Your description of your drawing taught me details that I had not explicitly picked out. I overlooked the stop sign around your head, and the octagonal shape of the hive in the background. Perhaps my mind unconsciously picked up on those features, interpreting them to give an overall impression of calm and peace. You’ve put a lot of meaning in that drawing, filling even the details with significance. As with all good art pieces, revisiting and relearning them proves worthwhile. I think carefully studying careful art like yours helps mature the soul in all sorts of directions—our ethical and aesthetic sides, for instance.
I don’t think I could fully imagine twenty years in a concrete tomb, having to interpret reality through a coffin lid. The miracle you speak of, and try to realize in others, seems to be the possibility of transcendence despite being buried alive—or as a weathered hermit might say, because of being buried alive. It sounds like the only good option you had was to break out of the fetters of “Mediocrity”, as well as to aid and abet others in their escape from “Zeitgeist”. (By the way, your phraseology of “MIA-smic” is brilliant. Might “MIA” stand for “missing in action”?) Forgive and correct me if I am misrepresenting your mission in these respects. I still have a long way to go on the quest for growth.
Your thought about truth depending on usefulness reminds me of the postmodern strain in philosophy. During the 20th century, some philosophers argued that an accurate conception of truth is one which makes it depend on societal or individual usefulness. This strain of thought clashed with some more traditional accounts of truth. I find it fascinating to hear you bringing up the idea as well. Some find postmodernist ideas more intuitive than the traditional ones.
David, I read an article in an old issue of Time magazine. I decided to look you up and learn more. I'm glad to here that you have been able to maintain your spirit. It's good to know that you and the other vets in Graham are able to pull together and give one another support, and can show their pride in having served. I wasn't a Marine, but I did serve on a gator freighter, so I'll take this opportunity to say...well done, and Semper Fi John Harris
RSS
Good to hear from you again!
Your description of your drawing taught me details that I had not explicitly picked out. I overlooked the stop sign around your head, and the octagonal shape of the hive in the background. Perhaps my mind unconsciously picked up on those features, interpreting them to give an overall impression of calm and peace. You’ve put a lot of meaning in that drawing, filling even the details with significance. As with all good art pieces, revisiting and relearning them proves worthwhile. I think carefully studying careful art like yours helps mature the soul in all sorts of directions—our ethical and aesthetic sides, for instance.
I don’t think I could fully imagine twenty years in a concrete tomb, having to interpret reality through a coffin lid. The miracle you speak of, and try to realize in others, seems to be the possibility of transcendence despite being buried alive—or as a weathered hermit might say, because of being buried alive. It sounds like the only good option you had was to break out of the fetters of “Mediocrity”, as well as to aid and abet others in their escape from “Zeitgeist”. (By the way, your phraseology of “MIA-smic” is brilliant. Might “MIA” stand for “missing in action”?) Forgive and correct me if I am misrepresenting your mission in these respects. I still have a long way to go on the quest for growth.
Your thought about truth depending on usefulness reminds me of the postmodern strain in philosophy. During the 20th century, some philosophers argued that an accurate conception of truth is one which makes it depend on societal or individual usefulness. This strain of thought clashed with some more traditional accounts of truth. I find it fascinating to hear you bringing up the idea as well. Some find postmodernist ideas more intuitive than the traditional ones.
I wasn't a Marine, but I did serve on a gator freighter, so I'll take this opportunity to say...well done, and Semper Fi
John Harris