ATS Symposium

Symposium
Greetings ATS friends!
If I could travel temporarily to any time/place in the history of man, I’d likely chose to place myself in either the Salons of France or the Greek Symposiums. Part of the draw of ATS is that it stands as a symposium of sorts, to which members gather to discuss issues of importance, to debate, and to synthesize ideas.


A key aspect to the salon/symposium setting was the society (which is excellent here), as well as the imbibement of food and drink. In fact, the word “symposiarch” refers to the symposium’s host tasked with determining the proper amount of drink (wine) to accompany each subject. Too little may curb the merriment, too much cloud the mind.
As this thread’s symposiarch, I urge you to feel free to imbibe and make merry as much or little as you wish, in hopes you enter the Salon with free of mind and care.

Here’s a link to Plato’s Symposium in case you haven’t read it yet and want to
classics.mit.edu...
A Mother’s Love

While Plato’s Symposium does mention the love a parent feels toward his/her offspring and attributes it to the want of immortality, I believe that the remarkable love that a mother feels for her child is worth examining more deeply. (BTW: The Symposium discussed ideals, which is what I’ll attempt to do here, knowing that, sadly, not all of us fit or even approach the ideal.)

A mother’s love is a union of opposites. While a degree of immortality is achieved through generation, few are more aware of our fragile and ephemeral mortality than a mother. All the hazards of the world are revealed to a new mom, whose sole responsibility is to protect her offspring from harm. Stairs, pools of water, cars, strangers, fevers, foods, pull cords, balloons, plastic bags, sharp edges, cleaning supplies, among other previously inanimate and unremarkable objects, become potentially fatal dangers against which mothers (among other caregivers, of course) are the primary defense. Constant vigilance is a state many mothers know well. And experience teaches us that fate has a mind of its own and that, despite our best efforts, even the best laid plans and ardent hopes are sometimes thwarted. Tragedy strikes blindly. Hence, even though a mother is immersed in the business of living and raising life, death too is a constant companion.

Who can deny the pleasure of welcoming a new soul into the world, nurturing it, and watching it grow? The moment her baby is placed in her arms, a mother’s life changes forever. It changes in ways that a mom doesn’t even notice until she becomes aware that this little being has now supplanted herself in order and importance, that now the choicest morsels are automatically reserved for another. In the process of feeding, washing, holding, comforting, and swaddling her child the bond formed is both mental and physical. Each new development, though a delight to see, marks the end of a precious stage. Moreover, many adults hold the notion that childhood has inherent value, that the wonder and innocence of youth is worthy of protection, and a mother’s perspective is to see firsthand the loss of childhood innocence. Equally hard to see emerge in one’s child is human frailty and error. Undoubtedly, we want our children to succeed; but they also must fail, and learn to fail well. The balance is very delicate and difficult to achieve, let alone internalize. For these reasons and for others, joy and pain often come to a mother hand-in-hand.

Another union of opposites accompanying a mother’s love is familiarity and individuality. Though a mother and child start out as one united being, the remainder of their existence together is a slow distancing while forming new ways of relating as developing individuals. From birth, cutting the cord, and weaning, to the realization that one’s child has a rich hidden inner life and the reigns to his/her own fate within, motherhood requires finding a balance between pushing away and pulling in. A mother’s love knows well our close bond as well as the vast distance between and finds ways to reconcile the two.

If you’re still around, please pull up a chair and stay for an ATS symposium! What are your ideas on the subject of love?

😊

a reply to: zosimov

Can you imagine an ATS symposium in real life, that would be very interesting.

I worked at an internal help desk type job. I know one thing is for sure. What you imagine people to look like, and what they actually do, could not be more different. We had counterparts in a different state. After three years of working with them daily on the phone we were finally able to meet in person. We were all shocked. I know that my voice must not match what people think I look like.

As far as topics on a mothers love, I think it would be interesting to see how lack of a mothers love can shape a persons life.
I have known two people that were adopted as young toddlers. They both had amazing, loving adopted mothers.
Somehow, there is still something missing. Are most the ill's on our society due to a lack of a mothers love? Real or imagined?

a reply to: zosimov

Wonderful bit of info, and a beautiful comparison between the Salons of France, and the forum boards of today.
Now if there was just a symposiarch....

