Will It Go Round In Circles? Paying It Forward, One Byte at a Time
What makes people behave as they do? Which belief systems ground and motivate? Which stifle and constrict? How do people work their way through life, either hastened or hindered by what they believe?
Here’s an interesting modern example of this phenomenon and shows the clash between two modern world views in stark relief:
From the BBC: Surrogate Mother Vows to Care for Down’s Syndrome Baby
And, the book version is available from Amazon: Rising from the Ashes
Say WHAT?
The program, which will be released later this year, can use a photo of ANYONE at ANY AGE and create a surprisingly accurate forecast image of that person’s appearance as an Elder.
By “Elder” I mean OLD PERSON.
In other words, a view into your Geriatric Future. The typical reaction of the typical person? Ick, that’s not for me. But let me do my Ex, my sister-in-law, my ….
Even the CREATOR of this program (who is 33) hasn’t looked at her “Old Self.” She claims she isn’t interested. Those of us who read a lot think we know the real reason, but we shall remain respectfully silent : )
Click here to read the fascinating story about why it was created, how they did it, and what they began to realize about how faces “age.” Great reading, brought to you by the Philadelphia Inquirer!
Personally, I think that one of the most appealing aspects of the internet has been its ability to allow people everywhere to share their stories.
Stories of inspiration, hope, challenges, joys, hobbies, interests, and more.
I’m somewhat saddened to watch the internet morph into a corporate salesplace, as it slowly loses the human touch that made the early internet a pioneering space filled with real stories about real people.
I hate to be the one to tell you, but Facebook really isn’t the center of the universe and you really don’t have 10,000 “friends” this week.
So, as I have the time to do it, I’m going to share with you some of the “other internet.” The Old School Internet that was composed of people with a burning desire to communicate something of importance to their fellow human beings (not just that they “like” Britney).
We’ll start here:
Here’s the story of Sandy Beardsley, who chose to share her journey as she fought to overcome the effects of a brain tumor. Sandy died in 2006, but her husband, Dan, has left her website in place to help inspire and help others. As she said in the first chapter of her site, “I hope that my words can in some way help anyone that is facing such a challenge. You are not alone.”
Thank you, Dan and Sandy, for sharing your story and helping others find their way through what can be a very confusing and scary process.
Here are more of Sandy’s words, from the genesis of her site in the Summer of 1999:
This is an ongoing written account of my journey through living with a brain tumor. I have kept a journal and continue to write about my experience. At first I kept the journal to express my emotions in a positive way. I began to think I might share these words with others when my journey was finished. Now I realize that that day may never come. Life is a journey and the process is what’s important, not the ending. My husband came up with the idea to share my words on a website.
Please visit the site here and experience for yourself Sandy’s wonderful, giving spirit, filled with strength and hope. And remember this: Life is what’s happening NOW, today. Make the most of it while you have it!
Selman was a regular guy, living life as we all do, expecting it to just keep unfolding as it always had.
Then, came a diagnosis: brain cancer. A terminal diagnosis.
Stewart made an unusual choice: he decided to create an audio diary for his family, memorializing his last days and reminiscing about their lives together. You can read more about this and listen to parts of Selman’s diary here.
Embrace life! As a poet (Robert Herrick) once said, “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.”
