Suffering

Wikipedia
: ^[2] Suffering is the basic element that makes up the negative valence of affective phenomena.

Merriam Webster

:  ^[1] the state or experience of one that suffers

A brief look at the days' news headlines, and it is not difficult to see; the impact of war, the struggle to pull people out of poverty, deteriorating environment, from glaciers to endangered species, disease, famine etc. And though the two definitions above both suggest that suffering is a human experience, not until Wikipedias' second explanation (listed above) do they infer suffering in the boarder sense of things not human as well.  This is the context in which this article is written.

This morning I woke up at approximately 4:00 a.m. EST, disturbed by the matter of suffering; different images and thoughts entering my mind about suffering from a historical perspective to modern day.  For over an hour I could not shake the visions and thoughts from my mind.  I don't generally have a propensity towards these thoughts, but they arise periodically; it is not an emotional struggle in the sense that it disturbs my thought process, but more along the lines of an overwhelming desire for a different sense of the human experience as it relates to all things that result in, interact with or are some part based on human actions as a causal factor of suffering.

After reflecting on a statement captured from a food critic on a local Boston radio show, a rather odd source to be sure; it helped create some context for this approach for suffering.  The essence of the food critic's argument was that farm-to-table  is a way of life and not a propaganda technique to get people or consumers in the restaurant.  We cannot use propaganda to end suffering. Authentically doing something about suffering actually holds  value.  Perhaps that is not the most productive way to put it, because there are multiple agents of change who "want to do something about it", but where does the real change occur?  What type of campaign, commitment, determination, endurance and perseverance would it take to ensure suffering comes to an end?  Can we achieve that?  Authenticity however, may suggest something all together different, a more active role in ending suffering.

By saying or assuming ending suffering is not possible, not related to personal injuries of course, then why would we attempt to change the course of events at all?  Does that result in some sort of fatalistic view that there is no hope.  Yet and still, even the sound of the word "hope", brings with it an air of never-going-to-happeness.  It is that very sense of jargon, and hyperbole that often results in the autonomic response of head-nodding.  Out of the jargon jar, and into a more productive script may be one possibility; that with a lot of will power, political effort and fundamental shift in the way humanity thinks about suffering and the ability to end it, that we perhaps will emerge on the other side.

This article will begin a short journey into my exploration of suffering, and what we will do, are doing and can do to end it.  My initial thoughts are that it requires a never ending effort, the kind of effort business people put into running their company, but with a different objective.

All of this begins with the belief that suffering exceeds all other priorities and that it is not limited to people, but animals, the environment or anything else that is subject to virulent exploitation by the human species.  Ending suffering is a way of life.

I look forward to discussions and insights.  I can also be reached on twitter @scotlandwillis

Every Year Freeze

 (tap on any of the images to enlarge)

It was a clear day so I did one of my favorite things to do, drive; my other favorite thing to do is being happy.  Today it was the combination of driving, and dropping my body temperature into near freezing water.  I made an early departure out of Boston and headed to Cape Cod so I could jump in the Atlantic Ocean.  This is my new annual ritual as of last year.  The big answer and question towards the end of this article is, Why.  

It was already the 20^th of the month and though I did not make my New Year’s Day goal of making the jump on January 1st, I was determined to make it happen today.  The air was warm enough earlier in the day to allow me to open my window for a little while- but only a little while.  As a hiker I started to think about needing to preserve my body heat for when I enter the ocean, so I decided to close the window after about 10 minutes.

Last year, I visited P-Town (Province Town for those who are not familiar with the area), located in Cape Cod.  I went to Herring Cove Beach because it is the farthest point East in the United States.  There is something very special about being at an end point; it arouses something primal, deep within us.  Understanding that there is no more available.  Think about it, no more water, electricity, food, land, people etc.  Upon my arrival for the first time last year, I was surprised to see so many friendly people, seemingly seeking something similar to myself.  Among those people were 4 women who had decided to jump in the Atlantic Ocean naked (commonly called skinny dipping in the U.S.)  I asked them if I could take their picture and they agreed to allow me to do so(see this blog).  Feeling inspired I followed suit, mainly because I had an overwhelming feeling to do something different, memorable.  I recall taking off my clothes and staying in the ocean for about 10 minutes before feeling the need to retreat.  It was much warmer last year(among the 10 warmest in U.S. history) It was also one of the most liberating experiences I ever had.  Something about breaking convention, doing something you have never done, and taking yourself to new limits.

I felt like I had taken life by the horns and continued on the path to shape my own future.  This journey is not new for me; several years ago I made a decision to transform my perspective on life.  I had committed to being happy every day of my life (see blog here).  Put simply, I have molded my life around my Windows- it is those Windows that are the force behind my happiness.

I arrived at my destination and reflected briefly on the road trip out here.  The fact that it was Winter, the trees were bare left me feeling very alone though listening to Sarah McLachlan Building A Mystery, kept me company.  Now at Herring Cove, I drove over small piles of sand left by the strong winds, mading my way to the parking lot; a long stretch of space to accommodate the large population of Summer visitors- very different than today.  Though by the time I departed, there were probably 20 cars on the beach.

The ocean swells were close to seven feet (2.2 meters).  For a moment I thought about the risk of an under tow that could potentially pull me under.  The winds were billowing at about 35 miles per hours, the tide was rising and it made sense for me to give this a second thought.  So I did.  I thought to myself, if this is that way I go, it is worth it.  I love the ocean, sailing, swimming and deep sea diving; I can't think of anything else that offers so many ways to enjoy what it has to offer.  While I thought there was a risk, I decided it was minimal.  I went back to the car, pulled out my towel out and headed back to the water.  I peeled off my clothes, stuffed them in the sleeves of my winter coat and took the plunge.  I was so motivated that I returned to the car, covered by my towel, retrieved my camera (to take the picture below), and jumped back in the ocean for a second time.  I am so certain that anyone would share my enthusiasm that I invite anyone to join me on January 1, 2014 and see how powerful this experience can be for yourself.  

Why?  The real question is why not?  We can spend the rest of our lives wishing we climbed that mountain, ran that marathon, committed to a cause we really believe in, took a chance and started that business, or took that trip around the world.  My life is now tailored to what makes me happy, not in a selfish way, but in a way that makes me feel more alive.  Experiencing being in temperatures easily capable of inducing hypothermia does just that;  it reminds me how amazing the simple things in life can be, and something else;  it is a transformation away from the typical existence, making me acutely aware of the gift of life.  Never will you feel more alive than when you are in the face of a great challenge.  Never will you feel more successful than when you overcome that challenge; do so, and your self equity rises exponentially.  Next year, same place, same time 

Photography: Remarkable Eye (http://www.remarkableeye.com/ )