原題：ARNULF H.PETZOLD 1905-1985 a retrospective by S.J.アーチャー
訳：岡見亮/滋賀県坂本
バンクーバーの日系人社会の人々と長年の友人であったアーヌルフ･ハイムダル･ペツォルト(Arnulf Heimdal Petzold）の生涯と経歴は日本文化に対する深い理解と愛情に特徴づけられる。それは彼独特の建築作品の中に生き返っている。
１９０５年イギリス、ロンドンに生まれ、才能に恵まれた建築家、学者としてその独特の洞察力は疑いもなく彼の天賦の才と視野の広い両親の影響に負うところ大である。彼のドイツ人の父ブルーノ(Bruno）は作家でジャーナリストである。かれはドイツ紙の海外通信員としてパリ、ロンドン、そして中国天津といった世界の中心で輝かしい経歴を積んでいた。ノルウェー人の母ハンカ･シェルデループ(Hanka Schjelderup）はかってパリでフランツ･リスト(Franz Liszt）に師事し世界的に知られる歌手、ピアニストになった。彼女はしばらく中国に滞在し、そこで日本への演奏旅行に招かれた。明治日本の西欧音楽に対する熱狂と相俟って日本の美に魅了された彼女は上野音楽学校の教師になった。
１９１０年妻と５才の息子について来日したブルーノは宗教祭典の華やかさに興味を持ち生涯仏教研究に情熱を注ぐことになった。第一次大戦勃発によりドイツ紙の仕事は途絶えたが、ペツォルト夫妻は平和的な敵国人は抑留しない寛大な日本の政策に助けられ彼らの関心事を追い続けることを許された。事実ブルーノは文部省から第一高等学校のドイツ語教師に任じられた。仏教への関心を深め、彼をして星野日子四郎、島地大等、花山信勝等の著名な学者の原典テキスト研究へと向かわせた。１９２８年その学究的業績と西洋で知られた天台教学に対する努力を認められ浅草観音寺（浅草寺）で特別儀式が執り行われた。その中でブルーノは大僧都という高い僧階に補任されると共に法名「徳勝」を与えられた。このようなことはかつてヨーロッパ人にはなかったことである。
成長期を東京で過ごした若いアーヌルフは独特の明治時代の言葉を身につけた。それは彼の性格を特徴付けることになった。彼はアメリカンスクールを卒業後ドイツに渡り建築学を学んだ。そこで彼が出会った若い女性は後にはるか遠い日本までついて行って彼の妻になった。
学業を終えて日本に戻った彼は１９３４年国際都市東京で事業を起こした。日本語が流暢でヨーロッパ仕込みの専門家に対する需要が多かったので様々の住宅や公共施設の設計契約を得ることができた。長年彼の設計は当時の外国人にも人気があった。ヨーロッパで学んだ技術に日本の伝統的な建築資材と熟練技能を融合させたものとして知られるようになった。しかし、東京のほとんどの建物と同様、彼のすばらしい建築の多くも第二次世界大戦の空襲で残らなかった。
１９４４年軽井沢の山村に疎開を余儀なくされたペツォルト一家（Arnulf、妻LieselとBruno）の暮らしぶりは劇的に変わった。農業を生活の糧として生きることで生活苦や労苦を皆で分かち合った。しかし、逆に生活の質は質素な生活に戻ることでより高まった。東京が破滅してしまったので彼ら（ArnulfとLiesel）は当時持っていたイギリスの旅券を利用することにし最愛の日本を離れカナダに渡った。
バンクーバーに移ったことで新たな生活がはじまった。やがてペツォルト氏は再び日本の伝統的概念の理解を建築様式に取り入れる機会を得ることができた。多くの個
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Friday, September 3, 2010
Sabbath mode
We've been in Steveston a few years now and the stove has been well used, especially after we decided to do the chef thing. It's a gas stove and recently, the oven has not been too reliable. It cuts out occasionally and when attempting to re-light itself, goes through 3 or 4 ignition cycles. You can hear it trying and failing. A guy came in ($60) and said the circuit board was failing... get out the cheque book again...
Add to this the gas vs. electric debate. For most uneducated consumers, or amateur cooks, either will do. For a professional however, it's clear that gas is preferable for stove-top burners. Quick, instant heat.
For the oven however, it's the opposite. Electric heat is more likely to be evenly distributed (critical in baking). Also, it's a dry heat. Gas contains moisture that 'burns off', bringing in variables which don't matter when roasting, but for baking can be disastrous!
