Tuesday, September 16, 2014
"Tunnels......................"
“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.” – Anais Nin
I am amazed at people who, in their old age, can mentally look back decades and, in great detail, describe some scene or event from the past. All this old man can achieve is “mental snapshots”. It was another world; and yet was never any more than this frail, fleeting, impossible-to-capture-other-than-in-passing moment that too soon joins all the rest. How much of it, I wonder, is real? How much is no more than a perception I, myself, hold of how it “is”, my definition, not His? A couple of reads this morning have sparked such thoughts, one reflecting childhood memories of a walk in the woods with her elders, the other speaking of something provoking our brains to reach back in time even while realizing all the distance traversed. Not only did the second speak of how “the strange has become familiar and the familiar, if not strange, at least awkward or uncomfortable like an outgrown garment”, but pointed, as well, to the journey being different for each of us, the birthright of some having provided adequate foundation to build upon and others burning bridges behind them in an attempt to escape what was. In either situation, however, it remains the same: we are connected via our brain to the past as we experienced it, or at least as we envisioned it. In science, this “ticking of the clock” is an enigma, another “piece of the puzzle”, vital to several of their theories and yet elusive to being solved in the sense of putting it “in a box”. With the universe supposedly existing in the form of a blanket, though, one not lying on a flat surface, but extended in “sound waves”, they propose that “black holes” (stars or planets that have inwardly collapsed) are possible “wormholes” capable of transporting one (should one survive the experience) across the “gap”. Backwards? Forward? Merely a fantasy in Hawking’s head right now; but probable in so far as his genius presently determines it. Then, again, maybe we all are mad. So far, in my life, the one thing, above all, that has proven itself and continues to make sense is this anchor-line in my “belly”. It secures me, in my regrets, in my fears, in my hope for whatever tomorrow brings. Let me know this through His eyes, His reins, the veil removed in Christ……
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Those are fascinating theories, Jim. My sister and I talk sometimes about different family stories, and how we remember them, often quite differently. I suppose how we see things, and the things we remember, can be influenced by the differences in our personalities.
ReplyDeleteMy wife thinks me crazy when I step into such deep thinking, Annie, and I suppose there is, for some, danger in getting "stuck" out there. Depends, it seems to me, on whose hand you hold as you go. Exploration, be it no more than through the pages of a book, feeds the soul; and there's so much more to explore than just the physical side of where you've never been....
DeleteJim, from your last comment to annie, I have this picture of you floating "out there" tethered to a space station of sorts.
ReplyDeleteI find the whole space/time thing fascinating and remember first encountering Einstein's thoughts about it way back when I was a kid. Love that kind of speculation.
Like annie, my sister and I talk about the past and I'm amazed how much detail she recollects. It worries me a little that I don't seem to remember as much detail as I used to and that my mind might be shrinking like a prune. Some stuff it's good to forget but unfortunately, it seems to take the good stuff with it.
I recently heard that many many people seem to be more and more B12 deficient and that the effects of this prolonged condition are far reaching and quite serious. Because it directly has an impact on our brains, symptoms are varied from MS like conditions to dementia. Watched this doc called Diagnosing and Treating Vitamin B12 Deficiency - YouTube that I found very interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEizypoyO0
Don't mind floating "out there, Mich, as long as you keep me "tethered" to something, preferably Him. Watched the video. Don't know about B12, but will check into it more. My wife claims not drinking enough water can affect one's brain. There's also commercials out there promoting something new called "Prevagen". As far as the universe, time, and creation, in general, I don't see how one can separate it all from theology, or, as some do, just ignore it all together. You've been awhile since your last visit. How's school going?....
DeleteSchool's running along "tickety boo" as they say and I sometimes feel like I'm just trying to catch up to it. My time there has increased which definitely helps beef up the back account but makes some serious withdrawals in the energy reserves. Between that and my ongoing battle with my bum-eye, I'm not spending a whole lot of time in front of the computer. I miss visiting here as well as annie's and hope's and a couple of others.
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking about me, Jim. How're are you enjoying your free time this fall?
I agree with Beth that water is important for the brain. Just looked at Prevagen. I guess jellyfish brain might be an improvement to the one I'm working with some days. The commercial made me think of something you'd see in a Sci-fi movie where they find out that "big brother" is actually controlling the masses with this new product.
The church school has not yet called me, too early I suppose for any to be needing substitutes. It's small, around 200 students, K-12, so maybe 13-15 teaching positions. Reading a lot, much more time to keep the blog regular, doing three miles a day still at a nearby park and have lost 12 pounds in the last few weeks. I'd rather be working; but it's where turning 73 the 13th of October has me. God is good. What's with the "bum eye"? Hindering you in your artwork? I go up to your sight every now and then looking for new entries. A lot of great talent there to lose it to vision. My doodling with portraits isn't anywhere close to your skills and it pretty much went down the drain when bifocals arrived.....
DeleteYes, it's still early in the year for much subbing, that's true. Would you be able to or would you want to sub at your old school occasionally? One of our assistants who retired does that and it's always great to see her besides knowing how good she is to work with.
ReplyDelete3 miles a day is good! And 12 pounds!?! Wow! Congratulations. It's great that you have a good spot to go walk.
About the eye biz, the day after setting up a website with the help of my daughter, my left eye started flashing which indicated a possible stroke or a possible retinal detachment. I voted for the detachment and those in the know agreed. It hasn't detached but there was a period of time where they told me to keep ...wait for it... an eye on it. Apparently it's not uncommon at all but it's a pain and certainly put a crimp in my plans to do more artwork this summer. It also stops me from doing much computer stuff at all and gives me headaches. And also weird eye migraines that scared the hell outa me the first time it happened. Coincidentally, this eye stuff happened on my birthday so that made me laugh a little. But I was very grateful that it was not a stroke.
My wife has suffered with the detached retina, to the point of surgery a few years back. Glad yours wasn't a stroke, the good news being they can sure do miracle things these days with much of what comes to us as we go. Hopefully your condition will get better and you return that "eye" to more of that artwork. They tell me, though, that being retired, there is a 100 day waiting period before I can sub for the old school. Not sure that I want to do it, though, my only interest being the old room and I will return to visit it when the waiting period is past.
DeleteThank you for the encouragement both for the eye and the artwork. Glad your wife's eye was restored.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the thinking is with the 100 day wait period...but I can also understand your hesitancy.