Michael Robert Dyet's Blog, page 79

The Japan Earthquake: 8 Feet of Perspective

Hmmm, how do we convert the enormity of the Japan earthquake to a scale we can understand and an experience we can fathom?

I grapple with this problem whenever a natural disaster happens somewhere in the world. The television news footage, the newspaper photos and the internet videos condense the devastation into bite size chunks. I shudder at the sight of them and my heart goes out to the thousands of victims. But I struggle to understand the true scale of the event.

The facts and figures that the media report are staggering:

The 8.9 magnitude Japan quake was 8,000 times more powerful than the one that struck Christchurch, New Zealand, in February…

Close to 600 deaths are confirmed and the death toll could reach 2,000. That's nearly equivalent to the entire population of the town in which I grew up…

9,500 people are unaccounted for in the town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture – more than half the town's population…

Four trains running in coastal areas remained unaccounted for. Four entire trains are missing…

A 10m wave struck Sendai, deluging farmland and sweeping cars across the airport's runway. That's a wave over 30 feet high…

The tsunami rolled across the Pacific at 500mph – as fast as a jetliner…

These facts and figures are staggering and terrifying. But I can't get a grasp on them. They are simply too big. Too far outside the realm of my reality.

Then along comes a fact that hits home. One that I can, in some small way, wrap my head around.

Honshu, Japan's biggest island – 1300 km long, ranging from 50 to 230 km wide, total area of 230,500 square km, 5450 km of coastline, 60% of the total area of Japan, population of 98,352,000. Larger than the island of Great Britain. Larger than the state of Minnesota.

The earthquake moved Honshu Island 2.5 metres to the east. The entire island moved over eight feet. I had no idea this was even possible. But now I have a scale I can wrap my mind around.

Honshu Island is the metaphor I was searching for. The metaphor for the terror the people must have felt and for the extent of the devastation and for the ungodly force of an 8.9 magnitude earthquake.

And, in another scale, a metaphor for how very miniscule and meaningless the small trials in my life truly are. For how blessed I am in so many ways which I do not give thanks for nearly enough.

The earth moved yesterday quite literally. May we all measure our fortunes by it.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

The True Harvest: A Little Stardust Caught

There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic.~ Anaïs Nin, French-Cuban Author, 1903 – 1977

Hmmm, should we turn over every rock we come across in a passionate quest for the meaning and purpose of our life?

For many years, my answer to this question was an emphatic "yes". Now I'm not so sure. Here's my paradox. The more turbulent and unpredictable our world becomes, the less inclined I am to try and pinpoint my precise coordinates in it.

I went looking today for wisdom from some great thinkers and artists. Anais Nin seemed to be on the right track. But I searched further. United States judge and judicial philosopher Learned Hand (1872 – 1961) made me realize that dizzying pace of life is not unique to our times.

Life is made up of constant calls to action, and we seldom have time for more than hastily contrived answers.

German-American social psychologist and philosopher Erich Fromm seemed to be telling me that I should simply be living for the moment.

Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies?

Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of American president Theodore Roosevelt, seemed to pointing me in a similar direction.

I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches.

Author and philosopher Albert Camus also seemed to be telling me to stop looking for answers and to just get on with the business of living.

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of.  You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. 

Where I have landed is the metaphor of the rock. We can spend our lives turning over every rock looking for the holy grail of understanding that will make all the pieces fit. But there are far more rocks than we can ever hope to place our hands upon. And if we focus on the rocks alone, we'll miss the beauty and majesty that surrounds them.

It seems far more sensible to embrace the mystery of life and to treasure the precious moments it offers us amongst the trials and tribulations. We can't go far wrong taking our lead from Henry David Thoreau.

The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening.  It is a little star dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched. 

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

Metaphors of Life Journal: A Faded 40 Year Old Photograph

RANDOM ACT OF METAPHOR

A Faded, 40 Year Old Photograph

Hmmm, in these turbulent and unpredictable times, should we look to the future or to the past to find sanctuary?

I'm looking at this moment at a faded, 40 year old photograph of me taken when I was a young boy. I'm proudly displaying a stringer of eight perch which my father and I had just caught on the last day of our vacation. I'm grinning from ear to ear as is my younger sister who stands beside me.

