Perspective

Perspective is a fascinating phenomena. Outside of an academic setting (like college :O), outside of the physical sciences there is very little 'fact'-- but there is a lot of room for perspective to maneuver.

I've written in the past on both sides of the spectrum: in middle school I believe I wrote a poem comparing perspective to a very tall mountain, Everest if you will, from which the view is unparalleled, edifying--but at which elevation it is impossible to dwell forever. Your perspective simply can not always dwell at the loftiest levels of insight--sometimes it has to climb down a bit. Just like in a book, conflict is an inherent part of life. Maybe it is genetically ingrained with the purpose of continually having us problem-solve--without problems you can't solve--or maybe it is something else. But conflict is an inevitable and even necessary part of life. And a perspective too high would preclude conflict.



At the same time, there is a very fine line between conflict and drama--between truly concerning conflict and problems begot from a gross descent into non-perspective. Even genuine conflict, wherever that barometer may lie, can certainly be overwhelming, confusing, and distorting at high and/or frequent doses. I've written with vehemence (or attempted vehemence) about my desire to raise my usual level of perspective-to stop dwelling on the petty problems that distract me from the true conflicts that are on the horizon (see way previous post: spoken word script 3).

Tonight I seek to be a true moderate, I do not intend to promote a side or caution against a side. I simply seek to note and appreciate how truly refreshing it is to have those moments when your perspective is deepened. Like a reset button on your problems, those issues that have been torturing you for the recent past just seem to lose their edge or flit away entirely into the realm of insignificance. The only appropriate image I can conjure for how amazing it feels is those old sprite commercials where someone would take a sip and then go "Ahhhh." I've never felt those emotions those actors seem to portray sipping soda, but I certainly feel them sipping on perspective.

Ahhh.

About Me

I'm going to try one of those facebook like notes that help you delineate who you are. But here's the catch: I'm going to put it on my blog instead of facebook. Ohhh yeah, that's right. I think the form is 20 things about me, so here it goes.

1. I have neither a favorite color nor number. I guess I wasn't into favorites in kindgerarten or preschool when I learned about colors and numbers, and I haven't really chosen one since.

2. I'm a yankees fan

3. See above.

4. I own literally (I've counted) five times more merchandise with a Stanford logo than merchandise with a Yale logo.

5. I don't remember the last time music and/or a new day failed to cheer me up.

6. I don't like drama (the genre in literature in film I have nothing against, but I mean the histrionics about relatively trivial subjects). Especially when it's drama I create or get consumed in. Be it about personal relationships or class scheduling or food or political polling. In fact I strive to one day be knighted Sir No Drama David, or Sir No Drama Obama the 2nd.

7. If I ever made the MLB (or really any baseball league that palyed at bat music), my at bat music would be "I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for." I believe I would be the only player to have John Mayer for my at-bat music.

8. Speaking of at bat music, you should see the home run trot I came up with in the hypothetical situation I ever hit a home run.

9. I'm prone to an aggrandization of life and thus an underappreciation of the moments that its comprised of.

10. I find it very hard to think of 20 things about myself.

11. I think karaoke is my latent artistic talent.

12. But don't even get me started on dancing. I'll tear up a dance floor. As long as I don't have to do it for more than 3 minutes. My moves kind of run out after that.

13. I am loathe to use sesquipedalians. NAHHH. JK.

14. I very easily run out of things to say. But I also don't really mind moments of silence.

15. I generally prefer non-fiction, but if I'm reading right before sleeping, I want fiction.

16. I have very bad handwriting.

17. I'm leaving for college in 10 days.

18. I am happiest when thinking about things other than myself.

19. No wonder I'm so sad right now.

20. Just kidding! I'm super happy! Because I just successfully completed this post!

Second

The beginning of the spoken word I haven't been able to finish, but hope to one day.

I'm a wanna be
I'm a wanne be good in life
because that alone would suffice.

First Intention

I know "first impression" gets a lot of attention, but "first impression" has a little-discussed relative that is in many respects much more socially influential: first intention. I think that first intention: when you see someone whether you try and hide and shy away, or come right up to meet them, whether you some-what-awkwardly initiate the conversation or eagerly embrace it, is much more influential than that first impression that you get from someone just by looking at them.

Street Lights Keep on Flickering Out

Street lights keep on flickering out when I am driving near them at night. It's happened twice this week. Hypotheses as to why (in order of likelihood).

1. Ron and/or Dumbledore are following me with their deluminator.
2. A random coincidence.

If I think of any more possibilities, I'll add them on as comments.

~Dk(says)