A couple of comments. First, I really like the Life Paths graphic. Ever since I began to think about such things, I’ve thought of time as a continuum. The Present is a dimensionless, ever-moving point and the Future is unknowable, except in broad outline. All we have is the Past, both our personal Past and the historical past of our species and of the planet. However imperfectly we know and understand the Past, each one of us is its creation. This is reason enough, in my opinion, to study history.
The other thought comes from a conversation I had a long time ago with a mutual acquaintance of ours. He opined that one can largely define where one is in life by (1) Who you’re living with, (2) Where you live, and (3) What you’re doing. I think there’s a lot of truth to that. Those three things pretty well determine the course of the squiggly line we have followed on the left side of the Life Path graphic. It all comes down to decisions, choices we’ve made, for good or ill. Some years ago, I “diagrammed” my life in terms of those decision points. It was very instructive.
I really got the sensation of movement that your metaphors and graphics described. And I like chance and choice. Easy to remember. I am glad you are starting to make active choices once more.
Interesting. I remember years ago someone said that when a man is asked who he is, he answers with his career (job), activities and a woman answers with her relationships. Your essay has only you in it. I think we are the same age and since you went back to 1974 I can say that if I answered your questions, and started with 1974, my answer would have included my 1974 M.A. and marriage and dreams. But it would have my path wrapped in relationships. By the way, although I am who I am and where I am by many external factors, mostly economic, I’m ok with that. Sure not who and where I, at 24, would have dreamed.
A couple of comments. First, I really like the Life Paths graphic. Ever since I began to think about such things, I’ve thought of time as a continuum. The Present is a dimensionless, ever-moving point and the Future is unknowable, except in broad outline. All we have is the Past, both our personal Past and the historical past of our species and of the planet. However imperfectly we know and understand the Past, each one of us is its creation. This is reason enough, in my opinion, to study history.
The other thought comes from a conversation I had a long time ago with a mutual acquaintance of ours. He opined that one can largely define where one is in life by (1) Who you’re living with, (2) Where you live, and (3) What you’re doing. I think there’s a lot of truth to that. Those three things pretty well determine the course of the squiggly line we have followed on the left side of the Life Path graphic. It all comes down to decisions, choices we’ve made, for good or ill. Some years ago, I “diagrammed” my life in terms of those decision points. It was very instructive.
Thanks, Fred, for writing and sharing this!
I really got the sensation of movement that your metaphors and graphics described. And I like chance and choice. Easy to remember. I am glad you are starting to make active choices once more.
Interesting. I remember years ago someone said that when a man is asked who he is, he answers with his career (job), activities and a woman answers with her relationships. Your essay has only you in it. I think we are the same age and since you went back to 1974 I can say that if I answered your questions, and started with 1974, my answer would have included my 1974 M.A. and marriage and dreams. But it would have my path wrapped in relationships. By the way, although I am who I am and where I am by many external factors, mostly economic, I’m ok with that. Sure not who and where I, at 24, would have dreamed.