Enter 'dual fuel' - electric oven, gas burners...
So, in our case, we thought that rather than investing in a new circuit board and prolonging the sub-standard performance, we would take the opportunity to upgrade to a 'dual fuel' appliance.
Regular consumer level stoves are in the range of $1000. Commercial ones run $3,000-$6000 or more, but there is a growing middle ground of 'high-end' consumer stove which purports to perform at a 'near-commercial' level... or something like that.
These run in the range of $2,000-$4,000, depending on features.
Saturday, between errands and picking up girlfriend at the airport, we 'stopped through' half a dozen appliance retailers, and found one of the 3 models we had narrowed the field down to in a 'deep discount' anomaly, where instead of it costing $2700-$3000, it was on sale for $1500. All the features we were looking for and some we weren't... like the 'sabbath mode'.
The fact sheet does not say what this means, but Google (that noted authority) gives a long and detailed explanation (with footnotes and citations) provided by Rabbi Avrohom Mushell.
To quote:
The basic problem faced by highly observant Jews is how to obtain hot food on a Jewish holiday ('Yom Tov') because originating a flame is considered to fall under the list of prohibitions on such days and that rules out lighting a stove.
As Rabbi Mushell explains:
Turning on an electric stovetop to warm food will initiate the flow of electricity to the burner. The halachic authorities have determined that electricity used as heat or light is considered fire. Therefore by turning on the burner one is creating a new fire. … Turning the dial on your electric stovetop may also initiate a light or icon on a control panel which would otherwise be off. This may be a transgression of kosev, writing, as well as molid. Even when the electric burner was left on from before Yom Tov, if one wishes to adjust the temperature of the burner there is also reason for concern. This is because, as a rule, one does not know if there is electric current running to the element at the time they wish to make the adjustment. Even when there is an indicator light showing that a burner is on, this may not be an indication that electricity is flowing to the burner at that moment. Rather it is indicating that the element is set to maintain the desired setting which it will maintain by going on and off at pre-determined intervals. As a result when one adjusts the temperature upward on Yom Tov they may be initiating the flow of electricity at a time that it was otherwise not flowing. As mentioned earlier, this would be prohibited because of molid.
So what to do?
To circumvent this prohibition, an electrician can install an indicator light which is attached to the actual flow of electricity to the burner. This will indicate when there is current flowing to the burner. When there is electricity flowing, one may raise the temperature in order to enhance cooking.
But that is not all, as the Rabbi warns us. Turning the stove off is also risky:
Lowering the heat setting on an electric stovetop on Yom Tov is also not without its halachic perils. We know that extinguishing a burning log is the melacha of kibui. Lowering the heat setting of a stove on Yom Tov may be associated with the melacha of kibui. Therefore, this can only be done when it is for the benefit of the food, so that it will remain warm but not burn. One may not turn the burner off completely. However, if there is an indicator light showing when power is flowing to the burner, one must be careful to lower the burner only when the indicator light is off. Once the indicator light is off, one may also turn the burner off completely.
But stoves with the Certified Sabbath Mode feature have taken care of this problem in an ingenious way that avoids having to keep track of whether a current is actually flowing or not at the time when one adjusts the controls.
Sabbath mode ovens are designed to bypass many of the practical and halachic problems posed by the modern oven…. Some Sabbath Mode ovens are designed to work with a random delay. This feature allows one to raise the temperature on Yom Tov at any time, regardless of when power is flowing to the oven. This is because when one adjusts the dial or keypad, it is not directly causing the temperature to change. These "instructions" are being left for the computer to read at random intervals. The computer will then follow the "instruction" to raise the temperature. Therefore, this action is only causing a grama, an indirect action, which in turn will cause the temperature to be raised.
A cynic might say that priests have conveniently found a way to allow people to have their creature comforts while pretending to adhere to religious commandments. Whatever, it is clear that the simple, timeless, universal, and harmless act of cooking food has, thanks to priests, come to be believed by some religious people to be riddled with dangers that only those same priests can protect them from. The Rabbi even has an FAQ section to deal with such subtleties as: Can I set the timed bake feature on Yom Tov? May one turn off their stove or oven to conserve energy on Yom Tov? Can I open and close a standardoven door at any time on Yom Tov? Must I wait until I see the glow plug glowing to open the door to my gas oven on Yom Tov?
