Professor Bob

 

It Is What It Is. What an amazing statement, three simple words arranged in such a way as to lead us to an acceptance of what is reality. Reality is. 

Our famous neighbor to the south is mistaken, in fact, dead wrong, when he advances the concept of “Alternate Reality.” Alternate beliefs are, in fact, are something we all have and hold sacred. The things I believe make me who I am, and I choose what I say and do based on my beliefs. 

You are someone else, distinct from me. You believe different things than I do, and that make you who you are. Alternate beliefs are part of reality. And when our famous neighbor to the south says he believes alternate realities exist, that belief is part of the reality that is. Does he really believe that alternate realities are, well, real?? Damned if I know. 

I am happy with my belief that reality exists; that the dirt under my feet is real, that the trees on the hillside are real, the mountains and the lake are real. They are beautiful, but that starts to wander into the realm of belief. Someone else may not believe that wild, untamed nature is beautiful, but is, instead, frightening or threatening. 

It’s possible to drown in the lake or get lost in the hills or attacked by a grizzly bear, but that is part of reality, of what is. If I believe that I’m not going to drown or get lost or attacked, well, you pay your money and take your chances. But I like to stack the odds in my favour and then enjoy the raw beauty of the natural world. It is what it is. 

Get in touch with reality. Believe that what you sense is reality. Traffic cops and politicians and highways and shopping malls are real. What you believe about them is real. Question what you believe and try to align your beliefs with reality. Then go enjoy life.

Professor Bob