A Whole New Mind

As we enter the 21st century at last,
Programmers and techies are a thing of the past.
Artists and storytellers and consolers are IT,
But I have trouble making this fit.

To imply that Don Trump doesn’t engage in big thinking,
Or that Gates and Jobs spend their time merely tinkering.
That none of these people are makers of meaning,
Or creative or empathizers is, in fact, demeaning.

Why do you think that L-directed thinking,
Is somehow devoid of empathy and creating?
You say as technologies become powerful and connected,
That linear thinkers will eventually be rejected.

Perhaps Pink wrote this book in a period of time,
When everyone called prosperity and abundance mine.
But with layoffs and Dow dips and foreclosures of houses,
He may need to rethink all he espouses.

There is no doubt that an R-directed approach,
Has merit in this world and is beyond reproach.
But the reality is I want an L-directed doctor-o,
To treat my condition unless I’m ready to go (to the great beyond).

To see the big picture is necessary for sure,
But often R-directed thinkers miss it even more.
What makes you think that they see the big scene,
Or somehow see the forest and the trees.

If I should be stranded on an island one day,
And I’m trying to get off like Hanks in Castaway.
Don’t send me the guy who wants to play,
Or tell me a story at the end of the day.

These things are good for comfort and peace,
But not for getting me home with the greatest of ease.
Send me the guy who can build a seaworthy craft,
And calculate wind velocities or repair my life raft.

R-directed thinkers make use of the stuff,
Created by L-directed thinkers, sure enough.
What would the dancer and artist do,
Without the tools and materials developed anew.

So, yes, the future is a Conceptual Age,
With skills and knowledge that are hard to gauge.
Although what you say has a great deal of merit,
Is it a realistic portrayal of the world my children will inherit?