I wonder if there the model sold in the Middle East (or Brunei) has a 'Certified Halal' capability?
Add to this the gas vs. electric debate. For most uneducated consumers, or amateur cooks, either will do. For a professional however, it's clear that gas is preferable for stove-top burners. Quick, instant heat.
For the oven however, it's the opposite. Electric heat is more likely to be evenly distributed (critical in baking). Also, it's a dry heat. Gas contains moisture that 'burns off', bringing in variables which don't matter when roasting, but for baking can be disastrous!
Enter 'dual fuel' - electric oven, gas burners...
So, in our case, we thought that rather than investing in a new circuit board and prolonging the sub-standard performance, we would take the opportunity to upgrade to a 'dual fuel' appliance.
Regular consumer level stoves are in the range of $1000. Commercial ones run $3,000-$6000 or more, but there is a growing middle ground of 'high-end' consumer stove which purports to perform at a 'near-commercial' level... or something like that.
These run in the range of $2,000-$4,000, depending on features.
Saturday, between errands and picking up girlfriend at the airport, we 'stopped through' half a dozen appliance retailers, and found one of the 3 models we had narrowed the field down to in a 'deep discount' anomaly, where instead of it costing $2700-$3000, it was on sale for $1500. All the features we were looking for and some we weren't... like the 'sabbath mode'.
The fact sheet does not say what this means, but Google (that noted authority) gives a long and detailed explanation (with footnotes and citations) provided by Rabbi Avrohom Mushell.
To quote:
The basic problem faced by highly observant Jews is how to obtain hot food on a Jewish holiday ('Yom Tov') because originating a flame is considered to fall under the list of prohibitions on such days and that rules out lighting a stove.
As Rabbi Mushell explains:
Turning on an electric stovetop to warm food will initiate the flow of electricity to the burner. The halachic authorities have determined that electricity used as heat or light is considered fire. Therefore by turning on the burner one is creating a new fire. … Turning the dial on your electric stovetop may also initiate a light or icon on a control panel which would otherwise be off. This may be a transgression of kosev, writing, as well as molid. Even when the electric burner was left on from before Yom Tov, if one wishes to adjust the temperature of the burner there is also reason for concern. This is because, as a rule, one does not know if there is electric current running to the element at the time they wish to make the adjustment. Even when there is an indicator light showing that a burner is on, this may not be an indication that electricity is flowing to the burner at that moment. Rather it is indicating that the element is set to maintain the desired setting which it will maintain by going on and off at pre-determined intervals. As a result when one adjusts the temperature upward on Yom Tov they may be initiating the flow of electricity at a time that it was otherwise not flowing. As mentioned earlier, this would be prohibited because of molid.
So what to do?
To circumvent this prohibition, an electrician can install an indicator light which is attached to the actual flow of electricity to the burner. This will indicate when there is current flowing to the burner. When there is electricity flowing, one may raise the temperature in order to enhance cooking.
But that is not all, as the Rabbi warns us. Turning the stove off is also risky:
Lowering the heat setting on an electric stovetop on Yom Tov is also not without its halachic perils. We know that extinguishing a burning log is the melacha of kibui. Lowering the heat setting of a stove on Yom Tov may be associated with the melacha of kibui. Therefore, this can only be done when it is for the benefit of the food, so that it will remain warm but not burn. One may not turn the burner off completely. However, if there is an indicator light showing when power is flowing to the burner, one must be careful to lower the burner only when the indicator light is off. Once the indicator light is off, one may also turn the burner off completely.
But stoves with the Certified Sabbath Mode feature have taken care of this problem in an ingenious way that avoids having to keep track of whether a current is actually flowing or not at the time when one adjusts the controls.
Sabbath mode ovens are designed to bypass many of the practical and halachic problems posed by the modern oven…. Some Sabbath Mode ovens are designed to work with a random delay. This feature allows one to raise the temperature on Yom Tov at any time, regardless of when power is flowing to the oven. This is because when one adjusts the dial or keypad, it is not directly causing the temperature to change. These "instructions" are being left for the computer to read at random intervals. The computer will then follow the "instruction" to raise the temperature. Therefore, this action is only causing a grama, an indirect action, which in turn will cause the temperature to be raised.
