wanted to keep a reference to the original story as the phenomenon of a culture out of touch with reality is very real. The reasons for this are many, complex, and beyond the scope of this single page, but it clearly limits the possibility of engaging the reader based on reason alone. One could argue all day, trying to get someone to realize that the clothing they think they are wearing is imaginary. I think it is far more effective, however, to present them with real clothing that they will want to wear. That is what I seek to offer, whether in sharing personal experiences, or musings on deeper truths that these experiences may suggest. Whatever the content, the message remains the same: why settle for the merely imaginary when reality is SO much better!
Postscript: My daughter introduced me to a singer/song writer known as “Sleeping at Last”. This song is one of my favorites.
“Saturn” by Sleeping at Last
You taught me the courage of stars before you left.
How light carries on endlessly, even after death.
With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite.
How rare and beautiful it is to even exist.
I couldn’t help but ask
For you to say it all again.
I tried to write it down
But I could never find a pen.
I’d give anything to hear
You say it one more time,
That the universe was made
Just to be seen by my eyes.
I couldn’t help but ask
For you to say it all again.
I tried to write it down
But I could never find a pen.
I’d give anything to hear
You say it one more time,
That the universe was made
Just to be seen by my eyes.
With shortness of breath, I’ll explain the infinite
How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist.