Tuesday, August 30, 2022

The Shape of Space

    At birth we are projected from a bang, like particles in the universe, forever falling, disconnected from each other but connected to the origin, initially moving parallel on strings of energy. Yet there comes a time when the gravity of forms takes hold, when we are separated from those we were born with, tied to galaxies of institutions, like the community or the church. Still we appear to move parallel with our atomic siblings, bound by some mystical force that keeps us together, the strings vibrating by quantum proximity, to create other gravity pools inside those galaxies. The family becomes a star cluster, the team of constellation, connected by alignment with the astral magnetron. Still we fall, parallel to those we grew with and loved the fondest, so that others who don't resonate a strongly slowly depart from our trajectory, to be picked up by some other form, some other world on the map of space-time. Sometimes we miss that proximity, the magnetic nostalgia, when once we vibrated with a special soul sent elsewhere by the cosmos. If we look in their direction, we can still see their light, distorted by space-time no doubt, but reminiscent of the journey that led to separation. Light, light, all around us is light, memories ejected on a canvas transparent, history written by the energy of relationships, stories slowly expiring by the ratio of distance. What is usually lost can only be accessible by the invisible strings that connect us all. 

    The power of soul collapses the waveform into a particulate being, a witness to the divine creation, something that is able to perceive the grand design better than the universe can. That is the purpose of our separation from each other, that the illusion of separation disintegrates unity into trillions of shards of illuminated spirit, all bearing witness to the design in their own form, allowing an infinite variety of perceptions to experience that which cannot be perceived by the individual alone, so that all our light-strings together form an integral of universality. Together we are strong, separate we are weak; that is why when we work together we forget being separated, at least momentarily, remembering what it felt like to be whole in spirit and light, falling parallel to others in unison, as if gravity were a stadium and the spectators were all striving for the same thing, marked by the same experience for all eternity, as each quantum individual cements a space-form in the continuum of entanglement. 

    In the farthest of futures, after gravity has come full circle, and our wave-souls are stretched so thin that their amplitudes are imperceptible, only then perhaps will we finally diverge from our closest kin; the severance creating a rupture in the shape of space so powerful that will overcome the gravity we once shared, bending our strings to the point of breaking, at which point flashes of memory in the database of entanglement glitch and falter, finally becoming unhinged after trillions of years. The strongest memories will jostle for attention, like those we saw at each of our deaths, the most powerful surfacing upon a dissociated cognition, a vague imprint on the metaphysical remains. Only the memory of our birth, at the very beginning, will succeed these final moments, as the rate of quantum information was so infinite that it is the only inevitable thing we can experience at spiritual death. 

    The strongest memory is of her, the one I saw first when my eyes developed, on a shallow ocean pool. She was a sponge, possibly a rooted jellyfish, just as I was. In previous lives we had touched, sharing our pores and tentacles with tender grace, synchronizing our movements in the aquatic nursery. The water would tickle us, move us, whisper sweet signals, teaching us to share our nerves, lovingly, enhancing them to the point of movement, in turn enhancing our vision and perception of sound. I loved her, yes, even more after that first hidden eye appeared, to take in her beauty in that panorama of coral, embedded in a garden that filtered the light beyond so typically, our bodies entwined under the radiance that we could previously only perceive by temperature. And she saw me, yes, she could finally see me in that life or the next, and together we tangled through the eons, past the cataclysms and the age of reptiles, into full mammal-hood. As a human I once embraced her, high on a mountain top, in a life that was otherwise insignificant, breathing on her neck as the sun exfoliated the sky, the same way my hand would set fire to her horizon, where entropy disrobes the palaces of love. And on that mountain, she would hold me tender, telling me everywhere she wanted to go, me promising we would get there, one day, until the transformation, when the stars fully appeared and space became our playground, a map in the sky of infinite possibilities, projections of our future disillusioned by the past. 

    And that's when it hit me, that a time would come again, when the future and the past are inseparable, that when the soul-strings rupture at the end of the universe, gravity will recycle the holy elements- pi, phi, e., the matrix, the transform, the sacred geometry that completes the manifold - a reverse bang, a white hole of completion, the light inverted back toward the center, where all our strings will converge again, to begin the life of our creator anew. And I will see her again, despite all forgotten data, after the new universe is born, new strings are projected and the sun comes back. I will love her in that life too, each and every one, for as long as ancient time will permit, negotiating with the darkness that something cannot become nothing.

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Joy, the Unspoken Healer

    A successful spirit will know how to transform pain into joy. It is only after surviving the darkest depths that we are able to defeat pain, pain that is often self-inflicted. Sometimes it can follow us our whole life, like a shadow, which is why some of us resort to alcohol or drugs to subdue it. Others transform it into more sinister emotions, like resentment, jealousy, or pride, substituting it for problems that are more manageable, at least temporarily. Only those who find joy to disabuse pain are dealing with it in the right manner.

