Heros are in the eye of the beholder

So when I mentioned this ad last night in class, I had the impression that several of you hadn't seen it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBLPv5oVvpA

I think that David's question about recognition for invention was interesting from the perspective that it sheds light on the fact that we, as a society in general, tend to give honor and accolades to the most un-influential people and industries in our lives while neglecting those who probably have the greatest influence on our daily activities and life styles. For example…

Actors/Entertainment Industry:
How many award ceremonies a can they put on for themselves and how many time can they pat each other on the back. Not to mention the exorbitant stipends a leading actor or actress may get for memorizing some lines and letting someone dye their hair.

Inventors/Innovators:
Granted, most inventors are under contract or work within a corporate structure and intellectual property rights belong to the companies which/that (I can never remember which one to use) employs them, but I would imagine that most people in this situation are somewhat happy by the compensation and/or bonuses they get at the end of the year. Although a commercial about your accomplishments might not be a bad thing either.

Just a few thoughts.

My mission...should I decide to accept it...

I guess that my sense of mission and purpose with regard to this masters program in media arts and sciences is multi-tiered and born out of my own experiences growing up. I learned far too late in life, that I am a visual learner. I didn’t like reading and writing. I remember through high school and college that in order to understand chemistry or science problems, I would draw pictures in my head. So, I wish to use the information and skills I acquire in this program to translate many of the hard textual concepts and formulas into visual cues for all those who may be like me. Thereby allowing those who assimilate information in visual ways to perhaps participate at levels from which they would otherwise be held back or fail due to teaching methods, not their intelligence. Those who leave their mark on this world are not those who can read piles of textbooks and regurgitate all their information. But rather those who can think outside the box – make pictures in their minds – think on other planes - tell the story in different ways. Visual learners simply look at things differently.
Another conviction I have about this mission, is to participate in new media in ways that enhance real, living, interpersonal relationships as opposed to promoting interaction through a world of avatars. I’ve watched far too many families sit within fifteen feet of each other at airports, beaches, family parties, etc. with minimal conversation and interaction with each other just because they each have their own world to be in – an electronic distraction. It’s not that I’m opposed to things like iPODS, video games, etc. it s just that it appears that they have become a replacement or easy replacement for real relationship. Because of this, my mission must follow a path that doesn’t replace HHI (Human-Human Interaction) but rather enhances it.
Finally, I think part of my mission and perhaps the reason I’m completely changing career directions at the age of…over 40, is that I must find some level of creative and artistic satisfaction with the majority of my waking hours. I almost feel as though this is more important than all the others. I wasn’t drawn to this program out of a sense of conviction to teach the world through pictures as much as I wanted to learn new skills which allowed me to create and express myself and eat. Once I had taken a few classes and started reading about learning disabilities and visual learning did a purpose start coming into focus. But the first desire remained; create something from within that had purpose and meaning.