The Fuel of Life 4.0: The Space Race

The years between 1957 and 1975 is an era known as "The Space Race". The United States and the Soviet Union played a technological tennis match with one another. The USSR builds the first artificial satellite, the United States counters by building the first reusable space craft. The USSR puts the first human in outer space; he orbits the earth for 108 minutes. The United States counters by putting the first man on the moon. This epic battle was over in 1975 when the two countries joined forces and together, launched the first ever multinational manned space mission (SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT – see Fuel of Life 2.0: Strength in Numbers --)

This will forever be known as one of the greatest time periods in human history. Man, through the power of creativity and determination, built machines that took us out of the atmosphere that confines us to this planet, and launched us into a world that we had previously convinced ourselves was untouchable.

Some laws of science were tested, others discovered, and most importantly, the bar was raised as to what the human race thought possible. Technology, physics, philosophy, and the human creative spirit were changed forever.

As with any competition between two parties, there is a prize of some sort. At the time, we weren't sure what we were going to uncover. We knew we were opening a proverbial treasure chest of things we weren't even ready to comprehend, but this wasn't something like finding the cure for a terrible disease. Getting to space was something man wanted to do, not something he needed to do. In one of the grandest examples of human curiosity, two countries spilled millions of dollars and thousands of man hours into space programs (NASA was created during this time period), in an attempt to essentially, "go check out some cool shit". The competition was fierce, dirty, intense, and unforgettable to those that were alive when it was taking place. At the time, the USSR and the United States were busting at the seams with civic pride.

People were proud of their countries. The TVs were tuned in, the radios turned on. Life would be put on hold when a launch took place, or a space craft made a landing. Millions of people were tuned in and listening intently.

When Neil Armstrong said those famous words "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", it became an iconographic slogan for the creative, curious human spirit. He was no longer speaking to America, he was speaking to the world and he was speaking to human history.

Fast forward 39 years. It's 2008, there is no more Soviet Union, and the United States isn't exactly the "last great hope" in the world anymore.

Let's for a minute, for the sake of my point, take two things out of this conversation. One being politics; whether you are Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Green Party is completely irrelevant. Two, let's pretend for a minute that our climate isn't changing on a global scale and that the cars that millions and millions of people drive, aren't slowly destroying the environment. So with that in mind, everything is fine and dandy on earth and the human race just co-exists peacefully with the earth. Someone realizes that you can make a car that is run by electricity, from a power plant that is powered by wind or clean nuclear power. At this point, we've realized that there is a next step; there is a chance to take the bar up a few notches in what we believe to be possible.

What a glaring opportunity to be a part of something astronomically big, a new age of discovery and breakthrough and all we keep hearing from the people up top is how it's not necessary and all these whack excuses for why these exciting ideas won't work. We've even been lied to on multiple occasions about things. Stats have been flubbed or hidden, good ideas have been purchased and destroyed and all in the name of remaining stagnant (and of course, the all powerful dollar).

Let's again, put a few things to the side before we continue. Let's, for a minute forget that creating alternative energy solutions would only prove beneficial to us as a people, and a country. First of all, we would do a huge justice to the planet, which I want my children to be able to enjoy as much as I have, and millions of jobs would be created. The industrial age created jobs, followed by the technology age, and now, in this corporate age, jobs are being shipped out of our country and family's are left to fend for themselves. It almost seems canibalistic doesn't it? If we were to begin building a foundation of an industry like alternative energy, we would only strengthen our country mentally and economically in a time where both states are currently very weak.

If we could get back to celebrating that idea of being the first ones to do it, like we had so proudly during the Space Race, we could restore a much needed sense of true civic pride to our country, which is a seed of prosperity in and of itself, and also a new level of pride in the human spirit that I feel many people haven't had a chance to experience in their lifetime.

There are bigger things at play here than jobs and civic pride though.

Where has our sense of exploration and curiosity that makes us the most complex, amazing species on earth gone? Have we forgotten our true potential? Are we afraid to face the fact that while the world is bigger than we can comprehend, there are few things that are impossible? There are only a few people left on this planet that were alive in a time period when getting to space was considered impossible.

