MUSINGS and other writing by Mark Kolke

. . . . . . there is no edge to openness

TODAY'S MUSINGS

FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

MARK SPEAKS

ARCHIVED COLUMNS

ARCHIVE WINTER 2022-23

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2022

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2022

ARCHIVE SPRING 2022

ARCHIVE WINTER 2021-22

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2021

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2021

ARCHIVE SPRING 2021

ARCHIVE WINTER 2020-21

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2020

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2020

ARCHIVE SPRING 2020

ARCHIVE WINTER 2019-20

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2019

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2019

ARCHIVE SPRING 2019

ARCHIVE WINTER 2018-19

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2018

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2018

ARCHIVE SPRING 2018

ARCHIVE WINTER 2017-18

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2017

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2017

ARCHIVE SPRING 2017

ARCHIVE WINTER 2016/17

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2016

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2016

ARCHIVE SPRING 2016

ARCHIVE WINTER 2015/16

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2015

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2015

ARCHIVE SPRING 2015

ARCHIVE WINTER 2014/15

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2014

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2014

ARCHIVE SPRING 2014

ARCHIVE WINTER 2013/14

CONTACT

MY REAL ESTATE LIFE

WHY I WRITE MUSINGS

SHORT STORY PROJECT

POETRY PROJECT

MARK'S SPEAKING TIPS

SELECTED OTHER WORK


PLEASE DEFINE ESSENTIAL

Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2020
 
 
Essential services : the term we’ve often heard lately – on NEWS, in conversation. People allowed to work, are deemed an essential service, an essential business, not limited to food supply or medical services.
 
This has caused me to question, what is essential, and why am I uniquely qualified to provide it?
 
A reminder should be on everyone’s business card, at the ready, every time we need a reality check. To whom, for what, and in what ways, am I essential?
 
And the converse of that, what is essential to me?
 
Maybe we need to personally and society-wide, redefine the meaning of essential. Living in a free society means we get to choose what we do, what we try, what we invest ourselves, our sweat, and our money into – not based on someone else’s view of what is essential, but by our own sensibilities.
 
Have you ever answered the question, “If your house was burning down, and you could only rescue or retrieve one thing, what would it be?”
 
I think we’ve all played that game in our mind, or at a dinner party, thinking about photos, computer back-up drives, unique treasures. Aside from rescuing every living person or pet, what is so important that we would run back into a burning building to retrieve?
 
Hopefully, despite losing photos and mementos, who wants to risk being burned-alive amidst our past?
 
The future is outside, beyond the past. We will live it, we will define it – and refine it; this is essential.
 
In the end, we travel light – the stuff we need: experiences, memories, and life-lessons – not something we need pack. We carry them everywhere.
 
 
Reader feedback:
WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE COVID WAR DADDY?
Hi Mark, In answer to your question this morning...I am sure you and your viewers have been following this, but just in case... I too liked the Michael video...watched the referenced ones just now...so interesting...with so many oppositional opinions...good to stretch my brain with the Erickson one...just not sure as most reporting now is not defining the virus as mild, rather the opposite. To know truth one must suspend all opinions: Zen saying https://youtu.be/o1zIgTwENPg , SF, Lethbridge, AB




Find this and other articles by Mark Kolke at Medium



sign up to get Musings free daily



 
Read more of my writing by Mark Kolke at Medium

sign up to get Musings free daily

 


 
Mark Kolke, Realtor, MaxWell South Star Realty


sign up to get Musings CLICK HERE

Comments are always welcome - please contribute to the discussion.  Reply to: kolke@markkolke.com

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. This site is updated daily, each column is retained in the archive when the next day's column is loaded ...  


Copyright - all rights reserved - Mark Kolke, © 2003-2023 - MaxComm Communications

- this site is updated daily, new column on main page, older columns archived - use the tabs; last update - 2023 - January, 28