Category Archives: absurd

>Sometimes I Have Believed

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Some people like silly, light absurdities. It makes them turn their head
like a dog not understanding. I saw the documentary ‘The Gates’ last
night, about the making of the Christo/Jean Claude art project in Central
Park, NYC. The commentary in the film among observers was between
the people who said ‘What’s it for, why do it?’ and those who said ‘Who
cares what it is for, it doesn’t need any reason. It just is. Enjoy the beauty
and the fun and the unexpected joy and feelings it brings.’

Earlier in the day, before breakfast, I went for a morning run along the Arkansas
River. I was running over a small bridge over a creek flowing into the river
when I looked up a bit. There in front of me, on the handrail of the bridge,
was a large black crane. It was looking right at me, with punk rock type
tufts of hair poking out from it’s head and yellow eyes. I stopped and said hello.
It didn’t
respond. I reached into my run pack to get out my iPhone to take it’s
picture. It was camera shy and opened it’s big wings and flew down to the
creek. I said goodbye and kept running.

quote by Lewis Carrol, British Author (Alice in Wonderland)

>The Absurdity of Imitation

>napkin_03-12-01_conduct

“Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those we cannot resemble”

Reading over that quote again I think about how we have institutionalized this idea in Halloween and costume parties. and that is ok, like how an amusement park institutionalizes thrills and fear, don’t you think?

What is sad is when someone creates a daily illusion of being just like someone else (think girls trying to emulate Ms. Hilton, or boys trying to emulate 50 cent, for example) and the result is that everyone else can see the absurdity but they cannot. It can be more subtle of course, even into adulthood.

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