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Bucky was onto something.

Teaching taught me for something to be alive, there are certain criteria needing to be met.

One of those criteria is – does it respond to stimulus?

We do.

All the time.

For a while I have been describing myself as ‘creatively responding to the stimulus in my environment’. My friend would tell me “We are always responding. Biologically, it’s what we do.”

But the analogy to brain dead zombies fits all too well. After all, zombies respond to stimulus.

So what does it mean to be counted among the living?

I believe being aware of the stimulus you are responding to is a key for living.

Which takes form in where you are placing your attention in the present moment.

There is nothing wrong with watching tv. I have many conversations with friends about a latest episode or show we enjoy. Though I could Ran-t about the segregation of content leading to disconnect from shared experiences (streaming services have a lot to answer for).

Personally, I don’t have an issue with social media when I feel as though I am purposefully responding to the stimulus. Not passively taking it in. (I Deal, Ideas for circumventing the doom scroll. Which is actually a helpful feature in Kindle).

I’ve come to acknowledge – I can gain ideas from anywhere, and everywhere. IF I am aware how I am responding.

One of my favourite moments was how my piece Romance Re-kindled came about.

I was laying in bed reading, cozied up on a Sunday morning with Luna, my fur girl. Reading.

I initially felt guilty – I do that. Feel guilty for not being productive. But then I chose to follow my rule for living – I needed to respond to stimulus – I choose to do so creatively. My binge reading romance became a story I could use.

Romance Re-kindled, led to Pretentious Friends, and the fact that I had half-written the piece, meant I was able to put my hand up to present at Toastmasters at last minute, which is where I met a mentor who has given me many opportunities to engage in events, and panel discussions.

Not only this, but my friend was so happy I had captured our conversation with Pretentious Friends, and my colleague felt appreciated because I acknowledged how they had helped me overcome my shame of loving romcom.

All this from a cozy, lazy Sunday, reading romance with my girl, Lu.

Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller wrote a book – I seem to be a Verb.

(A line I used in an interview when asked what my hobbies were).

It goes that we are not things. We are instead in process. We are happening. We are responding.

This is what counts me among the living.

So I believe my writing should reflect that.

Grant Snider does a fine job of this. I’ve noticed a lot of his work is in respond to what he is doing in the everyday, and it’s an organic progression.

I reckon Michel de Montaigne did too – they were an essayist of the 18th century, who wrote about the mundanity of life.

One of my favourite quotes of theirs is;

“My art and trade is to live.”

Hear Hear!

In context, his response to the rules of high society was rebellion.

Though true be told, I believe by writing about the variety of the everyday this is a rebellion against the algorithmic and reductionist bias I feel our culture holds now.

The one that pinpoints the box a person belongs to and feeds the reinforcement of one dimensional biases. *frown face.

Don’t get me wrong, I love algorithms.

But when they are in synergy with me as a living being – not dictating and controlling my ability to choose – turning me into a thing.

Thingifying.

See, I also seem to be a verb.

I love a lot. I find interest in a bug. Or the sky. Or the music my neighbours are playing…loudly.

All of it is because I choose to design my life and respond to the world around me.

Design books themselves are also fascinating.

User-Friendly is one of my utmost favourites, along with anything Don Norman, and the EdX’s course for Human-Computer Interaction – which was utterly enjoyable.

During this Unsupervised Learning I did come across this quote I believe is so very true in regards to living and I would like to leave you with to ponder.