    A common way is joy through work of money. People distract themselves from pain by working long hours to accumulate wealth, which brings them joy to be winning at "the game". Others engage in literal competition, whether it be sports or politics. Winning to me only seems a material joy, one that does not completely subdue the pain that is plaguing them, for when a person experiences a loss, it comes crushing back at full speed. Pain for them is something they are always running from, an invisible demon that drives them to perfection. And maybe a perfect performance will also bring the attention or admiration they crave. It seems this method is not without a hint of pride. 

    Another common way is through the act of creation, composition, or writing. It gives me great joy to create something, and often is done to soothe a painful feeling. If you have ever written out your thoughts in a journal and felt better then you know what I am talking about. Anything troubling us can be painful, so when we write, create, or meditate on the thing, it tends to escape our spirit with each passing word. But again, it is only temporary. The pain will come back, although it may be less intense than those who have to face it again by using achievement. 

    A third way, which often happens by chance, is a complete projection onto something else. Say you're suffering from unrequited love; the joy of a new lover can transform the pain into new love. Or if your house burned down, you might find joy in starting over at a new location. Random new opportunities to shroud our pain with joy occur all the time. 

    The greatest way may be to transform the pain and enjoy by getting a pet or having children. Helping people or animals in general can make us feel better, but nothing brings permanent joy like having little ones to take care of, who are at your mercy and as loyal as anything on this planet. By having children, you may get to reinvent a painful childhood by all the joy they bring you, as you in turn create it for them. Children are the greatest antidote to pain. They light up our lives with every bleat of laughter, every adorable expression, every struggle they have when learning something new, every time they achieve something, no matter how minor; always they are transmutating our leaden hearts into gold, always they will. 

    Many believe joy proceeds pain, as the embodiment of innocence, the preeminent feeling of bliss before the realities of life jade people for eternity. I'm here to tell you the opposite is equally true, that pain can proceed joy, that joy can heal a broken spirit as much as pain can destroy a healthy one. The key is responding to pain in an appropriate manner, not letting it consume your life. Those who dwell on past misfortunes are destined to suffer for as long as they allow it. Say no to the pain; let that bittersweet joy flow through.

Friday, August 26, 2022

Life's Calling

    Life is beautiful, so make the most out of it. Cherishe each day like it were a miracle, cast aglow by a new universe, a universe that cannot exist without you. Each day is a fresh start to a new life. That is why adulthood is such a marvelous thing. It should not be wasted by trivial pursuits of desire, but fermented by the peace and wisdom of moderation. It should be strengthened by the trials endured, not indentured to them. Adulthood can be a wonderful thing for those who recognize their potential. Even dark things can be beautiful, tainted as they are by grotesque images. Inside the shell, where the light fails to get through, grows a supersonic spirit yearning to break free, collecting snippets of discarded poetry for the escape. And that is when it happens, when the cut polarizes spirit, the curtain is raised in the song of the angels is heard, all those dark days becoming bathed in perfect mercy. Forgiveness is there, in her white sky diadem, the wind sailing through her hair, to render the years redeemed, truth abloom in a butterfly garden, myriad of changes the season eclipsed. 

    Most of us are too busy moving to live in solace as nature intended. We are too busy fighting nature to honor it, the true god, the entity that truly created us. Truth shines greatest for those who are still, unreactive, forced to bear the gravest burdens, that of humanity's disenchantment with harmony. Depression can drain them, dissociate them, disavow the holy roses whence they exfoliated, without color and without love, wandering aimlessly in a deep coma, looking for answers. Regaining faith in the goodness of mankind can take years, decades, even lifetimes. There are many of these lost souls, excommunicated from the church of benevolence, going through life searching for that divine spark to reignite them. Some succeed where others fail, and that is all it takes to forgive the spirit, for the shadow is cast stronger than those who spin the horizon. 

    The other day I was working with a man in a trailer, unloading boxes in hideous conditions. An impatient fellow, he was quick to anger and grew frustrated whenever the conveyor belt stopped. When we got to talking, his life story flooded out, to my lack of surprise, as this tends to happen to me with chatty strangers, since I am open to listening and do not care to share my own story. The fellow seemed trapped in a haze of bad decisions and incompetence, gloating about his physical achievements while yearning for mental ones. He listed off the possible careers he could have had, elaborating on each like I knew everything about them, more talking to himself than a complete stranger. Until I finally told him to pick what you like the most and focus on that. Everything else is a distraction. For once my words seemed to register and he was quiet for a moment, as if he experienced a momentary awakening. I like to believe that he will take my advice, that chance encounters like these can change people's lives, leading them out of their dark prisons and into the beautiful beyond. I probably will never see him again, as I quit the job the next day, but it may have been all he needed to get back on track. If that's the case, he was truly blessed to have worked with me during such a transformative time in my own life. 

