"Don't be offended but you suck at writing."

It is great to have honest friends in this world. Someone who loves you will tell you exactly what is wrong. On the other hand the friends who are not invested, they will tell you everything is fine. The title for this short entry comes from a conversation I had recently, when I was informed that my writing is not very good. Sadly, the prospect of becoming a prolific writer is low for someone with 4 years of engineering, 2 years of writing laboratory reports, and finally 2 years of business school. Taking my dear friend's suggestion to heart, I have decided to write on a somewhat regular basis, and in a public forum which will demand that I pay some attention to my writing style.

I am not exactly sure what insight I have to share with the world. I much prefer to read the work of others and to to share any learnings in conversation rather than the written form. Yet, I must try to convey something of importance. I cannot promise that my ideas are original, these ideas are probably stolen from somewhere or learned over time. Today I can share one lesson. 

From Geometry:  In order to understand Euclidian Geometry we must accept a few base postulates. These postulates, by definition, are not capable of being proved, they must simply be accepted for one to proceed with the study of geometry. Only when those postulates are taken on faith can we then build up a series of proofs that allow us to define the geometrical world. Moving from Euclidean geometry to a spherical geometry, completely changes ones "world view." The postulates we previously accepted are no longer applicable (some are, but others must be added, and still others removed. Thus, the base postulates one starts with dictates the "worldview" one builds up around those core principles. 

The lesson for me then is that my core principle, that there is no God, but God, will lead me to an entirely different world view than someone who accepts say "self interest" as a core belief.  I guess this is why the Quran tells the believers to say, 109.6 "You have your religion and I have my religion." 

Implied in this verse is that each person will reap the outcomes that come with the core principle of belief. We all reap what we sow, therefore we should all make sure our principles (seeds) are sound. 

Next week I begin a fast. I join, granted late, the 4,000 others who fasted this week...http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/why-were-fasting/?src=me&ref=general

I take Beckmann's point of view, this is not about my fasting for a week, it is about justice and leaving off the distractions that make it easy to justify cutting programs for the less fortunate while we increase benefits for the ultra wealthy, “You can’t have real religion,” Beckmann said, “unless you work for justice for hungry and poor people."  

I hope this fast will connect me very closely with God, will make me humble, will remind me that I am not self-sufficient. "Fasting is prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you so that perhaps you may develop awareness of God." Taqwa-awareness or consciousness of God is to accept God as omnipresent, merciful, the sustainer, the provider, the omnipotent. These things, I hope I will learn in my fast, and that it will give me a steely resolve to fight for justice, and end the crazy deficit cutting, that makes the poor suffer while we increase tax breaks for the ultra wealthy.