Re: [ba-unrev-talk] Making a Difference
Thanks for sharing that.
It's an important and powerful perspective. (01)
"Dennis E. Hamilton" wrote: (02)
> I've been a little cranky as I read some of the banter here on institutions,
> who the bad guys are and all of that. The victimhood that is latent in the
> popular demonization of Microsoft saddens me.
>
> I can let go of that, and I have nothing I want to say to promote that
> particular level of discussion.
>
> Something else came up, though.
>
> Last evening I was in the break room of a small company and one of the
> people there, a young man, suddenly announced to the people he was sitting
> with that he would be flying to Israel in two days. I'd met him before and
> I asked how long he would be there and what was the occasion. He told me 15
> days and that it was a peace mission that he and a group of people were
> going on.
>
> I didn't know what to say. All I had known about this fellow before that
> was that he was a photography student.
>
> I said, "Godspeed," while tears came to my eyes. This fellow has a vision
> he is willing to take personal action and responsibility for. He is putting
> his ass on the line. And I don't think he is going to fix something. He is
> going to cause something and live what he stands for.
>
> I realize that I have the good fortune to know others who have done similar
> things, including a young Syrian woman. I have been overlooking the import
> of that.
>
> Maybe, just maybe, they are the unfinished revolution. And whatever we do
> here must honor and empower that.
>
> There is a scene in the film "Gandhi" where this tiny man with a small voice
> goes to the front of a room while all of the lawyers and politicians in
> Delhi are having a conference on how they want to have things organized if
> they ever get to be the government. He slowly talks about where they should
> find India and what India really is, in the people and villages spread
> throughout the countryside. I think of that a lot.
>
> There is a scene in the film "Schindlers List" that I can't get out of my
> mind. When the people get together and fashion a ring for him, they
> inscribe it with a Hebrew saying that I don't know. But I can't forget the
> translation. "He who saves the life of one man, saves the world entire."
>
> I've also been rereading Fred Brooks' "Silver Bullet" paper and the
> follow-ons from that. We have more than enough technology. Really. The
> fundamental questions are not about more-better technology.
>
> And I think the concepts of OHS are cool and valuable. Mastery of
> complexity, the ability for coordinated inquiry and action across time and
> space is appealing. I wouldn't be hanging out here otherwise. Yet somehow,
> that is not sufficient and it never will be. I think we forget that. I
> know I had, and I had this powerful reminder last night.
>
> -- Dennis
>
> Dennis E. Hamilton
> AIIM DMware Technical Coordinator
> ------------------
> mailto:dennis.hamilton@acm.org tel. +1-206-932-6970
> http://DMware.info/ cel. +1-206-779-9430
> ODMA Support http://ODMA.info/ (03)