Thursday 23 August 2012
Wednesday 22 August 2012
A Stroke of Lightning
Wow. Every
now and then you really need to marvel at the awe-inspiring phenomena that
abound in this world. And sometimes it’s the incredible minutest of details, bringing
them about, that cause me to wonder. Take lightning for example. I am sure many
would agree that their power and intensity are something to be appreciated… or
even feared. We find ourselves many-a-time amazed at their spectacle when, in
fact, the true miracle is that they even strike at all. For, despite their high
voltages, “a bolt of lightning is not nearly strong enough to overcome the
insulating properties of air.”1 Another factor needs to come into
play- something that is not based on the lightning’s power alone; and for all
the high-speed cameras that are continuously being improved, its cause remains elusive.
This one
missing piece: the spark that starts it all. It is an unknown beyond one’s
comprehension- something we cannot see nor fully grasp. And that’s where the
light shines greatest in lightning. For if these tiny, unseen details are already
taken care of in this world, I wonder what changes are possible in me.
1Johnson,
George. "Chasing Lightning." National Geographic. August 2012:
106.
Tuesday 14 August 2012
The Normal Conundrum
I hate the word “normal”.
It can’t be defined and I think we just waste our time trying to reach
its elusive and treacherous ideal. The desire to be ordinary is perhaps one of
humanity’s greatest puzzles. And maybe “fitting” the pieces together isn’t the
way to solve it.
Normal is what we think everyone else thinks is normal;
there is no static definition of the word and, for that reason, it is an unattainable
standard to wish to achieve. But we all strive for a sense of normalcy and,
unfortunately, use it as a driving force in our lives. In our race to be like “everybody
else”, we leave our true selves trampled behind us. It seems impossible to
break free of this mindset because society impresses upon everyone at an early
age a desire to please others at all cost. It’s as if we have been set up for
failure.
In the end, we either have to assimilate and be like what we
believe everyone else to be or find contentment in breaking apart and staying
true to ourselves. The latter is not easy because we feel pressured by the
world to merge with everyone else. However, theoretically speaking, if we truly
accept ourselves for who we are, than the acceptance of everyone else shouldn’t
matter at all. I don’t know of this is any more possible than reaching “normal’,
but at least it’s a constructive concept for which to strive.
Monday 13 August 2012
Building Walls
Too many people waste their time trying to be someone else. I
wonder how many times we have walked into a room of pasted smiles and false
laughter; where we find ourselves as mere spectres going about life, each
ignorant in our own isolation. Somehow, we feel better when we are busy
constructing barriers; thinking we are protecting ourselves by keeping others
from catching a glimpse of the real person within. But problems arise from this
self-deception. Not expressing one’s
true feelings only results in anger and resentment. Moreover, hiding our true
selves is an exhausting undertaking and never really gives a sense of security.
As proven throughout history, walls are seldom able to
maintain their purpose indefinitely. The Berlin Wall fell, the Great Wall of
China, a symbol of power, still gave way to the Mongols and other invaders. In
the same way, we build walls of false images and spend all our energy trying to
sustain them. It is a fruitless effort for, in doing so, we miss out on much
and forget what’s important; like loving others or having loyal friends and
supportive families.
This begs the question of who are we really afraid of? For the
walls will eventually fall and then with whom are we left? Surely not those we
have blocked out.
These mental strongholds: We try to hide behind them but all
we succeed in achieving is hiding from ourselves. For the real threat comes
from within and no matter how many outer defenses we mount, they won’t shield
us from the true person inside. And peace will only come through acceptance.
Tuesday 7 August 2012
Saving Superman
-A short story-
My best memories of childhood always began with a hunt through the linen closet. I would be looking each time for the indispensable superhero necessities: a rag to fashion a cape- an old towel would do perfectly- and a strip of cloth for a mask. A few tucks here, a little adjusting there, a poor attempt at forming a knot and, voila, I became a caped hero, defending the world from the masked marauders of the night.
My best memories of childhood always began with a hunt through the linen closet. I would be looking each time for the indispensable superhero necessities: a rag to fashion a cape- an old towel would do perfectly- and a strip of cloth for a mask. A few tucks here, a little adjusting there, a poor attempt at forming a knot and, voila, I became a caped hero, defending the world from the masked marauders of the night.
There was always that anticipation of dressing up, that
delicious feeling of being someone else for a short period of time, where my
reality would slip away and I could escape from the confines of my small, childhood world. In those fantasy-filled moments, I fully believed I had become
one of them and that by defeating my imaginary villains, I was somehow
protecting the world from the horrors that plagued it. As if by simply wearing
a cape, I could take the burdens of the world upon my childish frame.
But I was young and my sheltered eyes had seen little of
those horrors; my imagination unable to truly construct what held the world in
bondage. My war was of a fun sort, where the good guys always won and vengeance
always dealt without fail. When I look back upon that period of my existence,
it is easy to laugh at the ignorance of my childhood innocence. Because to me
then, the world was of a monochrome nature; where right and wrong were divided
as clearly as day and night. Not at all like the hazy twilight where I find
myself pondering such beliefs, now so many years in the future.
And what is it that I believe now? For the difference
between adults and children is that we see the world through a different lens,
so that we often reject what is right before our eyes: the pure, the innocent,
all that is simple and good is lost in the shadows of cynicism. It is our
inability to clearly distinguish the difference between night and day that
sends us to the stumbling block of nations. Maybe if, for a moment, every
leader of every country were to lower himself to the eye level of a
five-year-old, the world would be a better place. But these are most likely the
mad ramblings of a delusional dreamer.
So is that why today I once again yearn to see things
through the over-simplified worldview of youth? It’s morning once more and I’m
looking out the window. I hear laughter and soon see a boy appear from behind
the house across the street. He is wearing a mask, his eyes peering out from
its exaggerated features. I’m trying to discern whose face he is hiding behind,
almost frantically now because I think I already know. He is running and
jumping, twirling and bouncing through
the sun-dappled morning. And suddenly- might it be because of the angle of the
sun?- I can see it clearly. For here I am, in a cape once more, but trying to save
superman.
Labels:
growing up,
life,
light,
morning,
perspective,
short story,
youth
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