bloganuary

Bloganuary: Cause?

15 Comments

What is a cause you’re passionate about and why?

When Dante passed under the famous inscription, before the first circle and before the ferry, he passed through an outer lying circle of those unwanted by either Heaven or Hell: The Uncommitted, the souls and angels who chose no side.

Living in Japan, you rarely see homelessness. The few I’ve seen were either alcoholic or mentally ill. Poverty exists but almost always in the context of having a smart phone in pocket. And I can and should not apply anuy -isms to a culture that is not mine. This all said, there is no cause to fight for and so no passionate cause for me to write about.

I do listen to podcasts — I love politics! — and when I’m mid run or mid set what I hear discussed (created to cause outrage) can stir up in me muh passions, but not really. It’s just a moment. A moment untethered to a cause…

Speaking of Dante, this is Virgil and he in the 9th Circle of Hell — not my photo of the engraving by Gustave Dore

Might I become one of Dante’s souls forever chasing after a banner in the afterlife? As Heaven and Hell are within — and I feel no guilt — I suspect not.

(The Featured Image is of the moat at the Imperial Palace. Millions of Japanese followed the Imperial cause into war. A cautionary tale for what to be passionate about.)

Have you read Dante’s great work? Thoughts on it — or this prompt? Leave them in the comments.

15 thoughts on “Bloganuary: Cause?”

  4. The message contained in your post, I like what is stated and I am contemplating reading Dante’s work again.
    The content of your blog posts, the use of photography and images, enhances your message. Such as this post the images are black and white. I am new to blogging. I am trying to incorporate the same technique of image and message enhancing and drawing a person to the blog. Job well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Dante is always worth re-reading, imo, Amtolle. Especially with the Internet being able to instantly bring together different interpretations of each stop along his journey.

      I thought you ran a blog on sheep farming or am I mis-remembering?

      Thanks for noticing my photos. 🙂 The blog is a good way to use them. Have a great MLK Day. 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  5. You make some good points here. Many fight for passionate causes. Just as many do not. Among Dante’s seven deadly sins, none spoke of a passionate fight for a cause. Though to avoid purgatorio one must choose and follow a side passionately. And we all know what we have to do to avoid the inferno.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Pingback: Here is my contribution to Passionate Causes. – Bloganuary
  8. Pingback: Here is my contribution to Passionate Causes. – Bloganuary

What's that you say? I can't quite hear you. Do you mind writing that down here? 😁