Saturday, October 23, 2010

saturday morning

Feels like I'm cheating, calling 18 minutes after midnight "morning", but I could not think of anything more appropriate to call my heart's new stretch-and-wake. Ah... my restless fingers needed to do something other than wander up and down the fretboard, guessing at jazz chords. I've got fresh strings and a good meal in my body; life is good and whole and peaceful.

This seems strange and perhaps disturbingly different from my last post, but yesterday this week's habits of severe sleep deprivation were finally taking a toll, and I couldn't help but be tired in all arenas. I woke up today, "in a very simple way", and realized I felt differently in the large scheme of things. By the way, I like Courier font.

My nails are painted black, my rings have sealed in a lifetime of tan lines, my hair is up, samurai style. I feel foolish sometimes—I am so easily moved, so easily overwhelmed with love for the beauty in this world. Tears come easily these days, but for reasons different than before. I will always have trouble understanding how some people think beauty is a waste of time.

That being said, I feel foolish sometimes—I am so easily upset, so easily angry with those who refuse to be reckless, those who cling greedily to structure like rafters and concrete could fill their empty heart-homes...Why can't we sing in public? Who said we can't?

Today they said, "You are disturbing people." Hmm. I think people are only disturbed when we sing in public/sit down in elevators/dance in the library/have imaginary conversations because they don't see it often and it scares them. Sigh [heart swell]. I love living and breathing and playing and being; I am not sure why this makes others uncomfortable. I am not sure why we are so afraid of things we don't know, I am not sure why more of us don't scream/dance/laugh/cry when we want to. I've found myself smiling as I type... maybe they just haven't tried it yet. I don't want to shock anyone anymore! I don't want people to stare when we sing loudly and laugh in the dining hall! I want them to join me! Is that so strange?

Ah, but I can't waste anymore time being upset with the world, because it is too amusing—look at how beautiful the world is, even with all its "sham, drudgery, and broken dreams," it sits there, His most beautiful creation, and it is completely blind. It does not know how beautiful its parts are, it does not see how beautiful it is, it does not even accept itself. The last is the most tragic of the truths, but that makes it, in part, all the more beautiful.

To the cynic, the pessimist, the sadist, forgive me. I don't mean to ignore the world's problems, or belittle them. But I do invite you, friend, to sit back and see how miraculous it is that the world still works. It's still alive and kicking. I think that is fantastic. I hope that one day, you'll agree. So, to those who are willing to slough off the ugly for a day, I think that it is our duty to hold up tiny mirrors to the world in all the ways we can, and help it see its true reflection.

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."

1 comment:

Nick Carraway said...

In "disturbing people," you are challenging them. Questioning their hollow reality in hopes that they will learn to question it for themselves.

Don't stop disturbing people.