In Contrast
Words. Pictures. Art. All Inadequate.
But… sometimes—when most needed— they remind us of wondrous experiences, the moments that make life worth living and stoke a faltering fire.
I’ve seen sunrises and sunsets that have no business existing.
Been swarmed by fireflies, under a blanket of stars, sleeping in a winery’s wooded field.
Changed an engine in a mamba infested hanger, been boxed in by herds of elephants, followed dolphins from just a few feet above in an old Piper.
Feasted on the hand-harvested bounty of the ocean, been enveloped in mist from cascading waterfalls, swam in serene rivers. Built and conjured meals on mighty campfires that threatened to scorch the sky.
But, it’s the reluctant return to routine, to the ordinary world, that follows afterwards that’s most illuminating or… damning.
In contrast to those memorable, meaningful, and awe-inspiring moments the mundane maims. It causes all that is noble within to cry out with accusations, entreaties, and alternatives.
There is value in that. Learn from it.
So, we can attempt to subdue our souls, suppress the spark of that which could burn so brightly, and again click yes to a life of meeting requests and flickering fluorescent lights.
There are times we will need to. But if repeated and not resisted through reminders of what could be, the contrast will fade and become easier to set aside, letting us return to the well-worn and bland way of being we already know. All the while, some dim remnant of who we truly are rots and gnaws at our core.
That road leads to regrets.
Some may relive their glory days. Others pray their health persists until they retire, when they can then make up for a lifetime, perhaps, misspent.
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Henry David Thoreau
As much as I’d like to, I can’t always fight off of the fog that comes from inaction, from indecision or faltering in the face of convenience. Though I can remember every retail counter, kiosk, or cubicle I’ve worked in and paced about like a caged lion, the detailed lessons and intensity of better memories dim.
From time to time we must be reminded of them. Of who we are.
A passport placed prominently, where its accumulation of dust might serve as accusation enough to take action can do the trick. A few photos or tokens from your past adventures, a stirring piece of art, or a piece of kit for that upcoming expedition can help keep entropy at bay.
Look around you, you’ll notice others doing it too.
Let the contrast between fluorescent and fire light or between computer screen and epic natural scenes cut.
So the question, no… the command, naturally becomes how to optimize for those experiences?