Well feste wasn't born in the US but otherwise good points, Curtis. Plus, there are more Hispanics in FF than there were probably when you were last here. And there are lots of students at MUM from other countries and cultures, representing different races. True, I don't socialize with them. But I don't socialize with anyone living on campus, unless a wave in the Dome could be considered as socializing. My socializing tends to be with people who live in FF and are around my age. Except the new writing group has a woman in her twenties and one in her thirties.
I like that phrase basic premises about spirituality. But I'm not sure I even have any of those any more! Even recently, reading Xeno's post have shifted me about all that. Plus I often find myself using all kinds of non TM language. I think my posts to Ravi yesterday are a good example of that! Anyway, I love talking about abstract ideas so would enjoy if you could delineate one basic premise about spirituality that you see in my writing. I'm sure I would learn something useful. As for that cognitive tendency to think my subset represents anything of the whole country, I definitely don't have that! All I have to do is talk or email with family members to know I'm in a miniscule minority. Wow, I loved writing this. Thank you. ________________________________ From: curtisdeltablues <curtisdeltabl...@yahoo.com> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 9:15 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Alienation and Idleness in Paradise > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long <sharelong60@> wrote: > > > > FF TMers don't even have turq's so called homogeneous community on FFL much > > less IN Fairfield! feste and Raunchy and me and Buck: how homogeneous > > is even that grouping?! My point is that there is a rich diversity among > > Fairfield TMers. Share I'm happy for you that you dig Fairfield, but I must object to your claiming it represents a rich diversity of people. Your example was three white people, from middle or upper class upbringing, who are well educated and were born in the US. Philosophically you share basic premises about spirituality even in your attitudes toward Maharishi. The differences between your opinions from outside are pretty superficial. Within a basically homogeneous group you are amplifying small differences within your POVs. I bring this up because your view represents a fairly common cognitive tendency which is playing out politically in the country, that your tiny subsection of society represents a diversity of opinions and values of the whole country. And there is nothing wrong with preferring a place that lacks broad diversity. But it will have limitations concerning how broad a perspective you are gunna get compared to a truly diverse cultural mix.  And sure, we experience all the slings and arrows of being human. But I'll take bad weather FF any day over supposedly good weather places like Florida, which has a sidha community in Vero Beach BTW. Because there's an alleged buffer in Fairfield? No, because there is a richness of life that becomes more and more apparent with the passing of time. That richness suffuses even the challenges of aging, being retired, etc. And yes, I think I experience this because I've been doing the TMSP for so long. And I'm sure that other paths have the same benefit. Even the path of simply surfing the waves of life. Another way to say it is that I've found an imperfect perfection. And that is the kind I love. > > And am mightily grateful for. > > I can imagine that FF would be a wonderful place to live, after all I lived > there and loved it. One really appealing aspect of aging in a place like FF > is that you do not have to do so isolated, bored and essentially alone. FF is > a small (and was) a charming little midwestern town with a town square, > independent, small businesses and lots of people who are there for the same > reason. It is close enough to some bigger cities to allow for the occasional > cultural excursion to larger venues. > > While I am pretty sure I would have many reasons for eye rolling and snorting > if I were to be there and that my more rebellious nature would rear its ugly > and button pushing head, I could think of worse places to retire (if that > concept were part of my life philosophy which it is not) than FF Iowa. I love > the snow and I love the heat and humidity in the summer as well - I like > weather and I love storms and that part of the world even has its occasional > tornado (exciting). > > What I would NOT do is go to the domes or attend every travelling side show > that came to town but I can certainly relate to having friends, going to > local coffee and eating spots and generally feeling like part of a community > that is more vibrant than your average nursing home. Anyway, I am going to > die in the woods or a field anyway and FF has both. > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: turquoiseb <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> > > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > > Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 4:06 AM > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Alienation and Idleness in Paradise > > > > > >  > > For those of you who have HBO, and who might be interested > > in such things, a friend recommends a film nominated this > > year for Best Short Documentary in the Oscars which will > > be playing on that channel. > > > > It's called "King's Point," and it's one woman's docu about > > life in a Florida retirement community, and the "common > > demoninator problem" faced by many of the "inmates" there: > > alienation and loneliness. I haven't seen it, but I find > > myself wondering whether it has some parallels (or will, > > in coming years) to life in the "Heaven on Earth" of > > Fairfield, Iowa. > > > > Will the same alienation and loneliness affect TMers as > > they age in a homogeneous community in which many people > > believe the same things and share the same problems (money, > > health, and WTF to do with their days), or will their > > "common denominator belief system" provide some kind of > > buffer to keep the place from becoming, as Leonard Cohen > > said so well, "Deader than Heaven on a Saturday night?" > > > > I honestly don't know. Perhaps those with feet on the > > ground (in many ways) there in Fairfield who see this > > will feel like commenting. > > > > http://www.tvworthwatching.com/BlogPostDetails.aspx?postId=4475# > > > > These are the moments when I wish that Dr. Pete was still > > with us as an active participant. I'd love to hear his > > POV on this, both as a psychologist and a Florida dweller. > > > > What I'm NOT interested in, for those who will feel compelled > > to provide it, is a bunch of TM propaganda of the "It can't > > happen here" variety, telling us how IN THEORY TMers > > could never feel lonely and alienated in a "perfect" > > community such as theirs. I think we've all heard too much > > about murders and suicides in Fairfield to believe any of > > that theoretical crap. I'm not even *doubting* that a sense > > of "shared spiritual vision" can be a protective factor as > > one ages, even if that factor is primarily a placebo. I'm > > just wondering what people's "on the ground" take is on > > this subject of the differences between a "theoretical > > paradise" (either well-designed and maintained rest homes > > in Florida or the TM "ideal communities") and what that > > paradise turns out to be like for the people living in it. > > >