You're right a real ATS symposium would be interesting indeed! We've had mini versions in meet ups but a huge banquet comprised of ATSers would be amazing/surprising I am sure

originally posted by: JAGStorm


As far as topics on a mothers love, I think it would be interesting to see how lack of a mothers love can shape a persons life.
I have known two people that were adopted as young toddlers. They both had amazing, loving adopted mothers.
Somehow, there is still something missing. Are most the ill's on our society due to a lack of a mothers love? Real or imagined?

Very interesting topic I hope some people expand on. I have a very busy day coming up (not the ideal time to start a thread I suppose) but will be contribting later!

a reply to: Brian4real

Thank you Brian4real! Lol, I'd nominate Augustus to be the ATS symposiarch.

originally posted by: zosimov
a reply to: Brian4real

Thank you Brian4real! Lol, I'd nominate Augustus to be the ATS symposiarch.

What... And end up in a freezer in some cold dank cellar!?

Lags

a reply to: Lagomorphe

He'll get the party started right!

a reply to: JAGStorm

What you imagine people to look like, and what they actually do, could not be more different.

In the eighties I worked at Kennedy airport and was on the phone with the same people from customs or the airlines or the overseas agents on a daily basis and I had faces to go with all those voices but when I met any of them they never looked like what I expected.
This one guy from London whom I'd imagined to look like Roger Moore from his voice turned out to look like Alfred E. Newman from M.A.D. Magazine lol. Which makes me feel bad because the girl from his office in London told me he described me as having the face of a doll and a body that just won't quit. LOL. ( that was before the me too thing)

a reply to: Brian4real

Now If anyone knew how to play whist we could get a game up while someone played a few tunes on the pianoforte. LOL

What a lovely and romantic way to look at our community here.

a reply to: zosimov

A Mother's Love

If I were hanged on the highest hill
I know that she would love me still

If I were drowned in the deepest sea
I know her tears would come down to me

And if I were damned of body and soul
I know her prayers would make me whole

a reply to: zosimov

Thanks for the wonderfull info...

I could imagine ATS as a real life symposium. I would love to just debate, learn and have a few laugh with this people I admire most.

Small side-note: I'm thinking of making the mud-pit an actual mudpit. You know, to throw in some of those who have lost all sense of manners and decorum.

Peace

Will.there be booze?

a reply to: dashen

Here's a couple to start you off


Now are you ready to wax poetic/philosphize on love Dashen?

a reply to: zosimov

Gonna take more than a couple drinks for me to reveal the secrets of amoré

a reply to: JAGStorm

The crux of the problem when relating a mother’s love to that of society is rather simple to come to a conclusion...
First you must realize many individuals with loving mothers still became notorious members of society...
I am sure that a childhood lacking a loving mother would however have detrimental effects on individuals but know for sure this is not a guarantee for there are also examples of individuals who did suffer this lot in life who became outstanding members of society...
I can say this though a true mother’s love which cannot be compared can be seen as the epitome of mankind’s greatest ever emotion. Sadly the this great love is not replicated by the entirety of civilization for all others, if it were the ills of society as you say would be eliminated altogether...

Apart from that I’d like to just say, Thanks Mom!

a reply to: 5StarOracle

Very well put. I liked what you wrote on the subject even more than my own OP which sounded very corny to me when I read it today.

a reply to: zosimov

I liked your OP just fine. it made me want to take part, because I just so happen to have an incredible mother, and her love is just as incredible. What fascinates me more about her ability to love far exceeds that which is given to me for I am humbled when I witness the effortless love she shows all others. Even when unknown to me the sixth sense she seems to have of just when someone needs it the most is uncanny. There is no display noticeable besides her approaching them and no words to be heard by any but the individual she speaks quietly to. But the effects are well evident I have seen children and adults male and female moved to tears in an instant followed by an immediate change in their demeanour like a huge weight has been removed from them...
All my life I have watched her live a selfless life wanting for nothing but for what is good for me and serving others...
And I mean that quite literally and to top it all off she is the most excellent cook and baker.
When people try her food for the first time I have to laugh because all to often the first thing they do is look at me and tell me how spoiled I am...