It has been a minute. A quick fill-in the blank -
I have been in contract negotiations with several entertainment lawyers who are trying to secure a deal for me to play the part of a doctor on TV, so I can get a job playing a doctor on a commercial, so I can safely and legally say "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV." I'm also trying to bring in more revenue from this blog so I may or may not be enjoying the mellow taste of Nantucket Nectars' Tuscan Lemonade, reading Danielle Steele's new heartwringer "Underneath The Trestle" replete with stunning character development, and engaging my friends via social media's latest darling "The Deuce" which uses GPS in your smartdevice to inform all your friends when, where and how you used a public restroom.
The following tidbits are in line with the WhaleHawk Diaries aesthetic. Moments brought forth from the cloth of existence, taking the shapes of present moment reminders. I thank you for your audience.
In the past couple of weeks I have forced myself to become aware of new things as I walk around the city of New York. When you walk on the streets of this fine city, with such selfless citizens, you take in A LOT of information. Looking at every person passing you by can cause a low-grade influx of paranoia and or anxiety. You're trying to assess a whole host of potentialities; "Is he dangerous? Is she the 'hottest' girl I've ever seen? I like his shirt. She can't fit into those jeggings. Do these high schoolers even KNOW who Billy Preston is?"
"I'm the 5th Beatle and a real-life Lando Calrissian!"
"Looking at faces is quite mentally demanding. We get useful information from the face when listening to someone, but human faces are very stimulating and all this takes processing. So when we are trying to concentrate and process something else that's mentally demanding, it's unhelpful to look at faces." - So says this British article.
In an effort to have a calm and peaceful walk, instead of looking at the ground, or dealing with the tsunami of human face related emotions, I have decided to train my eyes on things not usually looked upon. The word "cornice" popped into my head so when I walk around Astoria, or in Manhattan I look for the cornice work on buildings, or, exactly 1/4 inch below the part where the edge of the building meets the sky.
Also noted on my walks are the choices of architectural ornaments I see on buildings. What catches me off guard is that a designer dedicated themselves to designing things that would almost NEVER be noticed (besides a WhaleBlogger and architecture students). But it looks beautiful and I share a moment of delayed gratification with these stone embellishments, a party for one with these inanimate objects. As I walk and promote a stillness within, I remark on these unremarkable things and put them into my fanny pack of wonderment.
This morning on my walk to work, I was remembering a portion of a book I read on the Alexander Technique. This certain part dealt with walking and keeping your head and neck in 'proper' alignment. The author suggested to look 100 yards into the distance while you walk. I started to do this and began to feel something open up inside my grey matter. I was not constantly scrutinizing the faces of passing people, I was not observing the architecture, I was staring....into the future.
I'm telling you people I experienced a moment of pure presence. I felt like a cylinder opened up from the point of my retina and stretched all the way into the distance. I was reacting to traffic that was happening at least 10 blocks ahead of me. I could clearly make out cars, coats, and the mannerisms of that area off in the distance. I trusted the direction I was going and confidently stayed free of any pedestrian accidents. It was almost like looking through a pinhole camera. So I opened up the internet and she showed me the goods.
Turns out "distance looking" is a HUGE deal! My friends Chad and Z (huge video game fans) also referenced this as an essential to their gaming regimen. Our eyes are muscles and they need to be worked. Problem is, the human eye was not designed by creation for extended use in close-work (reading, computers, factory work, sewing etc). We have become so focused on what's directly next, what's on the email, FaceBook, Twitter, what's the next project, what's this person think of this IM, what's the next opportunity; that we fail to both physically and spiritually "take in the big picture."
I came across a site which gives exercises for the eyes to individuals not willing to get prescription glasses. While I am all about holistic approaches, if you can't see, you should really go see an eye doc and not rely on Jah to help your myopic-ass when you get behind the wheel of a school bus.
One of the exercises is "distance seeing" -
"Practice distance-gazing while walking. Look out the window into the distance to distinguish objects at or slightly beyond the far-limits of what you can see now. This practice helps to push back your "vision limit" to see further. Remember to always focus on objects you can see and strive to bring them into clearer focus. Relax your gaze. Never strain. Read distant signs, distinguish license plate numbers of passing cars. Watch birds in flight. Watch aircraft disappear into the horizon. Count stars at night."
Another site had a link to an article written about this same practice of challenging your visual sense. It tells of a woman who was busily running an errand -
"At first she noticed she was just focused on the errand and not really seeing what was around her. She reminded herself to be more present. In order to be more present she had to slow down her pace, which she did, noticing that she could now breathe more fully. She found that in order to 'see'...she had to walk even more slowly, and then as she did so the world became brighter, clearer and had even more depth. Her previous experience of being present was incomplete; it had not included her visual system." - From this paper.
The reason for all of this is to help snatch these moments back from our ego identified world, and maintain some dignity in snuggling the present. I suggest you try this. The goal is to not become a tracker in the jungles of Belize, or to become a "seer" into other dimensions. The point is to use your body, to center your body. Are there any tips you have on remaining present during the day?
Until next time -
"We are never tired, so long as we can see far enough." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The dark shadow we seem to see in the distance is not really a mountain ahead, but the shadow of the mountain behind - a shadow from the past thrown forward into our future. It is a dark sludge of historical sectarianism. We can leave it behind us if we wish." - David Trimble
