The premise is that, as tribal creatures, our DNA is mechanized for social grouping and, over 1,000s of years, we've built our stories on the way we position ourselves in groupings of others, creating a status. So far, the book has dealt with duals, sports, suicide, serial killers, and the phenomenon of social media and how that status of likes and selfies and positioning, etc. has created a dilemma for all of us as th online presence is hypnotic and messing with how we measure status.
Me? It's a weird concept for me, because I've always been interested in social groupings, tend to weave in and out of them, but much prefer days of solitary independence. I've never wanted to be part of the group that would have me, as Groucho Marks often quipped. as its member. It was interesting to listen to the theories of we moved to material items to name our status since WWII: the cars, the tools, the clothing, the technology. We gravitate towards goods (even foods) because they are a way to give us status and, hence, meaning for our lives. A house of books...well, that puts me in the tribe of scholars and educators. They are my trophies for building an identity.
That makes total sense.
I prepped some of my classes, grabbed milk and bananas at Big Y, and settled in to watch more college basketball, although I don't appear to have any of the channels with men's games (just the women's on ESPN). I can't keep up with the way networks are dividing up the sports world viewing. It, too, is part of status building and, gosh darn it...it's March.
Here's to a Monday back in Connecticut. Best wishes for a week of care and recovery for all.