Of course for environmental reasons, I think alternative energy is a vital step we need to take, and are taking at a snail's pace (the first solar powered satellite was built 50 years ago), but to hell with the environment for a second. Let's think of bigger, deeper, bolder reasons to evolve into things like alternative energy.
The rewards that humanity reaped for the Space Race age were endless, but the biggest reward was that the human race was reminded once again that our mind is as powerful as anything else in this universe. Creativity, curiosity, exploration, discovery, intelligence, responsibility, progress; celebrating these characteristics is what makes us unique to this planet; from fire to electricity, from the wheel to the telecommunications satellites, from palm tree huts to Frank Lloyd Wright, the worlds biggest breakthroughs happen, not because we decide we need them to happen, but rather, they are a result of that voice in our head that won’t shut up. The voice telling us to investigate and explore the limits of what we’re told is impossible.

I feel confident that I am part of a proud human race that is beginning to hear that voice and listen again. Furthermore, lately, I’ve been very proud of my generation. I see us coming up on a corner here in the near future where some serious shit is about to take place, and more and more every day, I’m seeing people my age stand up and take responsibility for turning the wheel as we approach that corner. Needless to say, it feels exciting to be alive right now.

To me, it looks like we’re all forming quite a pit crew for the next big race. I hope we qualify in the time trials. They’re coming up soon!

The Fuel of Life 3.0: Put the Shovel Down

“It was once said, if you’re tryin to make it out of a hole, stop diggin first”.

I’m not sure who it was that originally said that, but the inspiration came to me in the form of a song lyric. The lyricist is an old friend of mine from Kent State University. I met him while being trained to be a media insect at the Daily Kent Stater, and simultaneously getting some of the most useful education of my entire life in the Pan African Studies department at Oscar Ritchie hall (ask me what I learned there, I dare you).

His name is Sam, but most who know him know him as “Blitz”. He was originally born in Ghana. While I was pretty close to him for a short time in Kent, I am not sure what brought his family to the US. I do know that there were military coups that were taking place between the late 50s and late 70s in Ghana, but I’m not going to speculate. Anyways, Blitz was an up and coming hip hop artist in the Akron/Cleveland area. Just to clear something up, that means about as good as being an up and coming hip hop artist from Juno Alaska, or Lincoln, Nebraska. Not much is happening in the Akron/Cleveland area in 2004. Blitz was inspiring, his lyrics were deep and inspired and transgressed lines that kept most people separated. I had a good feeling that this was one of those special people that were gonna put a big mark on this world.

Recently, when I heard Blitz’s song “Black Market”, that included the aforementioned lyric, while having some people over for a weekend stress release, I decided to look him up and see how he was doing, which of course means Myspace. Took me about 5 minutes to realize what I expected. Blitz took himself out of what was keeping him from his dream, packed up his shit, made his way to New York City and has since opened for legendary acts like KRS-One, Public Enemy and the more recent legends, Dead Prez. These are hip hop artists whose names will never be forgotten; mold breakers, idea shakers, history makers. If you play guitar, these are your Hendrix, Page, Townsend, B.B. King types.

Blitz was in a position where things that, for the most part, were out of his control, were keeping him from his goals and he took the huge, necessary steps needed to make his ultimate goals happen. You could say, he was in a hole that he needed out of, so he put the shovel down and started making some rope.

Blitz was one of those people you like to have around because he doesn’t have goals, he has big, ultimate goals. You know ultimate goals, the ones where everyone around you tells you you’re crazy for going after them. You know the people that have them; the artist, the dancer, the fashion designer, the globe trotter, the base jumper, the writer, the humanitarian, the activist, the poet, the physicist, the “every once in a while” politician… I’ll get back to that. The people that take this structured system that we’re working under, and they put dents in it, the really pesky kinds of dents that you just have to deal with. When enough of these people get together and through some space, time continuum act of the universe, are pushing at the same time, those dents turn into cracks that spider and get bigger, joining other cracks until the system can’t take it anymore and some serious shit happens.

I’m a 27-year-old American. That means I’ve spent my entire post high school life under the Bush/Cheney regime. If there’s ever been a period in post slavery America, where we’ve dug as deep as we possibly could without as much as stopping to wipe the sweat from our foreheads, it is right now. The world hates us, we’re weak in thought, spirit and pride. Not to mention structurally weak; the economy, strength of our military at home and abroad, education, health care, unity and our class structure. I could ramble on and on, but then my positive point will be lost in this muck.