Back then, a day such as this was as good as life could get. I would forgo virtually anything for the opportunity to grab my fishing pole and head for the nearest body of water. I was a shy and pensive child but these were moments of true passion for me.

At times like these, with political turmoil boiling over in a new country seemingly every week, a part of me harkens back to such a time. What joy it would be to push the pause button and recapture that childish delight.

But I know it is not possible. It was another place and time and a set of circumstances I simply can't replicate. I know people whose most passionate desire is to find their way back to such a time. Alas, it is a futile task.

We can go back to the scene itself. But it will not be as we remember. Even if by some impossible trick of time, the place has been preserved in its cherished state – we are not the same. For better or for worse, time and experience has shaped us into someone new.

I still find pleasure in looking at that photograph and living for a moment in the memory it stirs in me. But I linger there only a short time. There will be a time to look back when my days are winding down and I take stock of my life. But today I choose to look ahead with the wind in my face and new adventures before me.

A faded, 40 year old photograph from a simpler time. A random act of metaphor to remind me that memories are precious but sanctuary lies before us – not behind us.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

A RALLYING CALL TO DEFEAT OLD MAN APATHY

Hmmm, is it just the February blahs or are we in the early stages of an apathy epidemic?

I've been entertaining this question for some time now. It first occurred to me last December. I was in a long line-up at a Canada Post outlet in a large drug store. One person was particularly annoyed by the wait and demanded to talk to the store manager.

The store manager made his way to the area with an obvious chip on his shoulder. He brusquely advised the complainant that he was only allowed to have three staff at the outlet so there he was nothing he could do. The irate customer, who admittedly was being unreasonable, retorted: "You can just say there's nothing you can do!". The manager fired back with "Oh yes I can", turned his back and walked away. His handling of the situation literally reeked of apathy.

I've run up against a similar attitude at the grocery store where I shop. There is a deli area where cooked food – chicken, rice, potato wedges etc – is available. The individuals working in this area are unabashedly apathetic. I've seen them walk past completely ignoring people waiting to be served. On other occasions, there is no one working that area and the people working adjacent areas refuse to help.

I could ramble on and detail other like situations. But I suspect you have your own examples. So what is behind this growing wave of apathy?

I believe it has a lot to do with the negativity and cynicism that has taken root. We've been through a debilitating recession from which the economy never fully recovered. Jobs were lost that never came back. The people fortunate enough to have kept their jobs are often expected to do more and more for the same pay.

The politicians don't help. One of the political parties – I won't stoop to name them. You know who you are! – is running a campaign of attack ads against Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. Even in an era where political mud slinging is commonplace, these ads set a new low in cynical, bash-the-other-guy politics.

What worries me is that apathy is a self-perpetuating state of mind. The more we feed it the faster it grows and the wider it spreads. It is bordering on epidemic proportions now and could cross that threshold very soon if we don't take action against it.

Here's the good news. Each and every one of us can do our part to stem the tide. Be polite to someone who slights you. Perform a random act of kindness. Smile at a stranger for no particular reason. Go out of your way to find something positive in the actions of others and praise it.

It is so very easy to succumb to 'Old Man Apathy'. It takes effort, on the other hand, to be upbeat and affirming. In times like these, each of us has to take responsibility for brightening up our little corner of the world. We all exude an aura and we can choose to make it either positive or negative.

In metaphorical terms, we can choose to be "sun people" or "shadow people". Let's stop dwelling in the shadows and step into the light. Apathy may be pervasive but it has no defense against a cheery, in-your-face, isn't-life-grand disposition.

We have the power. Let's rally our forces and start a wave. There'll be no stopping it if enough of us commit to the cause.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

THE 18TH FLOOR VIEW: AKA The Cold Water Bucket Metaphor

Hmmm, how much does our point of view of the moment colour our perception of what we see and what we experience?

One of the life lessons I've learned along the way is that reality is a moving target. The time, the place and the circumstance in which we reside profoundly impacts how we interpret what our senses – and especially our emotions – tell us.

