When I was riding back home from work in Portland yesterday, I saw a ladybug land on the outside of the max. It simply landed there for a few seconds and then flew away and my eyes followed it until it disappeared from view. It made me wonder: why did it do that? Why do lady bugs land on max trains or animals decide to run across the road only when cars come or cranes stay with one partner during their lifetime when humans have such a hard time doing that? Why do things do the things they do? Why do we love one person and not another? It's so beautiful that things are the way they are; there are so many inner workings of humans and animals and, though I wonder why a lady bug would land on a max train, I like not knowing. I like seeing little things that awe me and being able to appreciate them--because I don't know. Somethings become more beautiful and wondrous the more you know about them, but, on the other hand, somethings remain more beautiful and wondrous when they are left unknown. So I guess I will never know why that ladybug landed on the max train instead of a flower or a blade of grass, but maybe it just felt like doing something different. Or maybe it envied the silent people, except for the lady that wouldn't stop sneezing, sitting inside, though that wouldn't make sense because the ladybug is the one that gets to fly around and not worry about things. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be a ladybug or a bird or a bat--anything that can fly away.
Do you know what feeling I immensely love? Well, other than back rubs, of course, I have this thing of really enjoying sitting at the bottom of a pool and looking up; there's something so peaceful and relaxing in the way the water moves, how, though water is easily penetrated, the surface of the water acts as a barrier that cuts off all the cares and noise of the regular world--and I don't mind if it burns my eyes a little. My biggest problem is that I can't hold my breath long enough to take everything in to the degree that I wish I could. I guess on top of flying, it would be nice to be able to breath underwater.
I'm making things sound terrible, though, as if I would rather be either be above the ground or somewhere below and just not on it like I am now. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that there are some wonderful things to partake of here on the ground. If I were only able to fly or swim underwater, I'm certain I would miss walking along the path near my house that conjures of memories of last summer, rubbing my feet together when I'm under two blankets in bed and dancing in my room by myself. Yes, I think it's much better to be on the ground, but it would be something, wouldn't it, if we could experience all three?
I am sure that ladybug had no idea that it was heading to Land on the Max. Instinctively, it's not like the ladybug knows that there are cars, or building or anything other than nature around. I am sure that ladybug was flying through the air and suddenly it was like, "Whoa, what's this massive huge thing here and why can't I go right through passed all those huge people? What is this stuff I can see through, but not fly through? OK, nice break, now off another direction, I have so much to do."
ReplyDeleteI am not sure a ladybug even knows the concept of glass or much of the larger universe. But it might be nice to have that ignorance and innocence of not knowing what all was around us and only being able to follow our instincts, whether good or bad. How simple and short our lives would be, although our problems would be so much more tied to life and death and we would miss the joys of having fun and just sitting and thinking.
The easiest way to enjoy all three... Scuba Diving, when you go to the bottom or way under the water and just sit there and stare up in the peaceful depths of the water, it is quite magical. Especially when the water is crisp and clear. Sometimes it is not so quiet though, as there are other sounds as sound does travel quite differently under the waves and unfortunately you can usually hear yourself breathe through the tanks. Although you can still take deep breaths and hold it, to sit and listen and watch. But to truly enjoy it, that is the closest you can get.
Above water, there are two choices that can give that peaceful joy... skydiving and paragliding. Paragliding was the most peaceful thing I have done in my entire life. As long as you go up high enough, at least a 1/4 mile up. There is no sound, nothing but being able to see as far as you can, to enjoy the beauty and silence. It's like a vacuum, but with air to breathe. I now want to skydive, to gain enough experience to someday using a flying suit. So I can fly more like a bird.
Granted it is 3 feet horizontal for every foot vertical. But still... other than the air whooshing through your ears, I can imagine it is probably peaceful in some ways... and thrilling to fly across the landscape, like a diving eagle, heading down to capture it's prey. Now that would be real freedom.