I have been inspired lately as an American more than I can ever remember in my life. I’ve had a presidential nominee bring me to tears on multiple occasions. I’m not too sappy a guy. I mean, who didn’t cry and the end of “the Pursuit of Happyness” right? But the tears that well up in my eyes are a kind I’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing. They are the tears of true inspiration and hope. Frankly, I wish I’ve never had to experience such tears. It says a lot about where we’ve allowed us to go as a country. Hope that brings you to tears, is a sign that you feel near rock bottom.

It’s finally happening to the people of my country; blue collar, White collar, white, black, brown, red, male, female, young, old. We’re finally showing that we want out of the hole we’re in and we’re gonna stop digging. We’re putting the shovels down, looking at one another in the face, sharing the rations of water we’ve got, and addressing the real problem, how are we getting out of here? I know such a drastic, beautiful, necessary change scares some people, I can even understand why. The cool, temperate, controlled confines of the hole have become comfortable. Well, kind of… We’ve been scared into thinking that the hole is protecting us from some big, dangerous, monster that’s waiting outside, and who doesn’t enjoy a comfortable, protected space when what’s outside of that space is waiting to eat you alive… right?

I’ve been hearing a lot of those scared people saying a lot of the same things lately. “Well, he needs to be careful. He’s gonna fill the American people with all this hope and excitement, and he’s gonna have a lot to live up to.” Or… “It’s all just talk, I mean, what’s he actually gonna be able to do once he gets elected?” I guess for me, it goes in one ear and out the other. I’ve been force fed fear since my first day as an adult in this country and this time, you’re gonna have to try a bit harder than that.

I’ve found myself in some holes lately, whether it be on a personal level or just looking at the overall picture we’re in as a nation, and it is friends like Blitz (among many, many others) and inspiring leaders like Barack Obama who remind me that it’s time to put the shovel down and start coming up with a solution. So I’m gonna get as much dirt off my hands and see if I can’t turn this shovel handle into a ladder. “Who’s comin’ with me?”

Please check out my friend “Blitz: the Ambassador” on his myspace profile here for plenty more inspirational lyrics.

The Fuel of Life 2.0: Strength in Numbers

"We are all in it together, act accordingly"

Oh the lost art of working together.

Simply put, when we hear "let's work together", I think for the most of us, we conjure up images of people lifting or pushing heavy things or building stuff. There's the occasional footage of people putting up a makeshift floodwall of sand bags, or the images we'll never forget from 9/11 where for one stretch of a few weeks, men of all color and creed, were standing on top of piles of smoldering hot rubble, giving everything they had to one another in an attempt at finding "something" together.

When people combine their efforts for a common cause, the job gets accomplished more efficiently and with a more complete outcome than if we did it on our own. Ancient, modern and everything in between, man stands stronger when man stands together.

We are reminded of this by the actions of our fellow men and women. The Greek forum (which essentially, later became what we consider our senate) that revolutionized the idea of power to the people, was a celebration of the fact that we all have something to say and we all have something to offer in the creation of the world around us. Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X were powerful, amazing "only once in a while does a person like this come along" individuals who had the power to rally people around them in the spirit of changing things. Without the support and passion of people, those men would've stood alone and they carried themselves and delivered their teachings accordingly. the Cuban Missile crisis, a moment in American history that could've resulted in absolute nuclear holocaust. As you look back to the pictures of those 13 days, you see many repeating images of president Kennedy with his brother Bobby. They're both deep in though trying to figure out how to prevent the destruction of our country and prevent a 300 year speed bump in the progression of the human race at the helm of nuclear science. Many believe that without the wise words of his brother Bobby, President Kennedy may have been led into a decision with irreparable consequences that could've started a new dark age of man. Without those two amazing minds getting together, swallowing their egos, and putting the better good of humanity first, who knows if we'd be right now. In the 70s era of the Black Panther movement, the Black Panther Party was one of the most feared organizations in the country. They stood for change and they demanded respect and fair treatment to their people, and the end of the race based structure that existed in America. Their goal was to restore pride and confidence in a people who had their entire history stripped off of their backs before they even arrived on this country's soil. The epicenter of the Black Panther Party was Oakland California. It is a little known fact that during this time period, "Hippies" from San Francisco were helping to stealthily commute Black Panthers around in their VW Busses while they were being hunted down by the authorities from the top down (see... COINTELPRO). Of course, all of the major steps that the Black Panther Party was taking, can not be credited to the actions of a few hippies in busses, but let's not forget the small actions of a few people to reach out and work together to get something profound accomplished.

