In context

  Life without context. If we edit our stories that is what will be left behind, life without context. It's my thinking that was a prevalent thing in the past. Much editing was done. But today, that practice seems to be changing. Oh there is still much correcting and condensing going on, and changing, but the moral of the stories has changed somewhat. In the past the mistakes we made were those parts that received the heaviest editing. Today, those portions appear to be highlighted! The worse the mistake, the more it is highlighted. Well, moving past those mistakes is highlighted anyway, as a great life accomplishment.  That's true even when those obstacles you overcame were placed there by yourself! That's the difference I'm thinking about. The context of our life is being editing to fit the narrative we wish to project. 

 That has always been so to a degree. It is just in the past we left a lot of that stuff out. Editing by omission. The obstacles we overcame were always placed there by outside forces. We overcame the weather, being born poor, others plotting against us, civil authorities or whatever. Seldom was it our fault, we just overcame. We certainly didn't expect any favors for having made bad choices. Correcting those bad behaviors wasn't something to brag about. No, the editing just left those parts out altogether. The objective being to have others believe you didn't make those mistakes in the first place. Those stories were only told among close friends, in confidence. That was usually because those close friends were there and knew what you had done anyway. Many of those had done the same thing. You knew but didn't tell. 

 It's true that circumstance creates context. In fact that is what context really is, the circumstances that lead to our choices. If circumstances had been different, a different choice would have been made. At least that is what we tell ourselves isn't it? Yes we do and that is the difference between good and bad choices. When you make the good choices despite bad circumstances, we call that maturity. It is the  elimination of excuses, not adopting those excuses. It is something I find myself doing in these writings and ramblings of mine. I find myself attempting to provide the context of my life, as honestly as possible. The issue is, it doesn't make for a very exciting story. For me a litany of I made bad choices isn't exciting, but I also understand it is what people want to hear and read about. The reason for that is simple enough, if you have done worse that means I have done better. 

 It is a theme I explore often, this idea of context. Context in time is an important thing to understand. I also believe it is something very difficult to understand. Today many people just call that empathy. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. But empathy is not the same as context. Context is what it was, empathy is how you reacted to that circumstance. A subtle difference perhaps, but a difference. Generally speaking we will react to a circumstance based on the accepted response of the time. If you are in a crowd and that crowd begins to applaud, that's what you will do. If the crowd turns angry, that's what you will do. We call that being caught up in the moment. We are empathizing, not always reacting to circumstance. When the context is changed, the reaction too is altered in some way, whether for good or bad. 

 I was raised in a time when America was the greatest nation on Earth. Yes I grew up in the America of Apple Pie and Momma! The context of those times was different than what is being projected today. The entire narrative was different. Societal expectations were different. Today America is supposed to play the role of the doting grandparent. America is supposed to allow everything and anything. Like that grandparent that spoils their grandchildren, there is no accountability. The context of time, the circumstance is far different. As a result there are many behaviors being allowed, indeed encouraged, that are in contradiction to my own. I can only see that as a new set of circumstances, while at the same time expecting the same reaction I was taught to be appropriate. And no, I wasn't taught to be racist, discriminatory, mean or lack empathy, those things were bad even when I was a kid. The only difference was the way I was taught to react to those things. It's all in the context of time. Context should never be an excuse, it should be an explanation. And it is that I find myself occupied with at this stage in my life, an explanation. The explanation however is only due to myself, I feel no need to explain that to others. Explanations and excuses are easily confused. Seems to me, growing up, I heard a great deal more explaining and a lot fewer excuses. Certainly whatever happened to my distant ancestors wasn't an excuse for my choice today. Context never changes, only circumstance.