December 2014: Who's Minding the Store?

Astral Facts, December 2014

Astral: (Theosophy) Consisting of, belonging to, or designating, a kind of supersensible substance alleged to be next above the tangible world in refinement; as, astral spirits; astral bodies of persons; astral current.

Who’s Minding the Store?

Each year at this time we take a break from the formal academic life and many of us drift into the “informal” academic life (usually fraught with updating lesson plans and discovering the textbook for next term is out of print or has been revised into a new edition).  To relax our minds, we often look to escape by reading “nonacademic” fiction, often referred to as “pulp” or “trash” fiction.  But is that really a “waste of time”?  Does a guilty conscience prevent us from sharing such dirty little secrets?  Here’s a confession of what I’ve encountered recently worth recommending, if you don’t mind my sharing.

Recently, I have been engaged in a “LinkedIn” discussion on “Why Read Fiction?”  Since the discussion participants have primarily been involved in the various disciplines of the Humanities (who else would be interested in posting?), the discussion has been highly supportive.  Nonetheless, the emphasis has been on the effects fiction has on the readers’ minds as well as what has dredged up that content from the writers’ [subconscious?] minds.  Ultimately, fiction stimulates one’s imagination, inducing further thinking on the part of the readers.  Many of these thoughts delve into the “what if” realm that could predict or possibly prevent consequences in the future.

For example, recent news reports have responded to McDonalds® new scheme to appeal to the Millennials – order your burger and ingredients via electronic device and have it delivered to your seat in the restaurant.  This would mean no need to wait in line and have to speak to the counter-person in person.   Theoretically, this will allow for “more personal attention from employees” according to the company press releases.

 “The problem for chains like McDonald’s is that with this generation, the Millennials in particular, the standard of expectations has risen,” Gordon said. “The standards that were OK for our parents aren’t necessarily OK for us.”

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/04/mcdonalds-build-your-burger-test/

I’m not sure what kind of “personal attention” is involved here, except a distancing from “interpersonal communication.” 

With this in mind, and considering current events these days, what about changing the law enforcement system so that such aspects of “interpersonal interaction” could be reduced?  Back in the 1950s Ray Bradbury let his mind wander in that direction, asking the question, “What if, in 2053, …..?” which he expressed in his short story, “The Pedestrian.”

It is available online:  http://mikejmoran.typepad.com/files/pedestrian-by-bradbury-1.pdf

This past term, students in one of my classes read Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman.  Written in 1993, it addresses interesting aspects of multicultural issues.  The two main characters, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, are part of the Navajo police force in the Southwest, one a young officer and the other near retirement.  In their regular duties, they have to find a balance in their lives as tribal members and policemen.  Not only do they need to respect and conform to the legal guidelines on and off the reservation land, but they also have to mitigate Native American culture, which differs among the Navajo, Hopi, Tano, and Cherokee cultures and tribes present in their jurisdiction.   This raises many “what if ….” thoughts that many of us may not recognize in our own daily lives, but we see at work in our current events.  This book is readily available in libraries and bookstores, new and used.

Finally, a bit more “chilling” aspect of “what if …” thinking concerns the possibility of “lone wolf” acts of terrorism.  Frederick Forsyth’s novel The Kill List, published this summer, covers that only too current possibility as well as “what if …” pondering on possible causes as well as ways to respond.  Of course, this could be extended to “lone wolf” hacking into corporate and national databases as well.  This book is also readily available in libraries and bookstores, new and used.

Hopefully, this might stimulate a few curious minds out there.  In between, perhaps a mindless escape into a few football bowl games might be needed as well, but please turn the volume down, if you don’t mind!

Walter Lowe
Astral Facts is a somewhat regular presentation of Humanities Science, produced in the bowels of the Humanities Science offices during the academic year.