A simple but illustrative case in point. There are literally dozens of different models of cars on the road today. At ground level they all look quite distinct. But when I look down from my 18th floor apartment window at the parking lot below, it is striking how similar many of these cars look from above. Their overall profile clearly follows a pattern.

Do you see what I'm getting at? No? Alright then, another example. Take two buckets and put them side by side. Fill Bucket A with cold water from the tap and Bucket B with ice water.

Put your hand in Bucket A. It feels cold. But now put your hand in Bucket B and leave it there for two minutes. Then pull your hand out and put in Bucket A. Your brain now tells you that the water in Bucket A is warm. In relative terms, the water in Bucket A is warmer than the water in Bucket B.

Now you're beginning to see what I'm going on about. Reality shape shifts depending on the angle from which you perceive it. We are never completely objective even in our most rationale moment.

The effect is magnified many times over when are emotions get mixed up the process – and they always do. We are emotional creatures whether we care to admit it or not.

I can easily – and quite often do – become self-righteously upset over what I perceive to be injustices in my life. It can seem quite unfair to me that, after having laboured industriously in the workforce for 30 years and worked my way to a comfortable (though not lavish) salary, I don't own a house and I drive a 12 year old car. No need to get into the details. Suffice to say I've suffered a setback or two along the way.

But then I hear about someone, who possesses so many of the material things that I cannot afford, who has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Suddenly, my perspective spins around 180 degrees and reality seems to be tilted in my favour.

It is more and more apparent to me that reality is qualitative – not quantitative. It looks entirely different depending on the angle you look at it from. Furthermore, it takes on an entirely different hue depending on the cocktail of emotions your brain is stewing in at the time.

I'm learning to live my life by the cold water bucket metaphor. I can choose to see reality from the upside or the downside. It all depends on which bucket I've chosen to stick my hand in. I'm a lot more at peace now that I realize I can choose my perspective.

I still have to recalibrate from time to time but I'm getting pretty good at it. The 18th floor view can be very enlightening.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

RANDOM ACT OF METAPHOR: A JET PLANE ASCENDING A FEBRUARY SUNRISE

Hmmm, where is that Air Canada jet heading as it ascends to cruising altitude against the majestic orange glow of a February sunrise? Will the country in which it touches down be the safe haven it was when the Control Tower cleared the plane for takeoff?

Over 29 million people passed through Toronto's Pearson International Airport in 2010. A metropolis of people in constant motion from one city to another, one country to another, one continent to another. Transcontinental travel seems matter of fact now.

But I suspect those passengers in the Air Canada jet felt a flutter in their hearts when the wheels let go their grip on the runway. In this turbulent age, traveling outside our borders is akin to Russian roulette. It's anybody's best guess which will be the next country plunged into political turmoil, civil war or the grip of terrorism.

Not so very long ago, I would watch that jet stream spreading across the morning sky with a stirring of envy. Wishing that I could be settled into one of the seats heading off to an exotic vacation in some foreign land of enchantment and new wonders.

Now I'm happy that my feet are planted firmly on the ground in a country where we are blessed with democracy, affluence and peace. I'm quite content to limit my wanderlust to the marshes, fields and forests of Canada where the most I have to worry about is a wrong turn on the trail that leaves me disoriented for a moment.

A jet plane in ascent across the horizon of a February sunrise – a random act of metaphor to remind us that there is no guarantee of tomorrow and that where we are may just be where we should be content to stay.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

RIVER REVERIE

NOTE: This was the inaugural post when I created my Metaphors of Life Journal blog back in 2009. I had to retire it some time ago because it became the target of too many spam comments. I'm resurrecting it now as a golden oldie.

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it." Norman Maclean

Hmmm, is it just me? I am the only one who has these little post-it notes of memory stuck in my mind from years or even decades ago? They are small, gift-wrapped minutia of life which I periodically take out and examine like an old photograph.

Here's one – a hazy, blurred-at-the-edges, childhood memory of going fishing one night on the Grand River. There were five of us – my father and grandfather, my uncle and his son, and I. Three generations linked by the rising anticipation of that tug on the line and the thrill of the catch.

