This excerpt from the Karen Armstrong Wikipedia article is interesting:
Central to her reading of history is the notion that premodern cultures possessed two complementary and indispensable ways of thinking, speaking and knowing: mythos and logos. Mythos was concerned with meaning; it “provided people with a context that made sense of their day-to-day lives; it directed their attention to the eternal and the universal”.[9] Logos, on the other hand, dealt with practical matters. It forged ahead, elaborating on old insights, mastering the environment, and creating fresh and new things. Armstrong argues that modern Western society has lost the sense of mythos and enshrined logos as its foundation. Mythical narratives and the rituals and meanings attached to them have ceded authority to that which is rational, pragmatic and scientific – but which does not assuage human pain or sorrow, and cannot answer questions about the ultimate value of human life. However, far from embarking on a wholesale rejection of the modern emphasis in favour of the old balance, the author contends, religious fundamentalists unwittingly turn the mythos of their faith into logos. Fundamentalism is a child of modernity, and fundamentalists are fundamentally modern.
I was pleasantly surprised today, as I reclined into the chair at Memorial Blood Centers, that I have now given a gallon of blood. I got a pin!
I’m going to wear it proudly. It’s like having a coin from AA, but I don’t have to quit drinking!
Kudos to Paul Douglas:
Today’s NowCast
To live is to worry; we all lead stressful lives. Little did I know, but like many Americans I too suffer from mild anxiety disorder, something I didn’t realize until recently. Will my forecast be right? Will my business survive? Am I a good husband and father? For millions of Americans weather, specifically storms and the cold, dark days of winter, is a constant source of anxiety and depression, thought to be flip-sides of the same coin. My friend and trusty psychiatrist, Dr. Abraham Verjovsky, tells of patients frightened to walk in the rain for fear of being struck by lightning. Bitter cold is a source of angst, some can’t function; they become paralyzed when winter sets in or severe storms approach. “Roughly 75% of people suffer from anxiety or depression, or have a spouse, child, sibling or parent who does,” Verjovsky explained. Sadly 80% people who suffer in silence don’t seek help, which is unfortunate. “About 90% of people who try therapy and medication see improvement in their moods,” according to Verjovsky. For some children weather anxiety can turn into specific phobias, affecting their ability to attend school, sleep alone or function normally. Oprah is fond of telling us to “live our best lives.” I couldn’t agree more, and there’s no stigma in getting the help you deserve. I hope you soaked up Saturday’s therapeutic sunshine because a little freezing drizzle will change to light snow later in the day Sunday; a slushy coating possible by Sunday evening, but no significant accumulation is expected. A cool, windy week gives way to more 30s next weekend. Repeat after me, “No big storms are in sight”. No kidding!
That’s a good man, who has the guts to share that. He could just say “it’s gonna rain.” He’s interested in doing more.
