Hi there! Throughout the years, I have had the opportunity to give around 20 to 25 TED Talks and TEDx Talks. And over the course of that same time period, I've noticed that these events have changed from being incredibly original and captivating to conforming strictly to a formulaic structure. It was almost as if nothing unexpected would ever happen again; it was like watching the Republican National Convention until suddenly Clint Eastwood brought in a chair and completely shook things up. If I wish to take a seat, this is sadly what I would like to do, even as we speak. But luckily there is nobody sitting in that chair, which you will be glad to hear. I thought to myself that it would be a daring move for me to come out here and try to give my TED Talk without having any idea of what I was going to say. The concept of "open" and the manner in which TED Talks have become so structured made me consider this possibility. This is a tricky task to accomplish, make no mistake, but still a task I was happy to oblige.
I truly put in the effort, but at the last minute, I decided to give myself an escape route. So please pay close attention to the wisdom of Franz Kafka. He went on to say that it is not necessary for you to even leave your room. Staying seated at your desk and listening attentively already guarantees success in the long run. It is not necessary for you to listen either, for it too is an option. Just hold on tight if you could. You also don't have to wait at all. Gain the ability to be peaceful, tranquil, and alone. The globe will reveal itself to you without any concealment. It has no other option. Likewise, the world's joy will be palpable as it rolls up to your feet. This is an underhanded maneuver though and I should know. It would certainly be intriguing to observe the changes that take place within a span of fifteen minutes and thirty-five seconds. I'll have to insist that people put away their cellphones, as I'm sure you can understand. Rather than deciding on one, I'm just going to go with the flow and tell whatever story pops into my head first. This is a bit of a risk, but it's something I want to do. This tale is certainly intriguing too! When I was transitioning from being a cattle rancher in Wyoming to becoming, whatever name you'd give it, an internet guru (though they don't call it that anymore), I made the trip between California and Wyoming around 20 times per year. My wife had it memorized as "The Nevada project that was committed to memory." I kept attempting to discover different methods of traversing the Great Divide Basin. On a chilly September evening though, I was taking a journey through Fallon, Nevada when the sun began to sink in the sky. It was late in the month, and I wanted to explore something new. Fallon, Nevada is mainly known for the Miramar Naval Air Station which gives kids the opportunity to do their top-gun training. This allows them to fly at exceptionally high speeds without causing any significant damage apart from startling the local jackrabbits with their loud noise.
There was a man who looked like he had been through a great deal was perched on the outskirts of town. A sign was displayed on his person with the words, "Somewhere else please." I doubt that he was referring to any cities particular either, such as those of Eureka, Austin or Ely. I'm assuming he's referring to Salt Lake City, which is quite a distance of 700 miles. If I take this person on, then it will be an all-night journey. I accepted the challenge issued by him. He slides into the car, looking even worse than before and reeking of a foul stench. Once my friend is in the car, a strange sensation of tranquility enveloped me and I was totally content with his presence. We started talking, and it came to light that he was born one day prior to my own birth in a not so great area of Queens. He went off to Vietnam where he received multiple gunshot wounds as well as psychological trauma. After coming back from the war, he had both physical and mental disabilities yet was still able to make it in New York City. He was licensed to operate a taxi. He was quite adept at playing the saxophone and even had enough skill to be hired for session gigs. He had a place to live, a special girlfriend in his life and the ability to lead a successful life. He had an idiosyncratic demeanor, yet things had been running smoothly for him. At one juncture, the hot water supply to his flat ceased as his landlord stopped providing it. He had an inclination to be a bit rebellious, so he decided not to pay rent anymore, which must have been somewhat the correct respect towards his landlord in retrospect.
He arrived at his home one evening to find that the entrance has been secured with three separate padlocks. Everything that belonged to him had disappeared. He was unable to locate his girlfriend. The hack license was in his possession though, and the saxophone was also with him. Additionally, the landlord has callously informed the Veteran's Administration that my veteran friend was deceased in a particularly malicious manner. He had no real form of identification at this moment. Also in that instant, he tumbled through the crevices. It had been a few years prior to my meeting him that this event occurred. I asked, "Are you currently without a home?" He gave a affirmative response of "Yes". I asked him, "What are you doing in this area?" He stated that being without a home does not mean he cannot have a holiday. His was an undeniable truth. I inquired as to why he had not simply remained in San Francisco. He admitted that he was unsure of how to manage being homeless in San Francisco. He was familiar with the experience of living without a permanent address in New York. Once again, it was difficult to contest with his rhetoric. We had a conversation about even more various topics.
