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David Wright 1920- Born in Johannesburg, S. Africa February 23. Became deaf at age seven. Attended the Northampton School of the Deaf then to Oriel College, Oxford with a B.A. in 1942 in English. Autobiography: Deafness: a Personal Account. Five volumes of poetry, was also an editor of poetry books.
It is a good plan, and began with childhood As my fortune discovered, only to hear How much it is necessary to have said. Oh silence, independent of a stopped ear, You observe birds, flying, sing with wings instead. Then do you console yourself? You are consoled If you are, as all are. So easy a youth Still unconcerned with the concern of a world Where, masked and legible, a moment of truth Manifests what, gagged, a tongue should have told; Still observer of vanity and courage And of these mirror as well; that is something More than a sound of violin to assuage What the human being most dies of: Boredom Which makes hedgebirds clamor in their blackthorn cage. But did the brushless fox die of eloquence? No, but talked himself, it seems, into a tale. The injury, dominated, is an asset; It is there for domination, that is all. Else what must faith do deserted by mountains? Talk to me then, you who have so much to say, Spectator of the human conversation, Reader of tongues, examiner of the eye, And detective of clues in every action, What could a voice, if your heard it signify? The tone speaks less than a twitch and a grimace. People make to depart, do not say 'Goodbye', Decision, indecision, drawn on every face As if they spoke, But what do they really say? You are not spared, either, the banalities. In whatever condition, whole, blind, dumb, One-legged or leprous, the human being is, I affirm the human condition is the same, The heart half broken in ashes and in lies, But sustained by the immensity of the divine. Thus I too must praise out of a quiet ear The great creation to which I owe I am My grief and my love. O hear me if I cry Among the din of birds deaf to their acclaim Involved like them in the not unhearing air.
The Influence of Culture on our World View - a personal essay One's paradigm is influenced over years of being enculturated into a particular culture or a blending of them. Because cultural boundaries are variable and complex and because culture is dynamic and undergoes many changes and variations with each new generation, Paradigms evolve with every human interaction and influences of different views and beliefs. Just like culture (a problematic term), the view an individual forms of the world, shifts and blurs with every movement of its imaginary boarders. In establishing a world view, or analyzing the present theory; it is best to be as objective as possible, in doing this one must admit to any biases beforehand. We can grow to understand more of the world by seeing the truth behind the suffering, the production behind the profits and the stories behind the multicultural faces. Understanding the beginnings of capitalism and its implications on the distribution of resources in the world helps to visualize how our present society came to be. What dualism or binary opposites there is in society can often be explained by the fact that is is easier to understand things if they are black or white (this or that) not a confusing jumble of many sources. This leads to an "in-between" of a concept. Eric Wolf's book "Europe and The People Without History" is important because it forces us to face attributes of our world that exist, but that have been denied an acknowledgment of its histories or contributions to what exists today; in the way of tradition, politics, social values and everyday life. "The ecological concentration on the single case (a individual phase of culture) is paralleled by the recent fascination with the study and unraveling of what is 'in the heads' of single culture-bearing populations" (Wolf;1982;16). The world is all multilingual, multiethnic, and yet is still so intertwined with neighboring cultures that we are essentially all a part of one great sphere, one world. We have our differences, but our similarity is in being human and having weakness and strengths. Often times science defines culture as having distinct boundaries, or a system in it self (Wolf;1982;4). It is truly a shame that often times we are taught in school and in home settings that "dynamic, interconnected phenomena" are "static, disconnected things" (Wolf,1982;4). As Wolf points out these teachings "turns history into a moral success story" and "those who lay claim to that purpose are by that fact the predilect agents of history". (Wolf;1982;5). By studying in this modern world, we find that there are no separate genealogies, but a vast and varigated orchestration of human interactions. In order to study any subject in today's world, it is imperative to incorporate a objective view and open-minded observation and reaction to our surroundings. History has often been reified to separate categories that give meaning and power to countries or bodies of people that have the resources/ability to write the histories. They are usually more widely read (often not by choice) and alas, believed. The most important thing in studying is not to "deny the facts of ongoing relationships and involvements" (Wolf;18). My own personal paradigm is ever-changing, fluxing with every encounter I make, every day of my life. I try to be as open-minded, and accepting and respectful of new experiences and people as I am able. If I don't understand, I tend to question so I may hopefully eliminate any biases or preconceived notions that I have been enculturated with. I feel it is absolutely imperative to have ever-expanding boundaries of one's personal paradigms. Better than that, is to conceive of no boundaries at all, but a continuing accumulation of knowledge and facts of the world...
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It is imperative to develop a special relationship with the
natural world in order for individuals and communities to implement strategies
for saving Earth (and all species). Obviously, the manner in which this
relationship is developed will greatly vary from group to group and individual
to individual. The relationship needs to be one that is positive, hopeful,
enriching, meaningful and healthful. It needs to be personal to be effective,
too. 