One of the greatest freedoms a human can have is the freedom to be unique. The current state of our administration or the things being across the world in the name of America, have absolutely no barring on the fact that we still have the right to be who we are and no one can take that away from us. This is something we should celebrate as the element that makes us such a unique species.

I ask the question, have we celebrated this to the point that we've become a completely narcissistic society? Have we celebrated the ego and the creative, unique spirit to the point that we've forgotten that we can accomplish so much more without putting ourselves first? Even beyond that, it's almost as if there are people out there that believe they're great at everything to the point that they don't need any help, or they know that they aren't great at certain things but see it as a weakness and feel like less of a person because of it.

Maybe we're lost in the idea of strength and weakness. Today, as a man, to admit that you can't do something is a sign of weakness, and weakness is a sign that you're less of a man. Wow... that's a vicious cycle. Right now, I promise there are a few of you reading this, wondering how I can even challenge the idea and may even think I'm less of a man for thinking that such a thing should be challenged.

The fact is, and this a damned beautiful fact, we are an imperfect species. From the fragile organ system that is still trying to figure out how to adapt to the world around us, to the strengths and weaknesses I spoke of before. Each one of us has an amazing ability to do something unique, something that no one else does the same way and as a natural fact, we aren't nearly as good at other things.

But let us not forget, someone around us is good at those other things. Some of the best relationships in our lives will be with someone who sees nearly everything from a different perspective. It takes someone who may be completely wild and without boundaries, and bring them back to earth. It may also take someone who is extremely organized and driven, and take them to places they wouldn't have gone alone. An emotional person needs a logical person around and visa versa.

When we can help one another plug the certain holes in our lives and/or our personalities by using our innate abilities for good, as a people, we become a fucking unstoppable force to be reckoned with. By realizing that there are things we are great at, and at the same time, celebrating the things that others around us can do, while still selflessly offering our services with the things we can do, I believe we can move forward to places we don't think are possible.

When it comes down to it, this idea spans many aspects of our world. Ultimately, we will shed ourselves of this maniacal ego we have developed and begin seeing the man next to us as someone with something to offer rather than someone preventing us from being the ultimate man. We will finally break down these walls that we have put up between one another that should've been broken down centuries ago with the invention of the boat. When you have something to offer this world and dammit, we all do, fucking share it! When you see someone lying on the ground that needs help up, don't hesitate for a second to stick out your arm and help them up and dammit, when you're on the ground and need help up, don't be afraid to stick your arm out for help. You aren't going anywhere as a person and we aren't going anywhere as a people by bottling up our abilities and strengths and keeping them to ourselves because we are all in this together and personally, I think we should start acting accordingly.

The Fuel of Life 1.0: What is the Fuel of Life?

"Life is nothing more than an amalgamation of our experiences and the decisions that we make"

If there is one thing that I've heard in the last few months of my life that I feel rings more true than anything else, it would be this.

Every day that each of us is alive is an opportunity to become a more complete individual. We wake up... we roll out of bed and in front of us lies an endless world of possibility. There is no way out of it. We have the freedom to do whatever it is we please and many of us don't realize that the things we do have the power to completely change the course of the world as we know it.

Be it instant gratification and over stimulation, the pains of living in a corporate society concerned more with streamlining, efficiency and the ever so powerful America dollar than the human condition and morality. Be it credit card debt, the costs of staying healthy or the fact that most of us are living paycheck to paycheck or working 3 jobs between two people just to maintain a sustainable, comfortable life. None the less, something has made us lose sight of the world in front of us.

While I may play the niche as the over analytical person when it comes to my friendships, I think when I say the "fuel of life", I believe everyone can relate to me. The fuel of life is that thing or those things that make you feel alive. It is the event that takes place that make you feel like you're more complete than the person you were before. That gut feeling you get when you meet someone and have a conversation and you know that this person is going to have a signifigance in your life... one way or another. That feeling we get when get done doing something we've just done for the first time. That tingly feeling that runs through your arms and legs. That same feeling you have a taste of when you wake up every morning and become conscious of your surroundings. That feeling you get when you know you've done something you were afraid of or challenged yourself and met that challenge.

If you ask me, the experiences that make people feel the most alive are the ones that challenge us to think differently, to push our own personal limits. The experiences that make us throw almost everything we thought we knew before, out the window to the street below to be swept away and taken to the trash.

