The final gathering for 2019 for our philosophy group took place last night at Taste of Paris in Mundelein.  The surprise, unforeseen was that half again as many showed up than had sent me their RSVP of their intentions.  A sign that the life of the mind, the tactile experience of exchanging ideas, is as valuable in the twenty first century as it was in Athens before the modern era?  Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle would have been pleased to see around twenty adults seated at the long table. 

Taste of Paris was a perfect venue.  Chef Claude’s culinary work, and the atmosphere of the establishment is a testimony to depths of meaning, to the satisfaction arising from exploration of the wild, and improvised life that each of us lives.   That’s the life experience we bring with us every time we come together.  How fitting to toast the end of another year of weekly discussion with friends, others with whom it is safe to  be vulnerable.  I may disagree, indeed will often disagree with you, but I will not hurt you with my words.  Such relationships are freedom’s definition.

I think that touch, the raw tactile contact between the organism and the world is the foundation, upon which a philosophically considered, well-lived-life is constructed.  Everything matters in it’s own way,  in proportion to it’s function to everything else within each individual life.  Of course I am often wrong, and am always only partially right on my good days.  Reality is nothing but relationships.  Even mistakes are learning opportunities.  I need the help of others “to see” that what I have thought for a long time, is a dead end.  Time to pause and seek another opening to move forward. 

I offer thanks to others who have allowed me to sacrifice my ego, when necessary, in order to think differently, and become more human as a consequence. 

The images are of yesterday’s sunset off of Rt 83 at the Mundelein Starbucks.  The wine glass image was captured at Taste of Paris.  If you look carefully through the wine glass you can see a couple seated at a table on the opposite side of the dining room.

Will conclude with a vintage performance of Smoke On the Water by Deep Purple.  A famous rock anthem, the guitar riffs I am sure that you’ve heard countless times.  There is a story behind Smoke On the Water, a tale of a casino-hotel burning to the ground.  A metaphor for life?  Sometimes things just burn, and you can do nothing but watch, and remember the fire.

Smoke on the Water

By Deep Purple

We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn’t have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground

Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
Smoke on the water

They burned down the gambling house
It died with an awful sound
Funky Claude was running in and out
Pulling kids out the ground
When it all was over
We had to find another place
But Swiss time was running out
It seemed that we would lose the race

Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
Smoke on the water

We ended up at the Grand hotel
It was empty…