I've Been Shot

Just had the Pfizer-Biontech COVID-19 vaccine. The needle was so long, I thought it would exit in my arm-pit and wash away the deodorant. But no, I didn't feel more than a little jab and it's all good. Science. Amazing!

Science is the thing. In the early 1970s I became interested in Richard Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome, futurist, theorist, and architect. I made this little greenhouse in the picture below along lines he recommended for maximum strength with minimum use of materials. Andrea was impressed.

Fuller was an interesting oddball, author of many books, one of which I attempted to read unsuccessfully. At the time my thinking was linear and logical and his writing was superficially unstructured and confusing. Or, I should say, I didn't understand his method. He returned to the same themes over and over from slightly different angles. He was writing a hologram, and I saw the interference pattern rather than the 3D image it was projecting. It didn't make sense to me.

Now I appear to be imitating Bucky. Looking back at this blog, I see that my own writing is random glimpses of a reality I don't yet understand. Kudos to you if you are reading this. I can assure you that the author doesn't know what he is doing although for some reason he has a will to find words that make his muddy thoughts clearer.

Even that ambivalent motivation reminds me of Fuller. He had an epiphany, by his own account, following a bad patch after the death of his daughter from polio, when life had lost its appeal. He described it in these words:

"...You do not belong to you. You belong to the Universe. Your significance will remain forever obscure to you, but you may assume that you are fulfilling your role if you apply yourself to converting your experiences to the highest advantage of others."

He intuited this as a personal message directed to himself. I think it means us too. We belong to the universe. Take care while seeking the best advantage for others. Wear a mask. Get the vaccine. Stay isolated for a while longer. 

And then there will be hugs.

Some Wiki links:

Buckminster Fuller

holography