I have a problem. Actually, it's not my personal problem, but the Earth's. I suppose either way you look at it, it could still be considered MY problem as I am part of it. Regardless, THE problem is I often enjoy driving around for hours, listening to music, and enjoying the sights I am able to experience. It's actually kind of ironic; I enjoy driving around, killing our planet... yet I do it so I can experience the sights our planet has to offer. There are just so many amazing images to witness. On occasion the lighting and atmosphere are just so perfect to me aesthetically that I am actually emotionally struck and moved in such a way that the image is forever burnt into my memory.
I debate with myself some times as to if I want to take a camera with me. Since I cannot accurately reproduce the images in my mind, a camera would certainly be helpful in recalling said images in the real-life (as opposed to the inter-reality in our minds) for sharing and to study for duplication. Sounds well and fine but at the same time, would the images still carry the same weight they do for me if anyone and everyone experienced them? Probably not. That's my opinion, anyway.
So I usually go about my business, hoping my memory works as well as I pretend it does so that everything I experience will be documented somewhere in the bowels of my brain.
Believe it or not, I am actually building up to something of personal importance here.
So I decide I hate my job and take a half day last week. It was a particularly beautiful day. The sun was out and I was having a great time, listening to music and taking in the sights. I went down by the river and walked for a while, then walked around the city for a bit wishing it were a larger city. I don't know why I wasted time wishing for it to be bigger city but it was a rather magical day and I suppose anything would be possible.
After my zen-filled afternoon, I decided to drive around some more in the country and then head home. It was about sunset that I noticed it. Directly behind me, on the horizon, was half of a red ball (the sun). The sky immediately above the horizon glowed an amazing reddish orange all across the horizon. I then noticed that directly infront of me, the sky immediately above the horizon shown an amazing darkish blue all across the horizon... the bow of the night sky. Immediately I wondered how the two extremes would come together. On either side of me, exactly half way between the dropping ball of red and the darkest spot of blue, there was a white nothing, blending into the orangish and bluish skies on each side.
Maybe I'm tired and can't quite express what I saw with words at the moment due to a lack of sleep, but let me assure you, it was absolutely amazing. It was as if a band of color was wrapped around the world and I realized how lucky the Earth was to have such a beautiful sight grace it's existance. In a way, I was kind of jealous. That's when I decided that my next tattoo was going to be a band of color, exactly (or as closely immitated) as I had witnissed it. Just that image alone hit me on so many levels (some of which I'm still struggling to identify).
Earlier that day, when the sun was low in the sky but not quite setting, I drove by a field with a building in the middle of it. Above the field flew a flock of birds. There must have been a cloud in the way, I'm not entirely sure as I was focused on the birds, but the birds had gone from grayish-blue to a bright reddish-white as the sun hit them. The manor in which they were flying and how sudden the change in color was... that really moved me. I immediately thought of something someone close to me had said once, something I consider to be one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. She said, "I believe the last form a soul reincarnates to before reaching purity is that of a bird. To be a bird is to be absolutely free; free from restraint, free from worry, free from gravity... they have to be the closest thing to purity."
Later, after the sun had retreated beyond the horizon, I saw yet another completely moving sight, something I don't think I had ever seen before. I'd try to explain it but seeing as how I had butchered the prior two descriptions, I'm not even going to attempt this most complex imagery. I suppose you'll have to wait for the painting.
Anyway, the day was absolutely filled with so many amazing images. I couldn't believe that the Earth was capable of so many amazing sights. It was shortly after witnessing that last vision that I realized I had my sunglasses on all day and that the Earth didn't create a single bit of what I saw. In fact, all that I had seen was actually a distorted version of what was truly going on.
This left me confused because I often wear my sunglasses, whose tinting is nearly impossible to duplicate in photoshop (as I have tried) and was left knowing that no matter what I do, camera or not, I will never be able to see any of what I have seen again, just the way it was.
This left me questioning then if I still would have found those sights as moving and beautiful had I not been wearing my sunglasses.
This left me to wondering if I am always living in my own reality. I suppose most of us DO live in our own versions of reality. But if something so simple as the tint of glasses can be the deciding factor in what is "beautiful" and what is "average", what else is effecting the way I perceive reality, both "actual" reality (the reality that actually is) and my own personal reality (the way I process the "actual" reality). Think about those who are color blind. I remember everyone in elementary school having to take a color blind test and a few students found that they were color blind. Up until that point, they had no idea that they were color blind. The most common type of color blindness is a dificiency with red and green. Imagine going through life lacking the ability to view reds and greens, instead showing as shades of gray. That would drastically change your view of the world, both physically and cognitively.
That is a lot to take in. But it gets worse. If we all create our own realities, both consciously and subconsciously, then is there an "actual" or "true" reality? That may sound silly, but think about everything from your views to everyday rhetoric. Just take a look at a thesaurus. There are over 25 words synonymous with the word "love". Love is something I think that we can all relate to. If that's so, then why is it that we need 25+ words to say what we can all relate to, and have it mean something different to each of us? I suppose it would have to do with our own life experiences and world views. Love may be too abstract of an example, but I think you get the point. We institute such practices as "being P.C." and yet there are still arguments as to what is "acceptable" and what is not when it is obvious that we each create our own reality and therefore arguing on such topics such as if "nigger" is or is not a culturally accepted term to be used by one or all groups of peoples, is a complete waste of time, mental energy, and resources.
I may have strayed a bit with the meaning of words, but already that's two examples of different perceptions of reality: both what we see visually and what different words mean to us as individuals. Obviously I'm not breaking any new ground here but there tend to be things that we just accept and if we take a minute to think about what's happening we may find that there are some things that aren't put out in front of us that could affect us in many ways.
Ok, I really have no idea where I was going with this now. I had only intended to discuss a beautiful day and my next tattoo and somehow ended up debating how real reality is. I guess the only way I can actually tie this up is to say that seeing as we all have our own idea of reality, it's probably a good idea to not only be politically educated, but also politically active because it appears that we (as Americans) have become increasingly dependent on the government making choices for us and trusting that those are the best choices. Don't forget, you can't just vote and then not pay attention to what goes on until the next election. It's our duty as citizens to run the government as put forth in the Constitution. As an example, I wonder how many readers would be surprised to know how many unconstitutional acts the Bush administration alone has engaged in. I won't tell you because that's too easy. Do a google search and enjoy. Also, were you aware habeus corpus no longer exists? I'm not trying to Bush-bash here because there are other people responsible as well, but let's be honest here: Bush wipes his ass with the Bill of Rights when he takes a shit. He has the lowest popularity in the polls of any president before him. Over two thirds of Americans disapprove of the job he is doing, yet a majority of Americans voted him to be in office for a total of 8 years.
Don't just accept the reality that is laid out in front of you. Ask the questions you need to ask and exist accordingly.
Maybe there is hope yet for humans to survive...
Who am I kidding, we're all doomed.
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