RoR: Forum

Ciro,

I love the city because of everything it is, the people are a part of that. Without the people the city would be dead, as if it were from some prehistoric race of men that did great things no longer accomplishable. I would still be amazed that things of that level can be done, but it's not the same without the lifeblood of the city.

Andrew,

Thanks for the cheers, lol. And as for Rick, I actually liked his post a lot. He made it quite apparent that I need to raise the bar a bit :). But thanks for the support.

Post 21

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 6:08pm

William,

Regarding your response to Katherine, you seem to be taking a very specific approach to amazement. In fact, it sounds like you're talking more about pride than anything, which is all well and good. Of course you can't take pride an blank mountain side, but I don't see why it can't be amazing. It could be amazingly tall, for example. Or amazingly flat. But whatever, I'm just a definition-monger.

Sarah

Post 22

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 6:00pm

It's into the immense, into the deepest, to the highest,to the widest
that man finds freedom.
A true hero loves the challenge of the immensity of nature, He hates the safety of the city.
Ciro

Thank you Jody!

(Edited by Ciro D'Agostino on 9/28, 8:24pm)

Post 23

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 6:27pm

Ciro-
You should write a book of aphorisms my friend. They would make for a pleasant read.

Post 24

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 6:41pm

Safety of the City? Which city? Just trade in one danger for another...but still, I'll take the city over the jungle. Anyone who thinks that way should read THERE'S A HAIR IN MY DIRT! by The Far Side's Gary Larson. Or just get bitten by a mosquito with west Nile Virus.

Post 25

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 8:40pm

Thank you Joe - was also going to ask 'safety of the city? which city do you live in?'... as one who has lived in both, can attest it is the city, despite its dangers, which is for humans - spend time in the jungle, and you become as animal as the rest of them...

Post 26

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 8:43pm

Sarah,

I understand what you're saying, but I don't mean pride when I say amazing. I reserve this word for a higher meaning than just, "amazingly flat". Maybe this doesn't make any sense and I should have used another word, but ah well.

Ciro,

Are you saying that a hero hates safety? That sounds pretty irrational. I understand that you're trying to emphasize the love of challenge, but why does that follow into hating the "safety of the city"? I don't understand that.

(Edited by William Bardel on 9/28, 8:46pm)

Post 27

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 8:49pm

William,

No it makes sense. Well, maybe it doesn't, but I do know what you mean. I'm the same way with the word love.

Sarah

Post 28

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 8:51pm

Exactly! Thank you.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 8:59pm

Giuseppe, nothing can scare you more than your own fears!
Your safety is based on your competence to deal with the world.
When you trust yourself you feel safe.
Ciao Ciro

Post 30

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 9:12pm

Let's assume for the sake of this discussion that the term "nature" refers to areas and aspects of existence which are not yet altered by humans.   Cool?

Anyhow, both the city and wild have their own charms, and my life would be all the worse if I had to do without either one. I live in downtown Chicago and work in the NBC Tower. The first year or so of working downtown was a rush. Every morning when I emerged from the train platform into the open air amidst the towering buildings and productive people, I got goosebumps and would be charged up for a day's work.  But it's been said that you can get used to anything, and after a while it all became routine. I still get that excitement anytime I go to an airport - I hope I never fly often enough that that becomes mundane and routine.

Contrast that with Vilas and Oneida Counties Northern Wisconsin, where I often venture on summer weekends with my boat and maybe one other fishing buddy.  This two county area contains one of the most dense concentrations of natural lakes in the world (over 2000 of them!), along with hundreds of square miles of forest. The peace and solitude I experience on a remote lake in my boat is something that could not be equalled in the developed world. I think experiencing nature like this is actually consonant with individualism --- as much as I love people, it's nice to be away from throngs of random strangers and in the company of just yourself and perhaps a few close friends. No cell phones, no car horns honking - just you, the northern lights, the call of the loon, bald eagles, vivid stars and planets, spectacular sunsets....maybe that does nothing for many of you, but I sure dig it! Of course, enjoying nature like is only possible with the wonders of the industrialized world to fall back on when you need them.  And I appreciate that fact. I guess I consider myself lucky to be able to enjoy both settings.

(Edited to add that if I actually lived in Northern Wisconsin, I'm sure it would lose its luster after a while too...)

(Edited by Pete on 9/28, 9:15pm)

Post 31

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 9:19pm

(Edited by Ciro D'Agostino on 9/29, 2:10pm)

Post 32

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 9:36pm

I understand that, but what has that got to do with hating the safety of the city? You continually evade my simple questions with nonsensical phrases. Some of the things you say make sense like:

Your safety is based on your competence to deal with the world.
When you trust yourself you feel safe.

That makes sense. But what is this redundancy?

nothing can scare you more than your own fears!

Or how about this one:

A hero never thinks about safety, he has nothing to fear.

Never thinks about safety huh? So he wouldn't think about safety when there's a gun pointed to his head? Even knowing that the one holding the gun is a psychopath? C'mon Ciro, if a "hero" didn't think about safety, then he would constantly sacrifice himself because of his irresponsible decision. Even psychologically, it's natural for a man to be concerned with whether or not he is safe. And why do you keep connecting safety with fear? They are not permanently related. In some cases they are related, but not every case.

Please say something meaningful in your next response.

-William Bardel

Post 33

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 9:42pm

Bravery and Heroism are two different things!

(Edited by Ciro D'Agostino on 9/29, 5:59am)

Post 34

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 10:49pm

Ciro, I have an aphorism for you: "Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's the willingness to face that fear."

Post 35

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 10:59pm

William,

Food for thought.

I would have preferred you to have put more punch into what "amazing" means to you (or feels like) in that context, and a little less emphasis on what it does not. Maybe a few word plays and more concrete details of city glories. The impact would have been much stronger. (I presume that your purpose was to transmit that "amazing" feeling in city surroundings and not just quibble over what it means in general.)

Still, your article was a good sentiment and an excellent first try.

I look forward to watching your writing skills grow.

More.

Michael

Post 36

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 11:33pm

Joe--

Nice quote! I agree with it entirely.

Ciro--

I'm somewhat confused as to what you were trying to say with some of your posts. Quite a few of them seemed to contradict what you previously said in the post before. Could you please elaborate on what you are trying to get at with safety, heroism, and fear?

Post 37

Thursday, September 29, 2005 - 5:17am

Michael,

Good food, thanks. lol :)

Post 38

Thursday, September 29, 2005 - 6:24am

Bardel,-

Thanks for the cheers, lol. And as for Rick, I actually liked his post a lot. He made it quite apparent that I need to raise the bar a bit :). But thanks for the support.

Yeah, you get me don't you?
We all had Ayn Rand lunch boxes and Ayn Rand decoder rings and Ayn Rand opinions once. It kinda takes you over for a bit. Then you get you back, and that's when you become a man. Maybe you didn't need to hear that, but I needed to say it because, as Super Andrew says, that's my thing.

Post 39

Thursday, September 29, 2005 - 8:53am