by Jon Phillips
This is a secret right before our eyes. If you remove all the abstractions and walk in a straight line to your nearest nature, you may discover this for yourself. Do not take my word for it :)
Today I began the day early here in St. Louis with a lovely thunderstorm after a heat advisory day. And it struck me, I love spending time on a Sunday with my baby, Li Li. I want to make pancakes for her this morning. Where is that family recipe?
I could not find the hard copy my Mom gave me like many times. So I dove into my email and found one from some desperate hunger scenario email to my mom from Beijing: blam!
This awoke in me an old feeling. With so much distrust in the world, it is easy to give up and not share. You might say to yourself, “I am sharing on social media and what I share will be used against me at some point in the future.” The truth is, with this thinking, you are right!
Anything could be used against you, or maybe not :)
So, here is my family recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes. Please try to make them. Feedback and contributions are always welcome!
Remember, money is an abstraction of social relationships. If you want money, then get social :) If you want business, then get social. If you want good relationships, then try giving a gift. You can start small. It is easy to do. How about sharing pancakes?
My first sharing was from the love from my parents and family and extended all the way to what I saw on academic website profiles. Academics use the mantra, publish or perish. This ethos was an early inspiration to the founders and leaders of the Free Software movement that so much has shaped my world. It comes before even Free Software…buttttt, let us not digress.
Since I was a child, I shared 100% and towards my 40th birthday, I shared 0%. Now, with a child, I am slowly expanding towards a healthy balance. This is the next step, what you are reading. Feel free to use this knowledge for or against me :)