A cynic might say that priests have conveniently found a way to allow people to have their creature comforts while pretending to adhere to religious commandments. Whatever, it is clear that the simple, timeless, universal, and harmless act of cooking food has, thanks to priests, come to be believed by some religious people to be riddled with dangers that only those same priests can protect them from. The Rabbi even has an FAQ section to deal with such subtleties as: Can I set the timed bake feature on Yom Tov? May one turn off their stove or oven to conserve energy on Yom Tov? Can I open and close a standardoven door at any time on Yom Tov? Must I wait until I see the glow plug glowing to open the door to my gas oven on Yom Tov?
I wonder if there the model sold in the Middle East (or Brunei) has a 'Certified Halal' capability?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
CJS gala matsutake parable
I was asked to say a few words of thanks to David Emerson for spending some time with the CJS group last evening. I did this in the context of a parable...
We have a few acres on a lake north of Whistler. Every year in the fall around this time, on the property at the lake, our attention is drawn to a physical manifestation of the concept of excellence. For us it is one of the year’s highlights. Not just for something that is good, but for something that is great.
It is matsutake 松茸, and as many here will know, the Japanese have a saying that captures this sense of the superlative - kaori matsutake, aji shimeji 香り松茸味しめじ.
In the search for this excellence, timing is everything. It’s easy to be in the right place, but if it’s not the right time, you’ll come up empty.
Even if you are in the right place at the right time, unless you know what you’re looking for, you’ll walk right by it.
Some of us have been walking in the B.C. woods for many years - in Tourism - in Resources - but are just now beginning to explore new areas where there is *kaori matsutake*. I’m talking about Technology. I’m talking about Aerospace.
David Emerson's presentation tonight was bold and comprehensive and I thank him:
For reminding us that we are in the right place and that now is the right time.
For reminding us what it is that can be ours if we stoop down and pick it up, and
For reminding us that there are other changes afoot in the woods as well:
- That we should not just sell stuff, but engage in reciprocal direct investment,
- That we should work to manage global value chains and networks,
- That we should invest in physical and human capital footprints in strategic markets.
Thank you David for reminding us to think strategically and to think boldly - if a bit differently - in our walk through these woods this fall.
We have a few acres on a lake north of Whistler. Every year in the fall around this time, on the property at the lake, our attention is drawn to a physical manifestation of the concept of excellence. For us it is one of the year’s highlights. Not just for something that is good, but for something that is great.
It is matsutake 松茸, and as many here will know, the Japanese have a saying that captures this sense of the superlative - kaori matsutake, aji shimeji 香り松茸味しめじ.
In the search for this excellence, timing is everything. It’s easy to be in the right place, but if it’s not the right time, you’ll come up empty.
Even if you are in the right place at the right time, unless you know what you’re looking for, you’ll walk right by it.
Some of us have been walking in the B.C. woods for many years - in Tourism - in Resources - but are just now beginning to explore new areas where there is *kaori matsutake*. I’m talking about Technology. I’m talking about Aerospace.
David Emerson's presentation tonight was bold and comprehensive and I thank him:
For reminding us that we are in the right place and that now is the right time.
For reminding us what it is that can be ours if we stoop down and pick it up, and
For reminding us that there are other changes afoot in the woods as well:
- That we should not just sell stuff, but engage in reciprocal direct investment,
- That we should work to manage global value chains and networks,
- That we should invest in physical and human capital footprints in strategic markets.
Thank you David for reminding us to think strategically and to think boldly - if a bit differently - in our walk through these woods this fall.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
WLJ suggests... fulfillment
I will be searching various components of my pysche, on a sort of journey of discovery, to clearly determine those elements of life which are paramount, and even critical. You are correct that in my world, Qi Gong has come to be a great influence, as the "engine" of introspection., and solace for the mind.
While reading your reply, the first word which came to me as the epitome of life, is fulfillment.
Happiness, as you say, is many things to many people, and one's happiness could well be another's pain, such as in the case of unrequited affection. Notice I avoid the word "love", which is so carelessly used as to be meaningless.
- B
While reading your reply, the first word which came to me as the epitome of life, is fulfillment.
Happiness, as you say, is many things to many people, and one's happiness could well be another's pain, such as in the case of unrequited affection. Notice I avoid the word "love", which is so carelessly used as to be meaningless.
- B
is it 'happiness' then?
This blog started as an e-mail to a few different folks. I was (and still am) trying to figure out how to present or incorporate the replies.
My objective, other than hopefully drawing a bit of a map that some might find useful, is to create a parable. A parable is a brief, succinct story that illustrates a moral, so this is the part of course that I have to add. You will ask what the moral of the story is, and where I'm heading with this.
