Friday, April 14, 2006

Perspective: On Top of the World

I am about to travel abroad. I'll be away for THREE weeks.

I've been meaning to blog but my head has been in so many places this past month that capturing my thoughts and free time at a common time is like catching fairy dust. I catch magical moments here and there in my head and in a blink I'm transported to a new world...

Such is the way of the ever-changing NOW.

I'll do my best at finding an internet cafe and time to escape to write ;) I'll be returning a couple of days before my birthday. Friends, keep an eye out for the EVITE; the theme is ART & SOUL.

I chose the sky-diving picture because it's been sitting in my head that Life is like sky-diving. If you haven't jumped out of a plane, I highly recommend it. You'll never be the same. It's given me an analogy to look at life through.

I used to be afraid of heights. That sky-view was appreciated but I would get unsettled. I would get dizzy and feel out of balance despite trying to enjoy a spectacular view. I wasn't born afraid of heights but I found moments when I couldn't enjoy a moment because an irrational discomfort would overtake me when climbing spiral staircases, taking off in airplanes, going on a rollercoaster, etc. This uneasiness sometimes got to me while sitting on a swing or a swivel chair.

And so I decided that jumping off a plane was a good way to snap myself out of this weird thread of my mind.

Being in that space of thought, the world looked like this from that day on...

I didn't want something in my head to get in the way of my experience of Life.

I found that other people jumped out of planes everyday for a living and loved it.

There's comfort in knowing that I wasn't going to be the only one jumping out of a plane.

The view up there is more gorgeous than I have words for. I stood at the open door 13,000 feet above to enjoy the view before jumping.

I felt in control. No, the open door wasn't like a vaccuum. It was just an open door.

I freefalled for a minute at 120mph before the parachute was released. My stomach didn't get sick and i wasn't cold. I actually laughed all the way down because I was so shocked at how nothing i expected happened.

I floated down for over 5 minutes and was taken back by the utter silence and beauty of seeing the world from another perspective. Everything is beautiful when one has a better view.

That was the greatest lesson i came down with.

Everything is beautiful when one has a better view.. Everything was beautiful in the first place, sometimes it's helpful to see it from another place. Sometimes it's life changing to see it from another place.

I never had a sense of being out of control; I didn't feel compromised by the altitude, the temperature nor the people in the plane. The only thing that could've drove me into uneasiness was my own thoughts.

I didn't make time to be fearful because I wanted to enjoy the moment. it's not everyday that I jumped out of planes for my birthday.

FEAR is;

False
Expectectations
Appearing
Real

and being present to the excitement, fun and adventure didn't feed that monster. I landed on the ground after a leisure and inspiring float down back to solid ground.

So when i feel afraid, I sometimes take myself back to that skydive and I remind myself that life is beautiful... i just haven't found my view.

I'm working on my documentary while away. I'm working on being present with myself before a camera. I want to create something beautiful.

It exists and I will find my view.

JNET

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous11:28:00 PM

    To my dear pupil,

    Remember to bring a note book; write your diary and makes notes and sketches of things that you see that catches your interest.

    Then I would like to have that travel report written out
    fairly on my desk at latest two weeks after your homecoming. It can be as diary notes with your reflections and explanations added to your notes. It can also be in formes of short essays or a novel. You decide.

    Good luck, my child
    And let the guiding angels always stand by your side.
    Farwell now.

    (a kiss on the cheeek)

    Hans - the friendly viking drawing his pen, not pulling his sword

    P.S. And remember...you have everything?
    Passport(is it valid?), ticket, travelller checks, coins,
    camera(!), protective camera case, extra memory card, condomes(maybe not), travel insurance, sunglasses...and a lucky charm. What more is really importent for you to carry with you?.....hm.

    P.S. Maybe you have some good suggestions for your (not so old) professor what is really good to bring when travelling; short or long travels. Do you? Please, let me know, if you have any good tips.

    ReplyDelete