Omphaloskepsis or Navel Gazing

May 03, 2022

Have you heard the term "navel-gazing"?

If you haven't, it's a term that basically means that the person doing the gazing is spending too much time focusing on how something is affecting them and not enough time focusing on what it will do to the big picture.

There is a lot of navel-gazing going on these days. Many of us have forgotten that there is a great wide world out there and that we are not the actual center of the universe. I am not going to pin this on one particular age group, gender, or political leaning.

As a society, we have become less "greater good" and more "what's in it for me". The chasm between those who are able to big picture things and the ones who can't see the forest for the trees causes more than just a shoulder shrug with an agreement to disagree. It's getting us into intellectual and political disagreements with neither side willing to listen to anything but their voices. No respect is given, and there is no chance to learn from the group you are speaking with.

I was on a road trip with a really good friend over the weekend. His political views couldn't be further from mine when it comes to many topics, and I knew that before he brought up the discussion. I really didn't want to talk about topics with him, I felt it could be nothing but a disaster, and, depending on how it went, there was a small chance that it could be the last drive of our 15-year friendship.

We made it through thanks to treating each other with respect and realizing that having differences and speaking about them is a luxury that not everyone gets. We were able to find a small bit of common ground, and that is where we stayed.

Other people's political thoughts are not things that should be taken personally. I would think it would be really rare for someone to vote a certain way, or follow a certain politician, just to spite someone. And if it isn't rare, we might have a larger problem.

While making everything about you can be needed sometimes, it definitely isn't the way to approach all of what is going down right now. We need to join together and fight for the things that will save humanity, the things that are less petty.

Remember that commercial for Coke? The ones where everyone held hands and sang about wanting to buy the world a tasty beverage? Maybe those unwashed hippies (I am kidding on this generalization) had a point. Let's focus on what we have in common, and where we want to be, together.

Music Corner

We are going a little abstract on this one, so stay with me. Is there anything as polarizing as family? For many, your blood family can be either the source of your greatest comfort or an actual living hell. A lot of people wind up forming their own families of non-blood relations. Along the lines of greater good from the post above, and the idea of everyone being a part of a larger family I am going with Ode to my Family by The Cranberries.

While The Cranberries' whole catalogue is full of music that everyone should explore, this song seems to fit for today. The song was written by singer Dolores O'Riordan and was released in November 1994 on the band's "No Need To Argue" album.

The song itself was written about wanting to go back to the places and times from before. Whether that be before success, or a big change it all remains a similar feeling of longing for when maybe you felt more at ease, or more like yourself.

As a side note, the band was originally called "The Cranberry Saw Us". If you know me, you know I love a pun.

Shopping Corner - Everything this week would make a great gift for your mom. Mother's Day is Sunday.

Fancy Serving Bowl