So far, I'm thinking to craft the parable in such a way that it illustrates what
the primary objective in life for each of us should be. Of course we each determine our own answer, but is there one that can be 'recommended' and for which a map can be provided? The top candidate for me is actually "happiness". Of course "happiness" can be different things for different people, and might perhaps change for an individual at different stages of life. My view is that we shouldn't
accept someone else's answer, for example "To glorify God and enjoy him forever". That's too easy and if it really hasn't been appropriated, won't help in a crunch.
I may not agree with what you are doing or how you are doing it, but with a few exceptions, I should let you do it without undue criticism if you are truly happy in that quest.
So then with this as the objective, the starting point would be for each of us to first clearly define what happiness is at the particular place in the journey where we are, and then (the point of the parable) understand that and how our daily actions in the boxes and under the balloon engines, will help us achieve the goal. I liked B's choice of words below with the balloons being "engines".
Do you want to be flying high and seeing the big picture? Do you want to fly low, follow the terrain and zero in on the details? What should you jettison in order to gain altitude, if that is where you need to be to be happy. Are you happy spending all your time in the 'work' box, focusing on the 'work' balloon, for example? Should one strive for balance among the boxes? Why?
I also agree with B's ranking of the boxes - family first. This sure isn't the case with some (apparently) successful business people, for example, but if they seem to be quite happy in spite of it and don't want to change, those around them should perhaps just accept that and get used to it.
For some, I know that God looms quite large in the picture. Does this serve a similar function as Qi Gong does for B?
So in my parable, do I suggest that a belief in God or Qi Gong might be presented as
the air through which one is flying? Is Qi Gong a tool that you have in your kit bag which you take out from time to time to help you service the engine? Maybe God is an interior designer who helps you arrange the stuff in your boxes. I'm sure some people actually have built a church box & balloon - dragging them down or lifting them up depending on the amount of time they spend there. I suspect the reality is that it could be any of these things for someone. It is simply how your
map looks.
Of course all this is predicated on 'happiness' being the objective. If this is not the case, what is a helpful alternative?
My objective, other than hopefully drawing a bit of a map that some might find useful, is to create a parable. A parable is a brief, succinct story that illustrates a moral, so this is the part of course that I have to add. You will ask what the moral of the story is, and where I'm heading with this.
So far, I'm thinking to craft the parable in such a way that it illustrates what
the primary objective in life for each of us should be. Of course we each determine our own answer, but is there one that can be 'recommended' and for which a map can be provided? The top candidate for me is actually "happiness". Of course "happiness" can be different things for different people, and might perhaps change for an individual at different stages of life. My view is that we shouldn't
accept someone else's answer, for example "To glorify God and enjoy him forever". That's too easy and if it really hasn't been appropriated, won't help in a crunch.
I may not agree with what you are doing or how you are doing it, but with a few exceptions, I should let you do it without undue criticism if you are truly happy in that quest.
So then with this as the objective, the starting point would be for each of us to first clearly define what happiness is at the particular place in the journey where we are, and then (the point of the parable) understand that and how our daily actions in the boxes and under the balloon engines, will help us achieve the goal. I liked B's choice of words below with the balloons being "engines".
Do you want to be flying high and seeing the big picture? Do you want to fly low, follow the terrain and zero in on the details? What should you jettison in order to gain altitude, if that is where you need to be to be happy. Are you happy spending all your time in the 'work' box, focusing on the 'work' balloon, for example? Should one strive for balance among the boxes? Why?
I also agree with B's ranking of the boxes - family first. This sure isn't the case with some (apparently) successful business people, for example, but if they seem to be quite happy in spite of it and don't want to change, those around them should perhaps just accept that and get used to it.
For some, I know that God looms quite large in the picture. Does this serve a similar function as Qi Gong does for B?
So in my parable, do I suggest that a belief in God or Qi Gong might be presented as
the air through which one is flying? Is Qi Gong a tool that you have in your kit bag which you take out from time to time to help you service the engine? Maybe God is an interior designer who helps you arrange the stuff in your boxes. I'm sure some people actually have built a church box & balloon - dragging them down or lifting them up depending on the amount of time they spend there. I suspect the reality is that it could be any of these things for someone. It is simply how your
map looks.
Of course all this is predicated on 'happiness' being the objective. If this is not the case, what is a helpful alternative?