    I face a similar struggle, wanting to study geography while feeling hampered by an unresponsive professor. There have been technical difficulties that have discouraged me from continuing with the program at Marshall. My good wife has convinced me to be patient that he will reply eventually, and that if he doesn't I should fight back. I'm afraid I don't have the energy to deal with that and work and trying to be a good family man. It's funny how history can repeat itself; about 15 years ago I'd also been a package handler attending university at the same time. Though I didn't have a full-time job and a family to support. I'd been studying atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington on site, which is similar to the degree track in geography I am taking at Marshall. I left that program because it was draining my energy, I had some bad professors, and did not want to deal with all the technical work. It's a decision I always regretted that is eerily reminiscent of my occurrence situation. Perhaps I am being tested by even harder circumstances since I did not pull through the first time. 

    This is the lesson: sometimes you only get one chance to follow your calling. If you're lucky enough to get a second chance, it will probably be more difficult because you'll have more responsibilities later in life. Best to persevere when it's easier rather than harder. I won't blame myself if I quit this time too. Family is far more important than career. Besides, I already have a career, and I'm enrolled to expand it at another university. So I have a solid backup plan this time. But it will not be my calling or my heart's desire. I must pass the test if I'm not to have any regrets.

Friday, August 19, 2022

The Randomness of Musical Taste

    I haven't met anyone who shares my taste either.  Some like parts of it and hate others.  Two of my favorite artists are The Mars Volta and Delerium.  Both have otherworldly styles that sound far different from each other, yet nobody I play them for seems to like either one, and I have not found anyone else on this planet that shares such weird favorites.  I guess it proves how unique everyone is, that nobody can have the same blueprint for liking music, even identical twins.  There must be something outside our genes that pulls us in musical directions.

Tabula Rasa

    Today I am at blank slate. I finished all the projects I've been working on these last few years. My heart and soul have been released from the confines of my mind, for all the world to see. On Monday I start my master's degree in geography at Marshall University, making this a perfect time to reflect on the life I have lived thus far. Generally I have made good choices, and my regrets are few. There is no clear worst thing I've done to anyone, which is a good thing. My words and deeds have always been virtuous, though there were a few years in my teens when I behaved badly. It's a miracle I did not traumatize anyone during this period, not that I am aware of anyway. I was a bit aggressive, but not enough to hurt people.

    A regret I have is being so self-absorbed, in "my own world" as a teacher put it, and afraid of rejection, that I could not approach people or move on from a setback. I wish I'd had the strength to stay at Woodinville High School and improve my grades, finding a stable career path in the process, which would have prepared me for life today, when I am working 50 hour weeks on top of college to support a family. I was in no condition to think far ahead into the future at the time, so I will not be too hard on myself. However, I owe it to the boy I could have been to redeem his shortcomings. And I owe it to all the people I could have influenced, or those who could have influenced me. Perhaps having a less fogged up mind would have cleared my head to make better decisions, and to take life less seriously. 

    A poor decision I made was in 2007 when I gave up my Atmospheric Science degree at the UW. Once again I was too sensitive, assuming that because nobody approached me they must not like me. People only approach people who notice them, something that has been difficult for me to learn. I also took a bad grade and false accusation too seriously. My excuse was that the material was boring, and to be honest, it wasn't what I expected. Much too rigid a curriculum for something as exciting as weather. I just feel like I quit too early, or that I didn't have a better backup plan, that I didn't at least get my degree in something. 

    Another mistake came in 2011, when I should have pursued a bookkeeping job but felt discouraged by many rejections. Instead I got stuck working nights at Panera Bread, which set a disastrous presidents for dead end jobs, and led to a relationship I never should have started. After she tore my heart out, instead of continuing the search for a bookkeeping job, I got sidetracked by trying to impress her, ending up desperately leaving and working anywhere that would have me. 

