Good morning,
Hear me out here. This is NOT a Musing about science fiction or dystopia. Rather, it is about an idea contained in the reimagining of the Isaac Asimov classic, Foundation. The show itself is exhaustive, sometimes ponderous and often complicated, requiring a lot of concentration on its many plot lines. I find it diverges too much from the books in many of the wrong places. That said, there is one aspect that does not appear in the books that I find fascinating and that’s what I want to share this morning.
THE THIRD ACT
The “empire” in Foundation is manifest in a human emperor but not just any emperor—and definitely not one who rises to the throne through the “typical” means—conquest, marriage or birth. There is not one emperor here but a triumvirate of emperors (all clones of the original emperor, but that’s another plot point), referred to as Dawn, Day, and Dusk. Each has their role. Day is the reigning emperor, in the full bloom of young adulthood, wielding the final decision on matters of state. Dawn is the young emperor in training, occasionally presenting his views. While he is included in important deliberations, he primarily is there to learn and to prepare for his moment in the sun. Finally, there is Dusk, who was once Day when he was younger. His centrality to decision making has waned. He now continues as an advisor and wise sage, providing context and imparting wisdom.
Dusk is the character of greatest interest to me. He is there to temper Day’s impulsiveness, to offer reflection on past crises, share his prior responses, and share the lessons he derived from them.
I think many those my age struggle with the notion that, while we retain influence and power in our chosen fields, that influence begins to wane. We increasingly are entering into what sociologists call life’s “third act.” It is in this incarnation that we arguably can have our greatest impact on the future. While I do not suggest that people of a certain age have important jobs and roles to fill, often it is not through our own actions that we have the greatest purpose. Rather, often it through the mentorship, education, and advise we can offer the next generation of leaders that we can have a lasting effect.
A life of consequence evolves from being good students and learners to being good leaders and then being good teachers and role models. The third act awaits, with its adventures and its joys.
GETTING THOSE STEPS
I’m sure many of you are obsessed with, or know of someone obsessed with, the counting of steps. Conveniently, an app that counts steps is on nearly every smart phone. Andrea is always counting. At first, I felt it absurd to look to a device to tell us whether we have achieved the appropriate amount of movement in the day, later succumbing to its attraction. But then I started thinking…
Now I realize that this step obsession can work to my benefit. I just say, “Hey, Andrea, want to get more steps?” She always will bite at this. I can get her to run upstairs to grab my sunglasses or wallet, or bring me a sweater before dinner. It is the perfect blending of technology and laziness! And Andrea seems good with this. Go figure…
THE ELECTION THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY
One year from today, millions of Americans will go to polling places in schools, post offices, garages, and churches, to engage in a time-worn tradition of voting. Some will, of course, have voted earlier. It might just be the most momentous vote any of us ever will cast.
Have a great day,
Glenn
A question
My friends are moving to LA
As a going away present I thought I’d get them a membership to a museum or something
Any suggestions?