WLJ notes...
You made me put on my thinking cap, and isolate myself to perform self-analysis which encompases all of life. Heavy stuff, but stimulating, and essential if one is to understand existance, purpose, and the great unknown.
I found it necessary to read your analogies several times, so that I could even partially grasp where they might lead, and their critical nature to permit us to sort out where we have been, where we are now, and how the future may unfold. I do believe each one of us is the prime architect of our fate, and all other factors & influences but props along the way. I am able to see how you are reaching out in a way that I have not seen before, and not only are you correct to do this, but it is your responsibility.
The balloons are the engines for the boxes, and need to be tended & nourished to sustain their loads. The two are inseparable, for if either fails, disaster strikes. Trite, I know.
The largest & most important box is family, and therefore requires the largest baloon. Family is your ultimate refuge - friends are capable of deserting you, and often do, but family is constant, ever-loving and foregiving. So construct this box strongly and carefully, to sustain you when others fail. We live on through our children, so a childless person runs the risk of being truly barren
The second box is work. Life would be empty and useless without a mission to try and leave the world just a little bit better than we found it. So this box must also be built upon a firm foundation to be able to fend off life's slings & arrows. Similarly, work's baloon requires constant adjustments and fine tuning within changing times and influences. We only find comfort and contentment when we recognize our personal limitations, and always keep within attainable parameters. To reach for the impossible star is to invite chaos & disaster. There will always be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
No person is an island, so interaction with friends and aquaintances is inescapable. Therefore the third box, and the smallest balloon, is to contain and nurture your friends, colleagues, and those for whom you share comfort, dreams, procreation, and this thing commomly referred to as love. The latter can be all-encompassing but also has the very real potential to change and desert you when you need it most. So love fully, but without compromise of your essential being. To thine own self be true.
- B
I found it necessary to read your analogies several times, so that I could even partially grasp where they might lead, and their critical nature to permit us to sort out where we have been, where we are now, and how the future may unfold. I do believe each one of us is the prime architect of our fate, and all other factors & influences but props along the way. I am able to see how you are reaching out in a way that I have not seen before, and not only are you correct to do this, but it is your responsibility.
The balloons are the engines for the boxes, and need to be tended & nourished to sustain their loads. The two are inseparable, for if either fails, disaster strikes. Trite, I know.
The largest & most important box is family, and therefore requires the largest baloon. Family is your ultimate refuge - friends are capable of deserting you, and often do, but family is constant, ever-loving and foregiving. So construct this box strongly and carefully, to sustain you when others fail. We live on through our children, so a childless person runs the risk of being truly barren
The second box is work. Life would be empty and useless without a mission to try and leave the world just a little bit better than we found it. So this box must also be built upon a firm foundation to be able to fend off life's slings & arrows. Similarly, work's baloon requires constant adjustments and fine tuning within changing times and influences. We only find comfort and contentment when we recognize our personal limitations, and always keep within attainable parameters. To reach for the impossible star is to invite chaos & disaster. There will always be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
No person is an island, so interaction with friends and aquaintances is inescapable. Therefore the third box, and the smallest balloon, is to contain and nurture your friends, colleagues, and those for whom you share comfort, dreams, procreation, and this thing commomly referred to as love. The latter can be all-encompassing but also has the very real potential to change and desert you when you need it most. So love fully, but without compromise of your essential being. To thine own self be true.
- B
of boxes and balloons
Someone close to me was in Morocco recently and heard a story about how we each have 3 balloons helping us fly in life. Work, family and friends. If one has trouble, we still fly but maybe a bit lower. If two or three loose air, this is trouble, and we cannot fly.
This reminded me of a box analogy I sometimes use to encourage people to strive for balance in their lives by putting work issues 'in a box" for example, when they leave work. In this way, we can better enjoy home and family or activities with friends as separate activities without the (sometimes) negative impact of the cares of one or another box becoming too pervasive. It's about balance.
I began to think about how the box analogy might fit with the balloon analogy. How they might be related and how the resulting model would look. I decided to write some of these ideas down and also challenge others (initially friends and family) to come up with a new facet or maybe an example from their lives. I'm interested in seeing if this might provide a helpful model or be of use as a kind of life map.
In this expanded parable, each of the balloons has a 'box' hanging below it where we each spend our time.
