A Pen Named Man: Our Essence

Preface

God paints History on a canvas known as Existence using a brush named Man and a medium called Life.

Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge my immediate family who laid the foundation for my life. This includes my mother Lena T. Newton, my father Fred A. Newton, my brother Figgy, and my sisters Adele and Sally. Mom was a loving and fierce protector of her children. She worked the B-shift at Westinghouse in Bath, N.Y. and established a family tradition of cooking a spaghetti dinner every Saturday afternoon. Dad was employed at the Corning Glass Works. He was an ardent sportsman who loved to hunt and fish, and I began following him through the woods when I was eight years of age. Figgy, my older brother, was a kind and caring person. I looked up to Figgy and he was an inspiration to everyone who knew him. Adele, my older sister, led the way through school and the teenage years. Adele and I played board games, put together puzzles, and played cards such as canasta and rummy. Sally, my younger sister, followed me everywhere as a young child. When Sally grew up, she became a nurse, raised two children, and for her entire adult life devotedly watched after Mom.

Our family was intact for two months from May 30, 1950 when Sally was born until August 2, 1950 when Figgy died. Throughout all the years we’ve been deeply devoted to one another. I love each one of them dearly and we’ve shared a most meaningful and wonderful life together. We’ll remain a family intact for all eternity.

Introduction

People are the same the world over. Everyone is biologically identical to everyone else. Every person has a heart that beats and delivers blood throughout the body. Every person has a pair of lungs which take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. Everyone has a stomach, liver, and intestines to carry on the life processes of digestion and assimilation. Further, each person has two hands with which to work and build. Each of us responds to external stimuli and enjoys the pleasant fragrance of fresh roses. Similarly, everyone reacts to pain and quickly withdraws his or her finger when touching a hot, stovetop burner. The only major physiological difference existing among people is the sexual one, that of male and female.

In addition to the biological features, there are psychological attributes which people share. People everywhere display the same intellectual capabilities. Everyone thinks and rationalizes. Each of us remembers the past and plans for the future. Likewise, people the world over express the same emotional responses. Everyone displays anger, hostility, anxiety, and fear. Additionally, everyone becomes embarrassed at one time or another. Everyone worries about his or her health, and each of us is concerned with financial matters as well. Further, everyone desires to be accepted by others and wishes to form lasting bonds with one’s family and friends. Each of us seeks love, and everyone needs to give and receive love.

Our personal appearance is highly important to us as well. We all like to look physically attractive. We wash our face and hands, and we brush our hair and teeth. Many of us apply makeup or splash on cologne. Further, we tend to dress and act in the style of the day.

Hence, there are numerous similarities among the people of the world. Although people everywhere are fundamentally the same there are nonetheless differences among them. People do display physical variations. For instance, people vary in height as some of us are tall and others are short. People vary in weight for some of us are thin while others are overweight. People vary in the color and texture of their hair. People vary in the color of their eyes and their skin. As we know, there are no two people with the same fingerprints or DNA identifiers.

In addition to the physical differences people vary in psychological traits. For example, people display differences in their level of intelligence. Some people have a relatively low IQ whereas others have a high IQ. People vary in their degree of emotional stability as well. Some people find it difficult to cope with life’s daily problems while others don’t appear overly concerned even at times of potential emergencies. People also differ in their personalities. Some are extroverted and outgoing while others are introverted and shy. People also vary in their activity level. Some people are highly energetic and always on the go. Others are more relaxed and conduct their lives in a slower, less hectic pace.

People further vary in the types of interests they hold in life. Some people are interested in economics and political issues. Others are interested in medicine and science. Still other people are concerned with ecology and the environment. Also, people differ in the types of hobbies they pursue. For example, one person collects stamps while another enjoys model railroading as a hobby. A third person may gain satisfaction out of working in the garden. Further, people differ in their leisure time activities. Some people enjoy reading whereas others like to go bowling. Some like to hunt and fish while other people prefer to play golf as a means of relaxation.