But what was special about this particular outing was that we went after dark. We picked our way across stepping-stone rocks to a small island just off the shoreline. One by one we cast our lines into the silent, black water of the Grand.

You need to know that the Grand River at Caledonia is an impressive sight in the daylight. A couple of football fields wide, knee shallow in some places and drowning deep in others. But after dark it took on a different character – mysterious and mystical with a spine tingling grace and the echo of hundreds of years of history.

Honestly I don't remember if we caught anything. On that particular occasion, it didn't seem to matter. Being there in the nighttime embrace of the Grand was all I needed.

Why did this unremarkable event grow to be a gemstone in my memory?

Could it be that rivers are a part of our collective unconscious? Or, perhaps, an icon in our psychic mythology?  I believe that in them we sense a metaphor for the ebb and flow, the rise and fall, the pulse and the pause of life itself.

 "Who looks upon a river in a meditative hour, and is not reminded of the flux of all things? Throw a stone into the stream, and the circles that propagate themselves are the beautiful type of all influence." Ralph Waldo Emerson

A river will always take you somewhere but is never in a hurry to get you there. It winds and meanders through the landscape with a mind quite its own.

Rivers teach us to slow down and trust the current. They remind us that it is not the destination that matters but rather what you learn on the journey.

I seldom see the Grand River these days. But when I do come upon it I am transported back to that precocious night when the river whispered to me: Be still. Be silent. I was here before you were conceived. I will be here after you are dust. I am eternal. I am unchanging. I am the River.

"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."  Winnie the Pooh

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

Shadow Dwellers, Legal Loopholes and Faceless Phantoms

Hmmm, how should we respond to the spiteful actions of those unrepentant opportunists who use technology to operate in the legal loopholes of the law? Fight back? Beat them at their own game? Develop a protective armor of distrust? Or, perhaps, always expect the worst so we're never caught unprepared?

I've pondered this issue once before in these pages. It confronts me again as my computer's hard drive returns to me wiped cleared after another "malware" infection. Fortunately, I've learned from bitter experience. All my files are backed up on an external drive.

I must admit that my initial reaction to this latest episode was righteous indignation expressed in an outburst of my full repertoire of four letter words. That response blew off some steam but did little to help me with the feeling of having been exploited.

A few days have past and I'm now able to dispassionately dig a little deeper into this perplexing issue. Technology, of course, is the enabler. It has unwittingly opened the door to new forms of deviant behaviour: viruses and malware, fraudulent online credit card charges, bogus e-mail appeals and identity theft.

The common thread running through all of them is the attempt to extract one's livelihood at the expense of others. They are largely anonymous attacks which can't easily be traced back to the perpetrator and therefore leave us feeling helpless to gain retribution.

But it seems to me that there is a deeper current which we must understand. Isn't it really about power – or, more accurately, the false perception of it? These shadow dwelling conmen have a deviant need for it. They have to get the better of us in order to feel good about themselves.

This insight is quite liberating for me. It lifts me above the anger and frustration to a higher elevation where I can recalibrate my reaction. From this new perspective, I realize that I have several blessings which these shadow dwellers will never possess.

I don't need to outwit the person next to me to bolster my fragile self-esteem. I know what my gifts are and I use them to earn my living and, where possible, to help others. In short, I have self-respect and I sleep soundly in the knowledge of it. The shadow dwellers, I suspect, lie awake at night thinking up new schemes to perpetrate.

I've made my share of mistakes and miscalculations along the way. But I'm able to enjoy life as it happens because these misjudgments were honestly made and I have learned from them. The shadow dwellers must be constantly looking over their shoulder for the justice train that is following their trail of misdeeds and forever nipping at their heels.

And finally, I have friends whose respect and support I have earned. I can turn to these friends for help when my life gets off the rails now and then. The shadow dwellers have no more than comrades-in-arms who will help only as long as it serves their self-interest. In other words, they have no real friends at all.

In the revealing light of day, we all have metaphorical shadows of our own making that trail our footsteps. My shadows are benevolent – reminding me where I've been and pointing to where I need to go. The shadow dwellers have malevolent shadows forever haunting them – faceless phantoms muttering: What goes around, comes around.