The boxes are hanging under the balloons and there is a relationship between the boxes and the balloons. At first in life, our boxes are relatively small and of simple construction. The main job of the person in the box is to make sure that the balloon is inflated. As time passes, things get more complex. We pass over beautiful landscapes or troubled waters. Sometimes we might ground out for awhile. Sometimes we fly high. Some people never really seem to getoff the ground.
For each person, the three boxes are side by side and one can easily jump from one to another. Of course the boxes each have other people and things in them, and if one doesn't spend a certain amount of time in a particular box, the space gets filled up by stuff from the other people who might be in that box. In this case, different things might happen. The box might get heavier and drag the whole contraption down. Depending on the size and weight of the stuff in the box, the space in the box gets 'taken over' and there might not be any room left. In these cases one would 'feel alienated' or 'feel like astranger'...
Of course the skies are filled with balloons and boxes. Some people manouver their balloons next to each other. Sometimes they actually clamp their boxes together. Depending on the circumstances, this can be an uplifting experience. Sometimes they drag each other down.
Sometimes, someone else will bring a small thing into one of your boxes. At first it might not look like much. In fact, you might not even notice it, but if it is real heavy, you might begin to loose altitude and not know why.
In certain cases a particular box might be shared with others to the extent that their balloons might help keep yours airborne. You might actually have an occasional 'uplifting' experience. This is useful if you are approaching an obstacle such as a mountain range that your balloons alone might not be able to rise above.
Just like in a real balloon, you can't really direct where you will end up. You try to predict based on wind and weather and of course you can control altitude to some extent by getting one balloon to really perform well or by jettisoning some stuff out of one or anotherbox.
So the question here is to see if others will find this analogyto be interesting or helpful. I'm looking for more examples of facets to grow the analogy or triggers to practical examples from your life. For example, if you don't spend time in a box, it will fill up withother things and there will be no room for you (worst case scenario -no friends, no family, no job).
This reminded me of a box analogy I sometimes use to encourage people to strive for balance in their lives by putting work issues 'in a box" for example, when they leave work. In this way, we can better enjoy home and family or activities with friends as separate activities without the (sometimes) negative impact of the cares of one or another box becoming too pervasive. It's about balance.
I began to think about how the box analogy might fit with the balloon analogy. How they might be related and how the resulting model would look. I decided to write some of these ideas down and also challenge others (initially friends and family) to come up with a new facet or maybe an example from their lives. I'm interested in seeing if this might provide a helpful model or be of use as a kind of life map.
In this expanded parable, each of the balloons has a 'box' hanging below it where we each spend our time.
The boxes are hanging under the balloons and there is a relationship between the boxes and the balloons. At first in life, our boxes are relatively small and of simple construction. The main job of the person in the box is to make sure that the balloon is inflated. As time passes, things get more complex. We pass over beautiful landscapes or troubled waters. Sometimes we might ground out for awhile. Sometimes we fly high. Some people never really seem to getoff the ground.
For each person, the three boxes are side by side and one can easily jump from one to another. Of course the boxes each have other people and things in them, and if one doesn't spend a certain amount of time in a particular box, the space gets filled up by stuff from the other people who might be in that box. In this case, different things might happen. The box might get heavier and drag the whole contraption down. Depending on the size and weight of the stuff in the box, the space in the box gets 'taken over' and there might not be any room left. In these cases one would 'feel alienated' or 'feel like astranger'...
Of course the skies are filled with balloons and boxes. Some people manouver their balloons next to each other. Sometimes they actually clamp their boxes together. Depending on the circumstances, this can be an uplifting experience. Sometimes they drag each other down.
Sometimes, someone else will bring a small thing into one of your boxes. At first it might not look like much. In fact, you might not even notice it, but if it is real heavy, you might begin to loose altitude and not know why.
In certain cases a particular box might be shared with others to the extent that their balloons might help keep yours airborne. You might actually have an occasional 'uplifting' experience. This is useful if you are approaching an obstacle such as a mountain range that your balloons alone might not be able to rise above.
Just like in a real balloon, you can't really direct where you will end up. You try to predict based on wind and weather and of course you can control altitude to some extent by getting one balloon to really perform well or by jettisoning some stuff out of one or anotherbox.
So the question here is to see if others will find this analogyto be interesting or helpful. I'm looking for more examples of facets to grow the analogy or triggers to practical examples from your life. For example, if you don't spend time in a box, it will fill up withother things and there will be no room for you (worst case scenario -no friends, no family, no job).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