More important than the individual similarities or differences which exist among people are the things that happen to them. As we know, the events of life aren’t the same for all people and each person has a distinct and separate life. The story of any one individual is filled with activities and incidents which he alone experiences. Indeed, we all have our own story to tell. We all have good times and bad times. Some of us are happy most of our life while others are unhappy. Some of us are healthy throughout our life and others are ill. Without question, everyone encounters certain difficulties in life. We all get physically injured to greater and lesser extents. Nearly everyone burns his finger at some point and basically no one goes through life without getting a splinter in his or her hand. Many of us end up with a sprained wrist or ankle, or a broken arm or leg. Besides the physical injuries, we all suffer from emotional problems. Whether it involves the breakup of a romance or the death of a loved one, periodically each of us experiences an emotional crisis.

A trait we share in common is to rationalize our problems and misfortunes. No matter what happens to us we say it could be worse. We look at another person whose problem is greater than ours and we find some consolation. The rationalization process is fairly self-serving for it puts our difficulties into perspective and helps us realize that many of life’s problems aren’t as terrible as they could be.

Overall, people seek a balance in their day-to-day existence. At times, we eagerly leave the status quo of a secure life. This happens when we seek fun and excitement. Likewise, we frantically try to return to equilibrium when we encounter high stress. We all attempt to avoid illness, and we want to be free of pain and suffering in our daily lives. We want our children to be born healthy. Each of us wants to be reasonably happy. Each of us feels one’s life is the most important thing to him or her. Although we know that someday we must die, we cannot comprehend that life will be anything but our experiencing it as we do now while alive. The awareness of our mortality tends to make us insecure about our position in life.

In this book, we examine the human organism as a representative being of life within the animate world. We discuss the biological and non-biological components of man. On the biological side, we describe the several life processes of respiration, digestion, circulation, etc. We further describe the major body organs and how they function. On the non-biological side, we look at human behavior. We examine the psychological realms of emotion and reason. From our evaluations, we recognize the need to synthesize the biological and non-biological components into a harmonious union so neither totally dominates the person relative to his or her chance to live a happy and rewarding life.

The goal is to determine the proper balance which needs to exist between the physiological and psychological components so a person can successfully pursue and complete his purpose in life. That purpose is defined in A Pen Named Man: Our Purpose. It calls on an individual to be God’s representative on Earth and serve his fellow man and all other species of life as the gardener and governor of Nature. In the chapters to follow, we’ll attempt to show how a person’s experience on Earth can be meaningful, satisfying, and successful.

1

Existence—Universe—Life

In A Pen Named Man: Our Purpose we employ the term EXISTENCE-LIFE-GOD to describe the fundamental essence of reality. EXISTENCE-LIFE-GOD is separated into its three components and each is characterized in the following manner. EXISTENCE refers to the domain, LIFE represents the substance, and GOD pertains to the quality of being.

When we discuss the domain of EXISTENCE we speak about its limitlessness in regard to extent and duration. We discuss the Forms of Life as potential universes born out of EXISTENCE. In particular we direct our attention to one Form of Life which is the Animate Form. We recognize that the primary constituent of the Animate Form of Life is a cosmos we call the universe. We look at the universe and its major components, i.e., the huge galactic systems with their billions upon billions of stars. Then we focus on a single galaxy, which is the Milky Way galaxy. We concern ourselves with one particular star in the galaxy; that star being our sun. Finally, we describe the sun’s family including its planets, satellites, meteors, comets, etc. We further discuss planet Earth.

The earth affords a place for animate life and it supplies the substances out of which living tissue can be formed. Further, the earth is a fairly stable planet within the solar system. It’s associated with a stable star in a stable galaxy. This celestial arrangement secures a period of time that’s necessary for animate life to evolve and grow.

The second major phase of reality is LIFE. LIFE is the substance of being and it represents the dynamic phase of reality. As a substance, LIFE is uniformly distributed throughout the entire domain of EXISTENCE.

In A Pen Named Man: Our Purpose, we look at the dynamic nature of Life and contrast it with the features of non-life, i.e., the environment. We study Life and see how it’s related to the universe at large. We see how animate life developed from the physical world and how it’s dependent upon the environment to be sustained. Further, we investigate the variety of life. We look at the many species of life and see how they developed across the face of the earth. We note how certain species depend upon other species in order to survive.

