Notes, news and quotes keep aspects of humankind in check. They prance around its past and present ventures. References are made to epochs and events, hinting at the best and the worst of times. Ventures of significance serve as prints for what exists now or will be in the chronicled record.

Numerous impressionable thoughts will shape human consciousness. Some thoughts will be meaningful; others will give rise to impulses that foster behavior. What exists in man's mind is a "blink" regarding the progressive or regressive nature of humankind. Here are examples:

* American playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) -- "To be free is to have achieved your life." Yes, the inclination to be free exists within each individual.

* Spanish novelist, poet and playwright Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) -- "Every man is the son of his own works." You are who you feel and others say you are.

* British-born drama critic Clive Barnes -- "Television is the first truly democratic culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want." Too much television is a no-no.

* American screenwriter Ben Hecht (1894-1964) -- "Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock." Hmmm.

News-related happenings impact humankind. Harvard anthropology professors Katherine Whitcomb and Daniel Lieberman and University of Texas anthropology professor Liza Shapiro revealed a recent thesis: "Pregnant women don't lose their balance and topple over despite ever-growing weight up front. Evolution provided them with slight differences from men in their lower backs and hip joints, allowing them to adjust their center of gravity."

The pace of evolution is quickening. John Hawks, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, said: "Just 10,000 years ago, fewer people carried the gene for an enzyme called lactase, which allows humans to digest cow's milk. A larger proportion of people had the dark skin of our African ancestors, and no one had blue eyes. Blue eyes are new."

Consider other issues:

* British poet and critic T(homas) S(tearns) Eliot (1888-1965) -- "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."

* Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ralph Bunche (1904-1971) -- "There are no warlike peoples - just warlike leaders." Something to think about.

* English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) -- "Since when was genius found respectable?" Salute Angelou, Einstein, Gates, Jefferson, Jobs, Buffett, etc.

*American cartoonist Al Capp (1909-1979) -- "Don't be a pal to your son. Be his father. What child needs a 40-year-old for a friend?" Respond to the question.

News, notes, and quotes are part and parcel to life's ventures. Use them for conversational sparkles to make the world a more orderly place. This civic-like participation bodes well, and it generates new visions and new ventures for humankind.

Reach T&D Columnist Howard D. Hill, Ph.D., via educationconsultant@sc.rr.com.

You must be logged in to comment.