TOW # 8 - The Tao of Pooh (IRB Part 2)

The ride with Winnie-the-Pooh so far has been pretty uneventful and flowy...nothing too mind-boggling or completely mind-blowing but calm and slightly amusing. I can't say I've been completely blown away or enlightenened, but I've definitely learned a couple of things from this Pooh-bear, and I think that's exactly what the author, Benjamin Hoff, was shooting for. Hoff says through Taoism is - essentially - everywhere we go through quoting people and relating events to Taoist concepts in his book The Tao of Pooh.
One thing I noticed in the second half of the book that wasn't present in the first half was the concrete use of real-world examples. Although the first half mentioned many hypothetical scientists and normal people in society who act unlike Taoists, the book never really mentioned a specific real-life person or event. However, the second half of the book transitions from explaining Taoist concepts through allusions to Winnie-the-Pooh to tying those explained concepts with real-life people and events. For example, after explaining the Taoist concept of listening to one's own instinct rather than the comments of others, Hoff mentions Thomas Edison and how he became a well-known innovative genius despite the criticism from others that failed to strike him down. This creates a smoothe transition where readers can find Taoism in unexpected characters like Winnie-the-Pooh and then naturally in people that we often hear or learn about like Edison.
Hoff continues this transition from Pooh allusions to real-life figures in order to create the feeling that Taoism is omnipresent. In the first half, Hoff quotes Taoist texts and excerpts from Pooh to explain Taoism and to show in a pleasant way that Taoism exists in seemingly uneventful characters such as Winnie-the-Pooh. In the second half, Hoff quotes famous figures that we're more used to hearing from to establish an even more universal connection. Hoff quotes Claude Debussy, who said, "Music is the space between the notes" to show the Taoist concept of emptiness and anticipation. He also quotes our good old friend Thoreau, who said, "Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches today to save nine tomorrow," in order to explain the Taoist concept that one cannot save time and therefore should rather focus on spending time wisely. By using such figures, the reads can notice that Taoism is found in many intellectuals and in events happening around us.
Obi Wan Kenobi said to Luke, "Remember...the Force will be with you. Always." Although I doubt Benjamin Hoff is the same Ben as Ben Kenobi, they both essentially have the same message. Everywhere - even in places where we wouldn't expect it to be - Taoism exists.