We investigate Life’s uniqueness relative to the organisms on Earth who so vividly characterize the animate world. Within the Animate Form of Life, we identify the plant and animal kingdoms as two of its major divisions. And within these two kingdoms we categorize the multitude of species that inhabit terrestrial and aquatic-based ecosystems on planet Earth.

Further, we discuss the third phase of reality, GOD, as the fundamental essence of EXISTENCE. We examine GOD as the underlying quality of LIFE. In reflecting on GOD, we look for the reason why everything exists. In particular, we attempt to illustrate how the unique attribute of GOD pertains to the meaning and value of the human experience on Earth. Basically, we reiterate the importance of mankind’s existence as we pursue and define our purpose in life.

In A Pen Named Man: Our Purpose we study the universe. In fact, we observe the universe as potentially the only ramification of the Animate Form of Life. We go on to identify the universe’s two major components, matter and energy. We examine the physical structure of the universe and describe its major ingredients of galaxies, stars, and planets. In particular, we focus on the sun and its family of planets. In our investigation we find the earth to be a medium-size planet positioned in a non-congested solar system. As a non-descript assortment of planetary and meteoric entities, the solar system contains but one star with fewer than ten major satellites. The solar system itself is located on the fringe of the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way isn’t particularly impressive where it resides in space as a typical galactic collection of stellar and planetary components. Compared to the rest of the galaxies, it’s average in key aspects including size, energy content, brightness, etc. The Milky Way, like so many other galaxies, is positioned deep inside this gigantic universe of ours.

The universe itself is spectacular. It houses numerous gigantic, galactic systems that contain billions of stars and planets. It also contains an enormous distribution of interstellar gases and dust. Further, the universe contains another component of major significance, i.e., a tremendous reservoir of energy. This contingent of energy is abundantly present throughout the universe in a variety of states.

As we know, the earth is but one of several planets in the solar system. However, it resides in a unique association with the sun. Because of their special relationship animate life is able to flourish. All life which we’re aware of owes its existence to planet Earth. Everything that goes to make up the creatures of life resides within the environment. Nutrients, minerals, water, and oxygen are the materials used to build and maintain living tissue. These substances, which are all found in Nature, are either absorbed or consumed by the organisms in their life-sustaining processes.

Specific physical and chemical conditions on Earth allow organisms to thrive. Human beings, like all animals, are alive because there’s sufficient oxygen for respiration. Additionally, food supplies are plentiful and enough nutrients are available to build and maintain their bodies. There is a source of drinking water and there’s adequate warmth from the sun. Further, the planet is appropriately positioned in the solar system. Its distance from the sun, the rotation on its axis, and the presence of an atmosphere, are all conducive to the development of animate life.

All environments on Earth share a commonality when it comes to the support of animate life. A lake, a riverbed, a pond, and a marshland all hold features in common. To support life, so do a plain, a plateau, a tundra area, and a mountainside. All livable habitats contain identical life-sustaining components. First and foremost, every habitat contains water. Water is an environmental component necessary for the pliancy of living cells. Water is also necessary as the thirst-quenching agent for living organisms. Secondly, each habitat provides an abundance of building supplies, i.e., the raw materials used to construct living tissue. These include minerals, salts, proteins, carbohydrates, and other nutrients needed for every organism’s maintenance and growth. Thirdly, every habitat provides a supply of oxygen. Oxygen is made available to meet the requirements of cellular metabolism and is present as the respiratory gas utilized by all living organisms. Thus, the presence of these fundamental materials is required and existent in all livable environments whether based on land, in water, or in the air.

The world’s major eco-systems place restrictions upon the inhabitants and set the conditions by which animate life can exist. The conditions span all three environmental spheres. They include the general consistency of the lithosphere and involve the types of minerals and inorganic substances in the soil. The conditions likewise include the basic purity of the hydrosphere and cover the salt content and amounts of carbon dioxide and oxygen dissolved in the seas. The conditions also include the layered structure of the atmosphere and involve overall air quality including relative humidity, level of dust, and the pressure of the air. The conditions involve other factors which affect the state of the environment as well. Such factors include the availability of sunlight, the temperature gradient at the Earth’s surface, and the propensity for rainfall. In order to survive in the world, the organisms must meet whatever environmental conditions befall them.