I may have a few less dollars in my bank account because of the shadow dwellers. But it's a small price to pay to be on good terms with my shadow.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

RANDOM ACT OF METAPHOR: Charcoal Sketches of the Winter Sun

Hmmm, January has arrived and we've hunkered for the deep freeze months when old man winter holds court. But bejeweled sun on a fresh mantle of snow reminds us that winter too has its glories.

The splendours of January are of a more subtle hue. Easy to overlook as we huddle into our coats, grumble at the cold and slip-slide down the sidewalk. But stop a moment, raise your head from its winter stoop and behold the grace of the winter sun.

She uses a different palette now to sketch upon the canvas of snow. Tracing the bare branches of slumbering trees to produce elaborate patterns – long and graceful lines dissolving into elaborate swirls and tendrils that crisscross one another.

She glances off the lacework of snow-laden evergreen branches and traces zig-zaggy lines that cavort in their own dreamland of meaning. The branches quiver in a soft gust of wind and the lines redefine themselves into a new revelation.

Shadows of buildings from sharp, angular lines that at first seem angry but at closer observation resolve into perfections of form.

January does not sleep under the gaze of the winter sun. It dances to a melody whose pitch we have to attune our senses to before it releases itself to us.

Charcoal sketches of the winter sun on a fresh mantle of snow – a random act of metaphor to remind us that all seasons have their majesty. We must overcome our snow-blindness to witness and be moved by the magnificence of January.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.

A NEW YEARS RESOLUTION FOR ALL OF US: Choose to Be Significant

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

Mahatma Gandhi

Hmmm, are these words of wisdom to carry with us into 2011? Or should we perhaps expect a little bit more of ourselves?

It may seem rather presumptuous of me to disagree with one of the great political and ideological figures of the last two centuries. But I feel compelled to do so in this instance. As we stand at the dawning of 2011, I am inclined to argue that we need to aim higher.

As we rang in the New Year last night, one of the people at the party I attended commented that the year 2011 seems a bit ominous somehow. Something about the figure 11 causes us some trepidation. It could be the psychological association with 9/11 – the terrible events of September 11, 2001 which are indelibly engraved in her memories.

On the other hand, World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. That fact hopefully balances the scale to some degree in terms of what emotions we associate with the number 11.

Setting aside the number itself, I believe that much of our discomfort, as we look ahead to 2011, arises from the uncertain times in which we are living. It seems there is no such thing as a "stable economy" anymore. It's a rollercoaster that we have to get used to riding.

Political unrest and turmoil in countries like Afghanistan appear to have no discernable end. The ever present threat of terrorism has us forever looking over our shoulders. Overcoming the poverty and suffering in impoverished countries like Haiti – rocked by an earthquake and now battling a cholera epidemic – at times seems hopeless.

In the midst of so much that we feel powerless against, it is a short leap to the conclusion that we as individuals are insignificant. Why even try to make a difference? Why not revert to "survival of the fittest" and focus on our own needs?

I see things a little differently. I believe that each and every one of us is created to be significant. We each have a talent, ability or gift that can make a difference in the world around us. We will not all be famous or perform heroic acts. But we each have the potential to shift the world on its axis for the better.

My gift is the written word. I try to use it to create stories that examine the human condition, shed light on it and inspire. I'm not likely to win the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature. But I do believe I can make a difference by what I write.

I know some people for whom 2010 was a terrible year. Life battered them at every turn. They have inspired me by their strength of character and their will to carry on. They are heroes. I believe it is my responsibility to inspire them using the gifts I have been given.

Metaphors are one of the tools of my trade that I use as I strive to be significant and to inspire others. What are your gifts? What are the tools of your trade? I challenge you to find them and use them. Aspire to be significant and to make a difference.

Whatever you do will be significant if you choose to aim higher. Someone who is struggling may find the inspiration they need in you.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of "Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel" – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael's website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ Subscribe to "Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm" at its' internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the "Subscribe to this Blog: How To" instructions page in the right sidebar. If you're reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

~ Send comments or questions to michael@mdyetmetaphor.com.