Better than the Book

The book was better. The book was probably better. The book gets more time to build the characters and can add more information. It isn't on the clock. If you have read Game of Thrones or The Lord of the Rings, and then watched the TV Series or Movie, you will see how plots have to change slightly. Characters get joined. The 'facts' largely stay the same, but to make the story flow, things have to change. Conn Iggulden does the same thing with his historic novels about Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar and the War of the Roses. In the appendix, he explains the changes he has made to make the story flow. The combinations. The alterations. The ordering of events.

Life is better than the book. There is more space to add details. There is less need for consistency in order for the story to flow. We tend to add the story afterwards as we explain our lives. As we talk to our friends. As we justify what we have done. As we plan what we are going to do. 

While looking for the way things are connected, I am also trying hard to let go of plot. To let go of pattern. To let go of connections that don't matter. To revel in glorious inconsistency. There is a lot of noise. A lot of things happen for no reason. There isn't always a string of causes. There isn't always an intent. Sometimes things just are.

We are natural story tellers. Life is far more interesting than that. It can let go of narratives. It can do things out of character.

Life provides the tools. We create our own stories.

Nature without Narrative

Juicy (Ruth)

Guest Post:

Ruth Forssman (De Beer) and I met at university in first year. I remember her partly as another friend Sarah's partner in crime. Unfortunately (for us) Ruth moved from the University of Cape Town to Jozi. No doubt we would have got to know each other much better. There are lots of people that pass by us in life for no other reason than the wind blows in a different direction. I can think of a few really good childhood buddies that moved on. Another one of mine, Grant, from when I was 10 also caught up with me because of the blog. Fast forward to me diving into happiness and learning and Ruth has been one of my biggest mojo deliverers. Unsolicited feedback that my writing is of benefit to someone is one of the great joys of my life. The world is huge and we are scattered, but we are getting better at staying connected to the people that matter to us.

Juicy
by Ruth Forssman

So I signed-up to a life coach for a couple of sessions. Actually we met through your blog - I approached Patrick Madden after his guest post that resonated with me (about moral intelligence). In one of our first sessions he used the word “Juicy” to describe the stuff that I was telling him about my life and current circumstance, my stories essentially.

I like the word Juicy, it’s a word with so much texture.  I like texture too, I think life is better when it has more texture.  Maybe one’s life texture can be related back to the number of juicy stories you hold.  Many times I’ve wondered whether I have experienced a disproportionate number of “stories” in my life compared to the average (and others have remarked the same about me).  But I also think that it has something to do with one’s outlook on life and I think that I have a more sensitive “story filter”.  Moments that others may let go by unnoticed, maybe I scoop them up & squeeze out a little more “juice”.  Sometimes this is a good coping mechanism.  To stick your hand up & go: “WTF?” or “this is unique!”.  And if you can frame the situation, take a step back & see the humour, not take yourself too seriously, and then share it with others… it can be a fantastic healing & bonding experience.  Particularly when you become a parent, there are plenty of moments that need a count to 10 and a touch of humour so make it through OK.  If one had to filter my posts over the last 4 years in which I’ve had 2 kids, a popular word would likely be “Poo”!  But that’s not very juicy.

Those closest to me will know that my father has been the subject of many a juicy story of mine, but that these serve as an ointment that puts the ups & downs of our relationship in context.  He’s a special guy though, and he certainly knows the art of telling a juicy story himself.

So still along the lines of your recent theme of what is happiness? And to my comment of “being part of the fantasy, even for one brief moment” (in which I made reference to one of my all-time favourite movies: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”)  – An extension of this is that “happiness lies in squeezing out the juicy stories in life”

Hold on!

Craig Venter talks on TED about working on genomes and the creation of synthetic life.

Asked:

Couldn't you be accused of playing God?

He said:

Oh, we aren't playing.

Humour aside, his talk is absolutely fascinating if somewhat inaccessible. Another TED talk I watched talked about how early on we are in the realm of human development and civilization. If you think how long people have been around, then where we were 4000 years ago, then 2000, then 500, then 100, then 10 years ago... the pace of change is quite remarkable.

I have a friend who is doing his PHD in molecular genetics... the rest of our flat at university was doing commerce. He doesn't tell us much about what he does other than that it involves stem cell research and potentially healing quadriplegics!

Between understanding biology, harnessing the exchange and processing of information and getting over many of the biases that have held us back, it is difficult if not impossible to comprehend the world that we could live in in 50 years time.

Trying to keep up.

Talk about something simple like social evolution, people haven't even figured out the etiquette of status updates on Facebook! We aren't used to people knowing everything. We aren't used to communication being so easy. We aren't used to honestly challenging the way we think and changing.

We are used to barriers, prejudice, hiding, lying, fooling ourselves and others, and being in clicques.

Hold on to your seat belts!