In case you’re new to these parts, What’s Up Wednesdays is a weekly feature on Beyond the Rhetoric where I highlight posts that I found on other blogs around the web. It’s my way of giving back to the Internet community that has given me so much. And so, this week’s collection is all about perspective. It’s not what you look at; it’s what you see.
We start out with former Vancouverite and current Calgary cowboy Buzz Bishop. He writes about his worldly travels, having visited no fewer than 14 countries around the globe. You gain some fantastic insights when you experience other cultures and that’s why my international bucket list is so important to me. For the record, my country count is currently at eight (though that includes Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and China as four entries). I clearly have a long way to go.
Technology is changing at a faster and faster pace. That’s why Tyler Ingram’s post really gives us some real perspective into that evolution. He compares his new MacBook Air with a 20-year-old Mac LCIII, which is the last Mac that he ever really used. The processor at the time was a 25MHz Motorola, compared to the 1.7GHz Intel he has today. What’s more the ancient Mac cost $3200 back in the day, compared to the $1249 he spent on the Air.
I have a great deal of respect for Raul Pacheco, which was why I was particularly drawn to his recent post on growing up. He was a child prodigy, having won several awards as a kid, but now he feels like he has somehow become a veteran. Mistakes are still made, but a certain calm surrounds him now. He no longer feels compelled to participate in the rat race to the top; he’s already established.
Knowledge is only part of the solution. Trent Hamm of The Simple Dollar reminds us that just knowing isn’t enough; you have to do too. This comes by way of a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, demonstrating that all your great ideas mean nothing “if you never take action on any of those ideas.” Positive change doesn’t come from positive ideas; it comes from “putting those powerful ideas to work.”
The economy is going through some tough times, to be sure, and Robert Park (PakG1) offers an intriguing quote from Philip Harvey on unemployment. It uses the analogy of a desert island with a population of 100 dogs and 95 bones are dropped each day, leaving 5 dogs hungry every day. Just like unemployment, we are left asking how we can feed these five dogs every day. The eventual conclusion is sobering indeed.
For your international bucket list, how about India? One of the most fascinating countries in the world (and among the best food, too!).
I never say never. The five destinations in that post are closer to the top of the list, but I really want to see the whole world. My life goal is to visit every continent (including Antarctica!) before I die.
Antarctica would be (pardon the pun) cool! Actually, if I were to go to Antarctica, I would save it for *after* visiting heavily populated (i.e. urban) countries and cities, to kind of unwind and re-energize. That’s assuming Antarctica is as one sees on TV — empty, quiet, beautiful, back to nature. Happy travels!