generosity

I've been thinking about: 

If one is a generous person by nature, and enjoys being generous, but one's generosity isn't appreciated and isn't reciprocated. In my opinion, this isn't fair. But what can be done about it? You can't ask someone to change who they are. It's not fair to you or anyone else to force yourself to be less generous so life will be fair. Are you just left to feel a bit ill-treated by your friends?

One solution is to start spending time with people who DO appreciate you and reciprocate your generosity. But what about when many of your close friends treat you this way? Hm. This isn't actually a personal problem I'm experiencing, but one I've discussed with others. Is there such thing as being too generous? Maybe, if you aren't satisfied with what you're receiving from others...?

elephants. water crisis.

Today I have been thinking about:

1. elephants. they can communicate across continents using infrared sound, below the level that a human could hear. the woman who first discovered this, Katie Payne, heard a "throbbing" or "thrill" in the air that she only heard while around the elephants in the zoo, and not in the rest of the zoo. she says she noticed it because she's always listening, and because she never grew up, thus is open to any possibility.

MORAL: listen with an open mind, always.

2. does this mean that all the technology out there that uses infrared sound in the general vicinity of elephants interferes with their communication? are we changing their conversations? are we making it harder for them to hear each other? 

3. the global water crisis. i think about this every day. one flush of the toilet is equal to the total amount used by a person in many parts of africa, for drinking, washing, cooking, and cleaning. i cannot flush a toilet without feeling a pang of guilt, but also gratitude that i have a toilet. 

MORAL: don't take water for granted.