The significance of the insignificance of self

significance of insignificance
The winner of the 2008 Qavvavik sled dog races in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, supported by the community in an inhospitable environment.

In a previous post I made the statement that “we are insignificant but essential particles in the universe”. Out the of the entire article, this statement yielded an immediate reaction from the readership. I then recalled that I made a similar entry in my diary last summer during the time I was visiting in Switzerland:

A thought about the rank of self within the higher order of the universe: I am a small, insignificant part of a much larger organism. Despite that smallness, the self is assigned a significance of its own because it is at the same time a manifestation of the whole; also because it bears its own potential within. That potential is a substantial part of the larger organism, without which the whole would not be complete.

(my own translation from German)

I believe this thinking is influenced by the thought of Mahatma Gandhi.

Continue reading “The significance of the insignificance of self” →

Don’t waste your time!

I was brought up with the mantra don’t waste your time. My parents were quite insistent that their children make the most of their time (and definitely not waste theirs). Only now do I realize that this attitude was not something purely utilitarian – a way to make it out of misery and to the top. It actually has biblical roots:

Make best use of the time, because the days are evil. Eph 5:16 (ESV)

for a German version of this article: Verschwende deine Zeit nicht!

For my parents’ and grandparents’ generation making most of their time seemed to have worked. They all have roots in an agrarian lifestyle – something that for the most part excluded options in life, and was equally associated with a good measure of back-breaking labour, servitude, misery and poverty. But they overcame the burden thereof and created for themselves a much more comfortable worldly existence.

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Teach me to stop and listen

Watch out, the ultimate commerce season is upon us! I went for a walk in the beautiful winter sun and decided to stop for coffee. There it was: the first Christmas tree and the entire store already decked out in red and green, seasonal symbols, and superfluous merchandise. I got all worked up about it and decided that this is the last time this year that I will stop at Starbucks for coffee!

Teach me to stop and listen,
Teach me to center down,
Teach me the use of silence,
Teach me where peace is found…

I really needed these words after my walk. They were helpful for me to find my calm again. Continue reading “Teach me to stop and listen” →

Feast days – “but where is the feast”

Between waking up and preparing breakfast, I asked Celia about the significance of this day – November 11. This kind of dialogue is one way of sharing about the diverse cultural traditions and experiences that we bring into our relationship.

Of course, for us here in Canada it is Remembrance Day,

a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. […] Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.” (Wikipedia)

I am honouring, without special form, the men and women who serve a country and do this by conviction and for the common good. I believe it is each individual’s choice to serve by going to war – but there are times where people in power will make the ‘choice’ and sacrifice the lives of so many for their purpose. I have difficulties celebrating war heroes and indirectly glorifying the practice of armed conflict and the use of any form of violence- whether as an act of aggression, liberation, or defence. Continue reading “Feast days – “but where is the feast”” →

Independence day

Today is the first day of ‘complete independence’ for me in more than twenty years: My son, my youngest child, has finally reached the milestone of legal adulthood – and thus his independence.

Happy Birthday, Flurin! Celebrate, enjoy, and stay safe!Image

My son has been longing for while to become more independent, to make his own decisions and take responsibility for them. He has actively practiced stepping out toward a self-determined adult life. Today, he has reached that milestone. Congratulations! Flurin, I will continue to support you on your life journey – no longer as your father and legal guardian, but as Othmar, your father, friend, and mentor if that is possible and desirable. Continue reading “Independence day” →

Military-industrial complex: The human version

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Dropping off and picking up passengers at the Mao Airport (Kanem Region/Chad)

I find it neat to find common experiences in the most unexpected places. As I was doing some banking today, the investment advisor and I got into some casual conversation. After all, he has all kind of private information about me at his disposal on the computer screen. He inquired about my employment status and whether I am still working with MSF/Doctors WIthout Borders. He showed a genuine interest and so I told him a little bit about my mission to Chad last year. Continue reading “Military-industrial complex: The human version” →

Leadership and power – not authoritarian rule and legalized force

I am more comfortable knowing that Barack Obama will be president of the US of America for another four years. Not that I doubt that Mitt Romney and his team have equal abilities to govern that big country. What makes the difference for me is the perceived difference in attitude about governance.

My impression is that Obama wants to be a leader. He radiates a vision of a nation – even if he is not immune to hints of global supremacy. On the other hand, the Republican rhetoric sounds to me like they want to be in power. The conservative notion seems to dictate to be in charge of the whole world, to dominate. For me there is a very clear difference and important distinction between leadership and power: One is to unleash the inner motivation of the people, of society and polity as a whole, to do the best they can for a common purpose; the other one is to force one particular set of beliefs and actions on everyone like the emperors and popes did in centuries past. Continue reading “Leadership and power – not authoritarian rule and legalized force” →

Toonie Tuesday – second edition

Today’s Toonie Tuesday coffee was more than I could have asked for. No, the coffee was the same, the place was not too crowded and thus not too noisy. There is a new show of paintings exhibited, faces, flowers, landscapes. Local artist, colourful, naive, but unfortunately not very well presented due to the sheer volume on the limited wall space.

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Toonie Tuesday

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It is a habit of mine to receive a reminder every Tuesday about the lower-priced specialty coffee drinks available at the Chocolate Claim. Sometimes I follow the call and enjoy a double-shot latte for a toonie. Before I monitored my daily spending habits, I indulged in store-bought coffee like many people around me. But then I found out that more than 20% of my food budget went to feed that indulgence. I could no longer justify my habits. Especially, since the expenses for fresh fruit and vegetables amounted to less than 9% of my food budget!

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Ofradix – the name

The name for this blog came to me as I was soaking in the bathtub.

OFRADIX. I didn’t want to use my more common web aliases, but still felt that it would be nice to have some consistency. So I started again with my initials. They have helped me as markers of identity since high school. Then they helped with my company logo years before the advent of the Internet. I added the -radix to indicate the importance of being radical in my way. I wanted the name to be unique – and a google search confirmed that this word has not been in use as such.

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Monday Morning

As I spend some more time with the new blogging tool I discover how difficult it is for me to write to an anonymous audience. So far, I have mostly used letters and letter-style emails to communicate. What is it really that people “out there” are interested in? What are the relevant thoughts that I like to share? What am I comfortable with sharing with a wider audience, possibly a public audience?

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Beginnings

Beginnings

As I prepare for my longer journey from the Yukon to Switzerland next year, I decided to give people who are interested a tool to follow along. At this time, everything is experimental and part of a learning process.