    Being young is hard. The decisions I have made since then all made sense. It's easy to wish you could go back and change things, but never worth it. Once I met my wife, I knew I'd made bad choices, because starting a family never entered my mind until then. The lesson is this: don't give up so easily. Finish what you started, even when it hurts. When you pull through, it will feel that much better. Never assume you will be the same man as you are at 20 your whole life. Because people do change, and so do their motives, I promise you. Stay ahead in life, however much you can. Bad things will happen, it's it's how we react to them that sets us apart from success and good fortune. Keep your chin up, smile, make eye contact, believe, sing your song. You were given a voice, it is a gift. Play your tune until the sunlight fades. Don't lead a false life. Be true to your heart and good things will come.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

A Resolution of Facts

    22 years ago I wrote a letter to my high school crush, where I simultaneously confessed my love and threw my soul under a bus with false suggestions of stalking her. I lied to myself by believing she read it, instead of believing the school counselor, who said a teacher found it and turned it in. That letter is the worst thing I've done to anyone. I wanted to scare her because that was the only way I knew how to get her to remember me. It was selfish, unkind, and something I've always regretted. I needed to believe she read it in order to move on from her and that place. Being in that school sucked the life out of me. I was invisible, a ghost, and still feel like one when I think about it. The letter was a cry for recognition, as twisted and psychotic as it sounds. 

    Today I am more inclined to believe what the counselor said, that she never read it. There's no evidence that she ever did, not from her, her parents, or anyone at that school. Her online behavior suggests she is not worried about stalkers either. Most importantly, the school does not have a report about the incident on file. I asked the current counselor, who said there was nothing. You'd think it would have definitely informed her and kept an incident report on file if it thought I would harm her.  It is amazing the lies we tell ourselves to alter reality, making the things we want come true despite all evidence against it. It's not unlike the MAGA crowd and their blind disregard for facts, choosing only to believe things they want.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Gotterdamerung Capitalism

     The inevitable can only be delayed, not eliminated, not deferred to the generations to come, served back to your side of the court, you the marketable avatar, you the deluded criminal of commerce.  The next revolution will be global, coordinated, a desperate regurgitation the south, battering the north with vengeance, upheaval, chaos the seed from which a new world begins.  First there will be heat, urban flooding, drought and famine, the plagues of Egypt thrust upon the sinister future, from which none can escape, not even the ascetics who renounced the material pleasures of prosperity, nor those who invested in the solutions, nor the luddites who rejected them.

Saturday, August 13, 2022

Soul Songs

 Below is a playlist of my favorite songs. This is a life soundtrack, in chronological order. It starts with the perfect beginning to a life: James Horner's intro from The Land Before Time. This was my favorite film when I was 6 or 7 years old. For me, the music is a metaphor the development of life, full of all the wonder, fear, and joy you feel growing up. This piece develops beautifully from what feels like embryo to fetus to birth. Then on a bigger timeline, it moves from microbes to the evolution of fish, then reptiles, dinosaurs, primates, etc. in the "great chain of life" that the movie references. 
 Thus, the playlist is called Soul Songs. They are snapshots of not only what my life has been, but anyone's. The opening songs are spirited childhood favorites, many of them from actual soundtracks (for the late 20th c. was the golden age of soundtracks). More mature songs and pieces can be found later, all the way to the present, which are current favorites.


Thursday, August 11, 2022

Jewel Box

My heart is a jewel box
Waiting for you to open,
Full of mysterious origins,
The way your dream polished mine,
Your beauty could move mountains,
Your soul could soothe the sea,
Sweet 16, beholden to grace,
Look far beyond the present,
To places we once wandered,
Cresting earthen palaces to ribbons,
Holding you in my arms under the stars
On the roof of the world,
Where time is thick as patience.
But that life never unfolded,
Could never breathe through letters,
Wrapped in fear, insecurities,
Bound by my twisted traumas, sensitivities,
Suffocating fears translated drowning tears,
I never even told you
How much I loved you,

Thursday, August 4, 2022

The Stone Planters

Bluestone, sarsen, bundles of timber
Line the path, a caravan of solidarity,
Tracking the fields of pasture,
Hauling sledges brought from Wales,
Distant altars atop the Preseli Hills
Inching across the land, one stone at a time.
Migration consumed, how the flowers grow,
Children who witness the grand procession
O'er the Cambrian divide,
A parade of heroes stretches the ritual,
Bound for their new sanctum, the Durrington Walls.
Lintels raised to complete the triloleths,
The light breaches midsummer's azimuth,
Calendrical mystics embalmed in cyclorama
To pray on the Anglican craton
That drifts through centuries of upheaval ,
Displacement, cataplexy of culture,
Absorbed into the crosswinds of Stonehenge,
An epicenter of ancestral dust. 
Here the tribes converged, a network of megaliths,
Expansive as the circumference of Avesbury,
Centrifugal motions the Druids inherited
From an influx of masonry that shook the earth,
Leaving crypts of passage for the Neolithic dispossessed,
Raised to the future for all to witness.

Software

My body is the motherboard, With circuits that calculate The answer to every imbalance. My eyes are the monitor With rods and cones intercep...