No. 51: Taking for Granted
March 14th 2010 00:46
I did not know what was there!
Most of us have driven home -- through the driving rain or snow -- fighting the traffic all the way, only to arrive at our destination without remembering a single moment of the drive. When this happens, in order to recall the trip, we force ourselves to recap the drive.
Another familiar, and yet similar example, would be the office person not recalling the mail room person delivering the inside mail, because of being accustomed to the same person, the activity, and/or schedule for the delivery. It has become a background event.
Our minds have a built-in safety valve that lets us filter out background visual, audio and kinesthetic events in our lives. We are constantly excluding background we deem unnecessary to our present attention. Personally, I think this is good, otherwise we could go nuts with all the boom boxes jackhammers, and ever-changing scenery, such as television programs, car trips, and so forth.
Unfortunately, we have to be ever vigilant. We would be well advised to monitor our own background safety valves occasionally, by NOT allowing them to spill their work over into other areas of our lives. We see this happening when we take for granted (just another way of saying “background”), the beautiful things in nature. The old adage: “Stop and smell the roses,” is a good way of saying do not take things for granted. It is not just with the beautiful things we encounter, but with unfortunate things too. Since street people, and other disadvantaged ones, can become in-the-background images and sounds to us, perhaps we should look introspectively at ourselves reminding us that they may need attention too.
Many a relationship or marriage has been disrupted or dissolved because one,or both partners, took the other for granted--as though he or she was just in the “background” of life. This is also true when we take other friends, and family members, as perceived background information.
Some people seem to think that government just always IS. After all, there was government present from the time we learned to think and talk to the present. All levels of government can be taken for granted. It goes without saying that government needs maintenance from all of us. We provide that maintenance, through social responsibility, by obeying good laws and regulations, as well as, by voting and being alert to when government may exceed its rights. Just as when we should be giving others attention, we should be giving the government its due by the little things. We reveal to ourselves and others how well we pay attention to government when we vote, do not walk on the grass, properly dispose of refuse, by not driving across painted lines, obeying traffic rules, respecting teachers and firemen, the police and other governmental workers, and on, and on, and on…
As I have been writing about believing, and whether or not we really know that we do, so it is with our faiths and religious observances. Religion is just in the background and take for granted by many also.
Do we take things for granted? You bet we do. It is normal. By paying attention, we show respect. All of us probably need to do a checkup once in a while, by asking ourselves whether or not something, or someone, is important enough for proper attention. If you feel the background is important, you decide how to deal with it. By doing so, at least you have checked.
Please keep it between the lines.
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