Being the kid from a racist family who decides to think for himself and actually try talking to someone his family taught him to fear. Being the person who was always taught to stay within the lines and to not cross the street before looking both ways, and decides to buy a one way ticket to Europe on a whim to confront that condition and learn who you really are. Being raised in a household of staunch Christian values and actually forcing yourself to read the teachings of the Dali Llama or the Koran, or better yet, the teachings of Kant, or Ayn Rand, or Nietzsche so that you can formulate how you feel about things.

As a 26 year old, I feel like a lot of my peers are looking back down the road they've already driven and remembering their early 20s as the most exciting times of their lives. Other people my age are making what I feel is a worse mistake of looking towards the future with fear that the good times are over for all of us. Some people go as far as believing that "life" is over once you turn 30. Wow!!! A third the way to the average life expectancy and you're already giving up.

When did people stop realizing that no matter how old you are, what job your work or what you did 10 years ago with your college buddies, there is still a huge world out there for us to shape for ourselves? There is still a copious amount of conversation to be had, emotions to be felt, decisions to be made, passion to be exuded, responsibility to be taken, and life to be led.

Responsibility.... Ah responsibility... such a simple word to many of us, yet it is the backbone for modern philosophy as I have been exposed to it. We aren't talking about whether or not you took responsibility and went out to apply for a job, or did your homework, or your chores before dinner. Responsibility in the sense that, as far as we know it, we only have this one life to live. We're put on this earth as these amazing individuals who are creative and intelligent. We have an innate ability to decide for ourselves and be unique and whether it be to the social constructs that we've put in place, or be it a lack of passion and desire within us as a people, so many of us have forgotten these things. I talk of the responsibility to realize the power that we have as people and the right we all have to enjoy this life and make it best for ourselves.

Talking to someone over a beer and a campfire and telling them how you truly feel about something and sticking by that. Taking responsibility for our effect on this world around us. Taking responsibility for our emotions and seeing them as a way to grow as a person and embrace this beautiful life around us. When something makes you happy, breaking your mold of fear and fucking going for it, and damn it, I mean GOING FOR IT! The type of going for it that it's almost dangerous with wreckless abandon. The type of "Going for it" that if you happen to not get it, you can still lie face up on your death bed and smile knowing there was nothing else you could do about it cause you fucking went for it. When someone or something makes you unhappy or doesn't pay you the respect granted to every member of this human race, taking that and breaking it apart into little tiny pieces and promising to yourself that you will never sell yourself short like that again. When that voice in your head whispers to you that something is right... listening and trusting. That voice will be with you until you're on that death bed. Make sure that voice is smiling just as wide as you are.

It was another good friend of mine who told me the other day... something like... "Every life is a storybook full of chapters that we write ourselves. We all know the beginning of the story (birth) and we all know the end (death). Writing the rest of the story is the fun part."

We need to stop seeing the end of our story be while we're still alive. I feel like I, along with anyone else of my age, has experienced sooooo much. So many things that we can smile about and be happy that we did, and at the same time, so many things that make us sad when we remember them, but they've all helped mold us into who we are as individuals and if we think for a second that the things that are about to happen to us aren't going to do the same, we are doing ourselves a disservice.

We are writing this book as we go. The experiences, the stories, the conversation, the drug experiences, the road trips, the family dinners, the cocktails, the happy hours, the hugs, the favors, the giving of gifts to one another just because, the holidays. If we don't take up the responsibility in ourselves, we aren't writing this story, we're letting our experiences write it for us. By embracing the things that come our way and taking them for what they are, we're getting the ink on our fingers and writing the story ourselves. We're turning our own lives into non-fiction, and god damned good, new york times 10 best seller list non-fiction.

It is scientific law that to have momentum, you have to have force. Maybe we all just need that "push" to keep us moving forward with life like we were when we were younger. Maybe we all need a bit of the "fuel of life".

Start a bonfire and have a conversation, turn on some music, turn the lights down low and actually listen to an entire album, sit in the grass and take a nap in the middle of the park by the ocean, give someone a hug, talk to someone you don't know much about... or even better..... try talking to someone you don't think you like very much. Do something you've always known you've wanted to do for yourself but have been too afriad to do. Talk to someone your family taught you to be afraid of, drive down a road that you are unfamiliar with. Do something that makes you feel... Alive!