Exodus
You kids out there in cyberspace (namely Sara and Ian, the readers of my blog) will be glad to know that, yes, I am alive.
I got in last night from out of town. I went to Hawaii with my family and each of us kids got to bring along a friend. I brought Genevieve the Brit, Parker brought Andy the Frat Brother, and Tyler brought Corey the Country Boy. Needless to say, it was an interesting mix of people. It was an awesome trip though, and coming back to the city was really, I mean, really difficult. I'll be listening to Jack Johnson, Iz Kama-whatever, acoustic slack key ballads and Bob Marley for months. (Yeah, I do realize that reggae is not from the Pacific, thanks. But island music is island music to a certain extent.) In fact, according to Bob at this very moment, "Everything's gonna be alright." I'll make it my mantra until I get out of the back-to-reality funk.
In totally unrelated news, if anybody knows of a job opening, let me know. I'm looking for another part-time job for the summer. (Actually, I guess it's definitely related to the back-to-reality funk.)
So, no, I didn't meet the man of my dreams and stay in Hawaii, dang it.
I've come to a huge conclusion, though. Concrete and steel cities, while efficient and nice in small intervals, is not what the core of a man wants or needs. Yeah, the amount of things you can do in a city is great, but the city itself? I don't care if the buildings were disguised as huge trees or mountains, man craves nature. Man craves sunsets and waves and breezes across pastures. Man craves the sounds of nature--the wind through the trees, the insects at night. This city life is hollowing. It has the potential to lend itself to a very empty and stifling existence. And right now, I feel like I'm struggling against that inevitability. Everything's gonna be alright.
I got in last night from out of town. I went to Hawaii with my family and each of us kids got to bring along a friend. I brought Genevieve the Brit, Parker brought Andy the Frat Brother, and Tyler brought Corey the Country Boy. Needless to say, it was an interesting mix of people. It was an awesome trip though, and coming back to the city was really, I mean, really difficult. I'll be listening to Jack Johnson, Iz Kama-whatever, acoustic slack key ballads and Bob Marley for months. (Yeah, I do realize that reggae is not from the Pacific, thanks. But island music is island music to a certain extent.) In fact, according to Bob at this very moment, "Everything's gonna be alright." I'll make it my mantra until I get out of the back-to-reality funk.
In totally unrelated news, if anybody knows of a job opening, let me know. I'm looking for another part-time job for the summer. (Actually, I guess it's definitely related to the back-to-reality funk.)
So, no, I didn't meet the man of my dreams and stay in Hawaii, dang it.
I've come to a huge conclusion, though. Concrete and steel cities, while efficient and nice in small intervals, is not what the core of a man wants or needs. Yeah, the amount of things you can do in a city is great, but the city itself? I don't care if the buildings were disguised as huge trees or mountains, man craves nature. Man craves sunsets and waves and breezes across pastures. Man craves the sounds of nature--the wind through the trees, the insects at night. This city life is hollowing. It has the potential to lend itself to a very empty and stifling existence. And right now, I feel like I'm struggling against that inevitability. Everything's gonna be alright.
posted by Lauren | 3:04 AM
8 Comments:
I think every human craves something different. I'm told we're inherently social creatures, but I prefer either solitude or one-on-one exchanges. What I love most about the city is the anonymity one can find here.
I understand what you mean about loving the natural world though. I honestly need a break from the city every so often...
You know Ian, I think even you are an inherently social creature, whether you like it or not. Does that make you less mysterious? :)
I prefer my hermitage, perched high atop that lofty mountain peak, from whence I can gaze down upon the world dispassionatley--I stroke my hoary beard there, scratch my bald pate, and ponder the mysteries of the universe. But I have become very good at faking enthusiasm in social situations, and I do enjoy the ocaisional tete-a-tete.
I love "Three Little Birds," incidentally.
I think everybody prefers a little solitude and "hermitage perched atop that lofty mountain peak." Everyone needs (and wants) to gaze down at the world (though not always dispassionately) and ponder the mysteries of the universe. The problem occurs when one wants that solitude and time of GAZING more than they want to interact with their fellow man and DISCOVER the mysteries of the universe through that interaction.
You think too much.
Ian, is there such a thing as having a God complex?!? And, you have hair on your pate...I think. La Rachefoucauld says, "It's a great folly to want to be wise all alone." I agree that there is a certain degree of knowledge (an enormous degree) that comes from human interaction--knowledge that otherwise cannot be found/understood. Why else would we be placed on the Earth with other living bodies? And why would marriage, the union of TWO people, be a commandment? God's smart. I like him.
It seems that this "debate" is rooted in a few simple concepts. One of which is about sharing (giving of one's time and talents for the benefit of others as well as for YOURSELF). I think being open to giving to others means you understand that you can ACTUALLY learn from other people. It's important to have a willingness to immerse yourself in a potentially vulnerable situation and hoping others will--if not accept your ideas/beliefs--at least not ridicule your thoughts. It takes courage to withstand people's harsh words; even when we say it doesn't bother us. And of course it's important to not think that you have the answer to everything. That's all folks. Just providing a little open dialogue for ya MacDuff.
Lex
"Interdependence is a higher value than independence."
So ha.
P.S. Nicely stated, Lexia.
Obviously you were not ready to accept my wisdom. T.S. Eliot said that "human kind / Cannot bear very much reality."
And while we're citing luminaries, Ambrose Bierce wrote: "Friendship, n. A ship big enough to carry two in fair weather, but only one in foul." ;)
Y'all are such good sports!
Ambrose Bierce was an atheist.
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