Philosophy
When I was 13, I had a bar mitzvah. It was supposed to celebrate my moving from childhood to adulthood, but at 13 I hadn't even figured out how to be a teenager much less a man. But the idea is right. There are times and events that are universally human -- or at least culturally nearly universal -- which mark different phases of life.
Yesterday, I had THAT optometrist visit. My glasses will now become as progressive as I am (although that might mean I only have a lens on the left). I asked my optometrist whether presbyopia, age-related far-sightedness, was seen cross-culturally. He explained that it is truly universal. Environmental factors play some role in time of onset -- his academic and accountant patients would get it a few years earlier on average in his experience -- but it crossed all demographic categories and always started in the early 40s and subsided in the late 50s. The human eye is just built that way. So, reaching that point is something that everyone has or will experience. It was my blur mitzvah.
What other events would be that sort of shared milestone that virtually all others would be able to identify with that mark a change in life phase?
Losing your first tooth
Riding without training wheels for the first time
Having your first crush
Getting your driver's license (a car mitzvah)
The first funeral of someone in your age cohort
Others?
- Acquring Diversity
One of the shocks in moving from grad school at a research university to a small liberal arts college was the degree of homogeneity within the community. Johns Hopkins, where I was, is a microcosm. There are people there from everywhere. Yes, they were...
- Comedist Announcement
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, It is less than three weeks until April 1st, Saint Shecky's Day, the holiest day of the Comedist calendar and during holy moley week I will be celebrating my imminent 40th birthday by performing...
- Clean Jokes
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood, would you be mine, could you be mine, won't you be my neighbor? Last week was the 40th anniversary of the introduction of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood....
- Commercial Comedy And The Problem Of Seriousness
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week a couple of deep philosophico-theological Comedist questions were raised by good brother Hanno -- well, brother Hanno, anyway. So let's consider them both. Brother Hanno asked, How...
- Passing The Plate/crossing The Road
Brothers, sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere: This week saw the 51st anniversary of the passing of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 which created the interstate highway system in the United States. To celebrate this "milestone," we will...
Philosophy
Presbyopia and Other Milestones
When I was 13, I had a bar mitzvah. It was supposed to celebrate my moving from childhood to adulthood, but at 13 I hadn't even figured out how to be a teenager much less a man. But the idea is right. There are times and events that are universally human -- or at least culturally nearly universal -- which mark different phases of life.
Yesterday, I had THAT optometrist visit. My glasses will now become as progressive as I am (although that might mean I only have a lens on the left). I asked my optometrist whether presbyopia, age-related far-sightedness, was seen cross-culturally. He explained that it is truly universal. Environmental factors play some role in time of onset -- his academic and accountant patients would get it a few years earlier on average in his experience -- but it crossed all demographic categories and always started in the early 40s and subsided in the late 50s. The human eye is just built that way. So, reaching that point is something that everyone has or will experience. It was my blur mitzvah.
What other events would be that sort of shared milestone that virtually all others would be able to identify with that mark a change in life phase?
Losing your first tooth
Riding without training wheels for the first time
Having your first crush
Getting your driver's license (a car mitzvah)
The first funeral of someone in your age cohort
Others?
- Acquring Diversity
One of the shocks in moving from grad school at a research university to a small liberal arts college was the degree of homogeneity within the community. Johns Hopkins, where I was, is a microcosm. There are people there from everywhere. Yes, they were...
- Comedist Announcement
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, It is less than three weeks until April 1st, Saint Shecky's Day, the holiest day of the Comedist calendar and during holy moley week I will be celebrating my imminent 40th birthday by performing...
- Clean Jokes
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood, would you be mine, could you be mine, won't you be my neighbor? Last week was the 40th anniversary of the introduction of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood....
- Commercial Comedy And The Problem Of Seriousness
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week a couple of deep philosophico-theological Comedist questions were raised by good brother Hanno -- well, brother Hanno, anyway. So let's consider them both. Brother Hanno asked, How...
- Passing The Plate/crossing The Road
Brothers, sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere: This week saw the 51st anniversary of the passing of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 which created the interstate highway system in the United States. To celebrate this "milestone," we will...