| Author |
Message |
Terrance A.Haag (Mrbus) (205.188.209.8)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 5:48 am: | |
A favorite "Zen" story has to do with the colored belts awarded in the martial arts. The beginner is given a White belt,and then earns various colors until attaining the ultimate, the Black belt. But when a master wears the Black belt long enough,the color fades, and again becomes white. So the master again wears a white belt, and it signifies the achiving the greatest wisdom, "the beginners mind."
Phil Christensen is a black-belt geologist who has studied more pictures of Mars than any other Earthling. He discovered the snowbanks on Mars, and believes that they are the leading candidates for housing life on the planet.
Christensen grew up dreaming about the "Red Planet", and has become a leading planetary geologists, and has had experiments on each Mars exploritory mission. In the early "90s", he was a junior member of Arizona State Univ. faculty. A young academic's most critical career goal is to be published in academic journals. But Christensen spent a year writing a proposal to NASA to get an infared camera on board the first Mars spacecraft. When asked why his proposal was accepted, he said that the people at NASA were impressed with his foolhardy willingness to risk his early career on on his theory.
It seems as if scientists, and many others often end up like football players who's glory days come early, and they spend the rest of their days just blathering about what they used to be. Christensen however seems to keep having new and bolder ideas as he ages. How does he keep his mind open?
The human brain is a magnificant pattern recognizing device. As we age, we have accumulated so many patterns, that everything fits one, which is the same as saying nothing is new, which is the same as being uncreative.
Christensen has created a method of keeping his mind marinating in "inexperience" therefore overcoming the Novocaine of experience. He has created a program where high school students can apply to go to the Mars lab at ASU, and actually have a hands on opportunity to send messages via computer to the camera that is orbiting Mars, and then see first hand the returning pictures. This is not just great PR, it allows the scientists to talk shop with the teenagers. The students are full of new ideas, but just as important they come with minds that are a "blank slate" that the scientists can write on. And so the Black belt turns White again.
If you are still reading, by now you are saying "so what has this got to do with this board?" Think about all the newbies that come here full of new ideas, and are imediately told "That won"t work", you have to do it this way, that is the way we have always done it, or don't even consider that particular bus, or recently the definition, "thats not a real bus". This is a perfect way to stiffle the growth of this hobby and turn it into a "cookie cutter" venture, where everything will look exactly the same.
As the old timers, we must realize that it is important that we know that we know too much. And there is a wealth of knowledge and information to be passed on to the new White belts, but we must also refrain from peeing on some bodies parade, just because it is different than ours.
I do not write here often, but I do read the board every day, and this just seems like the time to voice my nickles worth.
Have a great New Year.
Gus Haag
Eagle O-5
Minnesota |
Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy) (24.196.191.70)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 8:20 am: | |
Right on Gus. It seems that many get so tied up in the "engineering" that they forget the goal is to complete the conversion and get out on the road.
I strongly suspect that many of these projects never get completed, and if they do, they never get out on the road to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Richard |
jim mci-9 (209.240.205.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 8:41 am: | |
i agree...... i'm learning all sorts of new things everday.... about a 50 yr old coach!!!!!! |
Lugnut (Lugnut) (67.248.200.148)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 8:55 am: | |
Well said Gus! |
Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (67.136.222.151)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:58 am: | |
Great posting Gus.
Peter.
(Freightliner conversion, definately not a bus) |
BrianMCI96A3 (65.40.145.233)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 11:30 am: | |
Gus, very well put!
I am in the curious position of being a 'white belt' bus nut, and a "faded black belt" diesel mechanic.
It is particularly odd to be working on the bus repairing the mechanical systems with ease and then run up against a conversion question and scatch my head as to how to proceed.
Brian |
Ian Giffin (Admin) (64.228.100.23)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 12:23 pm: | |
Thank you Gus. That was beautiful.
Great to hear from you. Happy New Year to you and yours.
Ian
www.busnut.com |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks) (66.167.165.249)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 7:44 pm: | |
Thanks, Gus - sure didn't expect philosophy on this board!
As a white belt I'll say again how much the guidance from all of youse guys is and will continue to be appreciated.
-Chuck |
Michael J Ryan (Mjryan) (69.104.244.117)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 8:12 pm: | |
Thanks Gus for a great post, I don't wear belts, maybe I need to find one.
Michael |
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