We should point out the restrictive nature to the survival ability of any organism on Earth. Even small variations in the level of solar radiation can be harmful to animate life. We can appreciate this by looking at the effect solar radiation has on human beings. For instance, the exposure to ultraviolet radiation can produce sunburn. And prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation can result in skin cancer. Also, being subjected to elevated levels of gamma radiation may cause blood disorders, various malignancies, and genetic mutations. Over exposure to high intensity solar radiation is not only detrimental to the human species, but it’s dangerous to nearly every other species as well. Furthermore, no matter how well protected, no matter how plentiful the nutrients and other resources, and no matter how much warmth and water are available, all organisms can only sustain themselves for a limited period of time.

As we know, living organisms are made up of the same elements comprising the environment. Rather than being separate from the environment they’re dependent upon it. Living organisms represent unique modifications of elements within the environment. They combine elements in ways that provide the organisms with the ability to move, metabolize, and respond. In essence, living organisms represent a dynamic and functioning phase of a bi-phased, animate and inanimate, universe.

We should mention that life is substantially uniform across the animate world at either the cellular or species level. It’s likewise consistent throughout the plant and animal communities. Cellular life is consistent within the various organisms whether the organism resides at the ocean floor or on a mountaintop. For the multitude of living entities, the consistency of cellular life lies in its function as well as design. As example, the cells within the delivery system of a tree’s branch perform the same duties as the cells in the arteries and veins of a rabbit’s paw.

There’s a systematic pattern to the life story of all the higher-developed vascular plants. Regardless of the species, the plant’s early stage of development starts with formation of a root system and stem. The root system branches out and extends into the soil. The new plant acquires oxygen and absorbs water. It takes in nutrients as well. The immediate surroundings play a determining role in the growth of plants for an environment that’s both warm and moist enhances the rate of cellular metabolism. New cells are formed which then produce more cells. The plant grows larger and develops an increasingly stronger stem. It likewise adds new limbs and more leaves. While the plant grows above ground, it grows below ground as well. The root system continues to extend downward and outward into the soil. Terrestrial plants then grow bi-directionally, i.e., they reach out above and below ground surface level.

As far as the animal community is concerned, all higher-developed animals have a central framework which supports their body systems and attached appendages. Overall, the animal’s body is symmetrical in shape and of a standard design. The animal’s head is located at the front and contains a mouth and the principal organs for responsiveness and sensory awareness. The organs for the disposal of metabolic waste products are located at the rear. In the middle region are the organs for metabolism and maintenance. The appendages are attached to the body proper. The attachments vary in size, shape, and structural design. Depending upon the particular species, the animal’s appendages range from fins to legs to wings. And regardless of design, all appendages are used to move the animal from one place to another.

In regard to functionality, animals carry on the same life processes. They take in nutrients and utilize the nutrients to sustain themselves. All animals carry on cellular metabolism. Animals conduct metabolic activity through the life processes of respiration, digestion, circulation, etc.

Each unique type of organism, plant or animal, represents a species of life. A species’ members are essentially identical from a biological perspective as they have the same body structure and perform identical life processes. Genetically, the species’ members are locked into a single constituency.

Within each species line, the offspring produced are replicates of the parents. The offspring however are not necessarily identical to the parents. That’s because adaptation, mutation, and genetic recombination take place across the web of species life. Nonetheless, living organisms do reproduce their own kind.

Animate life shows a broad range relative to the population of a species. There are species with not very many members. That is to say, some near extinct species contain but a few hundred organisms. There are also species with several hundred thousand members and species with millions of members. On the more populous side, there are species whose membership totals in the billions of organisms.

For sure, a multitude of specie life inhabits the earth today. There are millions upon millions of different types of plants and animals. From the multitude of specie which exist there is one that’s unique and of high interest. That species is mankind. Needless to say, the human species plays a special role in the story of life. In the chapters ahead we’ll examine the human species and attempt to identify its place in the animate world. We’ll define man’s biological and non-biological components and discuss the necessity to synthesize these components into an acceptable and workable union.

Synthesizing man’s physiological and psychological components into a harmonious union is necessary for two important reasons. First of all, once it’s accomplished, individual people and the species as a whole will be positioned to live a life that’s satisfying and worthwhile. Neither component will dominate the other. Man will not be driven by biological