Life begins in darkness.

While working at the nursery school this morning I thought about the fact that when you are born the world is almost completely imperceivable and then becomes increasingly perceivable as the months and years go by. I realized that it's like a sort of hypnosis because as your ability to percieve the world increases, the numbness to and normality of the world around you also increases. You become more and more used to your human life. So once you are all grown up you may have your full capabilities of perception, but your full abilities of wonder, awe, and amazement at the absurdity of life have been decreased substantially throughout your development (supposedly). I always wondered how it is that adults can be more blind than children so much of the time.

If this all seems a bit crazy than it's probably because I too am a bit numb to the world. But alas, I am aware of it, so perhaps I can fight it off with some vitamins and vinegar!

Many movies and books suggest that life is like a dream. While I tend to think that they are pushing it a little I can also see how a very numb person's experience of the world could be very much like a dream. Things are fuzzy and simple. Time passes almost imperceivably. Years, decades go by with the blink of an eye.

...

I'm tired today, and drowsy. I watched Vanilla Sky last night and I think that it was enough to give me a number of unpleasant dreams. In one dream I watched a friend jump off of a balcony to her death. That was pretty awful. But that film ended with the main character jumping off a skyscraper, so it is understandable.

Yesterday I happened to be in the Sendai airport in the afternoon. People were huddled around one of the high-definition flatscreens in the departures lobby watching Japan play Cuba at baseball. People clapped together when Japan scored. It was pretty clever. I will continue to be amazed by this place.