The Edges

Life is meaningful at the edges. Find somewhere in between to explore today. I am delving into the vocabulary and practice of debate. Or at least some of the phrases that we critically use to undermine the arguments and logic of my opponents. Even framing others as opponents set up an adversarial position that doesn’t move the dialogue forward. The meaningful edge is the learning and leading edge. It isn’t in the details but in the pointy end that cuts through the deliberate fog and discovers clarity and brevity on the other side. If explanation complexity is the problem, then simplicity becomes the solution.

Another way I have been exploring edges for years is to take a different route each time I head out on foot, bike, or in a car. I have seen unexpected birds and animals, been stunned by wildflowers’ beauty, and taken tumbles and skids on unfamiliar terrain. Being alert because of the unknown requires not dwelling on my last meeting or email and not planning what I will say or do in my subsequent encounter. Instead, the edges keep me present.

Those who have followed my exploration of ideas and opinions will recognize that in the edges, I discovered that what I held to be true might not be in the current situation. That could cover much of what I ruminate on, write about, and pontificate on. On the edges I hold strong positions loosely. Since 2000, I have deconstructed, reconstructed, pushed the envelope, ducked for cover, and acknowledged that what I held as the truth is a story told to calm my nerves.

I am still aching to find a place at the perimeter where others are willing to shake off ideology, theology, mythology, and anthropology … If you find yourself anxious when experts, including yourself, expound on the facts that everyone knows, the commonsense we need, or the way of the world that a translated sacred text outlines, you may be ready to stick your toe in the water of uncertainty. Welcome to the edges.