He seemed to be clear and engaging. While I was in Austin, Nevada, I pulled over to refuel my car. It resembled one of those old-fashioned gas stations in a Western movie, with the tumbleweeds rolling across the desert-like landscape. After I got out of the car, and went inside to pay for the gas, I noticed my passenger get out and quickly write something down on a piece of paper. He then put it in the coin-return slot of an old-fashioned phone booth located at the corner of the lot. Although these types of booths are now considered quaint, they were still around back then. I walked past the location, and I snatched it up. A small message that read, "Love is capable of forgiving anything," was found. Once I had been driving for a while after getting back in the car, I asked, "What made you put that note into the coin-return slot?" He remarked, "I thought it was likely that someone would go hunting for money and find my message instead." I then asked him, "Okay. But what inspired you to come up with the phrase 'Love forgives everything'?" He said, "Indeed it makes sense anyway." I commented, "That's a high standard to be set, however I suppose so. It almost appears like a plea or something; did you have an extremely spiritual outlook?" He replied with an affirmative, "Oh, yes." I then inquired, "Do you have a very intimate relationship with any deity of yours?" He confirmed with "Of course". I commented, "It appears as though your deity whom you revere to such a great degree is not doing very much for you. On the other hand, I'm doing quite well without any divine intervention." He then declared, "Each of us is born with a certain path to take in life – some may be taking Basket Weaving and others Astrophysics 406. I'm glad that I get to challenge myself with more difficult courses." It is worth considering the concept of karma when you are in a difficult situation; this belief is contrary to the idea that if something bad happens, it will be followed by something good. And yet, I believe he was very close to discovering something, prompting me to find myself sooner or later. It wasn't until some years later that I gave much more consideration to the matter, but I will not dwell on it for too long.
Several years later, I experienced a love much like that which is depicted in movies and operas. I was totally and overwhelmingly infatuated for an entire year. On the night two days prior to her 30th birthday I placed her on a plane departing from Los Angeles; however, she tragically passed away during the voyage to New York. She passed away suddenly just like that. Incredibly unexpected! She had been predicting that I was going to pass away, and in the end she ended up being correct. All of a sudden, it seemed as though the life courses that I was already taking had become even more difficult. Courses that are much more challenging indeed. I had to go through a time of believing that this was merely a savage, insubstantial, awful manifestation of pointless tumult. Conversely, I wondered if it had some purpose and occurred to me for a specific cause. I pondered why this had befallen me and came to the conclusion that there must have been a purpose behind it. I pondered to myself if this was happening for a reason, signifying that there may be a soul out there somewhere. Could it be that a soul has been brought into existence in the world? The hitchhiker would have to be correct in his assumption then that each and every one of us has its own unique soul. What purpose would the soul have in entering the world anyway? What should it be doing there and then too?
It suddenly dawned on me why the soul is brought into this world: to make sense of love, give it a purpose and backdrop - one that includes fear, skepticism, destruction and all the other less than desirable elements such as the Republican Party, nuclear armaments and our deep-seated self-hatred we can't really explain. I believe this is what constitutes "original sin". It should be noted as well that everyone here is working on a volunteer basis. We enter this world from a place of unconditional love, which is wide open and free from restrictions. Unfortunately, we are then exposed to an environment full of boundaries, control, rules and fear. We strive to have love make sense by battling with our emotions in the emotional Afghanistan of our own hearts. By not giving up on ourselves or others, and by learning to accept love from others, we can win the battle for every soul alive now and in the future. Furthermore, even if it is only to a certain extent, we must try our hardest to avoid thinking negatively of ourselves or others. That is the reason for our presence and our existence.
In my entire life, I have only ever encountered one person who I believe is able to receive love without any issues. My friend Gilberto Gil is the most cherished individual in the most affectionate nation in the world, which works to his advantage. I have taken many pictures of the Brazilian singer with other people's cameras, showing him embracing someone from Brazil and being most sincere in his hugging. I was lucky enough to spend a great deal of time with him, so it is no surprise that I have around 3,000 photos! Most of the time, he had been meaning every hug he gave with dear sincerity as he has been receiving each of them. I didn't think I'd be talking about openness today, but that's what has ended up being the topic of my speech. Honestly, I had no idea this is where it would lead when I started. I'm relieved that I did not end up discussing the demise of monotheism, as this was what I initially expected myself to be talking about. Still, the dinosaur of that story was on its last breath. Monotheism appears to be in its final stage and is exhibiting undesirable behavior as it approaches the end. These things of hate don't dissipate quickly, and we are in a confined area otherwise. This will require an abundance of affection to make it through this difficult time, and of course a higher caliber of storytelling that is sure to make the filmmaking industry envious. I believe that the only way for us to make it through this difficult period in our world history is to concentrate on seeing ourselves as valuable and deserving of love, and being open to embracing all the love we truly deserve.
See also: https://mygodsentangels.com/