Friday, August 22, 2003
She's got a smile, that it seems to me,
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then, when I see her face,
It takes me away to that special place
And if i stare too long, i'll probably break down and cry
She's got eyes of the bluest skies
That if they thought of rain
I'd hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where, as a child, i'd hide
And pray for the thunder and the rain
To quietly pass me by
x
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then, when I see her face,
It takes me away to that special place
And if i stare too long, i'll probably break down and cry
She's got eyes of the bluest skies
That if they thought of rain
I'd hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where, as a child, i'd hide
And pray for the thunder and the rain
To quietly pass me by
x
Thursday, August 21, 2003
The full realisation of what I am doing has just registered this morning. I have no idea why it chose today, but it has left me with a mixed feeling of nerves and excitement; exactly like the feeling you get when you suddenly reach the front of the roller-coaster queue and you realise that you're up next!
I know quite a few people who have travelled and I'm sure they all went through a similar range of emotions before they left. It's a pretty cool time because the anticipation is like adrenaline!
Everyone I know who has been travelling says that it changed their lives. I've never asked them to elaborate how or why, but it appears that, in all of them, some aspect of their character changed and they are much happier as a result.
I have a theory as to why this could be. I'm not saying this is how it is for everyone, but it might help explain my motivation behind going travelling (and why I quit my dream job to do so!).
Living in a mass society (London for instance) conditions you to evaluate your experiences in accordance with the beliefs and rules that are learnt within that society. For instance, in London we expect to see people having arguments in a morning because the tube is packed, but if you were in Cornwall you would be shocked that someone could get so stressed!
We have been conditioned like this all of our lives through television, radio, etc. The influence of mass society is responsible for many of the common beliefs we hold in our culture. I'm not saying that this is a conspiracy, this is just how the society we've grown up in has evolved.
Dostoevsky wrote several times about this subject, claiming that most people are happy with the security mass society brings. He says that men and women are willing to give up their autonomy and freedom in return for guidance and authority.
Whilst I can see this in everyday life, not everyone is satisfied with the 9-5 routine, especially now in the shadow of 9-11.
For many years I was focussed on getting my dream job in marketing. Having achieved that the logical steps for me now are mortgage, marriage and children. But why are they the logical steps? Because that's the social norm!
Again, I'm not saying that this path is wrong or that by following this route you are conforming to a system.
My point is this: If I've been conditioned to a certain way of living can I realistically expect to fully understand or appreciate life having only seen it from one perspective?
I'm not saying that travelling is the elixir of life. For me travelling is merely an opportunity for me to get a better understanding of life, by seeing first-hand the infinite number of ways it can be lived. Hopefully in the process I will learn more about myself and will get even more out of my life when I eventually return. That way should I choose to get married, or have children, I will know that it is the right decision for me.
I hope this explanation hasn't come across as overtly pretentious? It's extremely difficult to explain this topic without sounding pompous; most people would probably say shut-up and enjoy the scenery! Anyway, I wanted to explain to my friends and family that this isn't me taking time-out for a year, it's the exact opposite!
So as to prove the above point, a colleague has just wandered over to talk about travelling. When I told them I was 27 next year they said, "Shouldn't you be sorting out a mortgage before you go travelling. By the time you get back it might be too late!"
I rest my case.
I know quite a few people who have travelled and I'm sure they all went through a similar range of emotions before they left. It's a pretty cool time because the anticipation is like adrenaline!
Everyone I know who has been travelling says that it changed their lives. I've never asked them to elaborate how or why, but it appears that, in all of them, some aspect of their character changed and they are much happier as a result.
I have a theory as to why this could be. I'm not saying this is how it is for everyone, but it might help explain my motivation behind going travelling (and why I quit my dream job to do so!).
Living in a mass society (London for instance) conditions you to evaluate your experiences in accordance with the beliefs and rules that are learnt within that society. For instance, in London we expect to see people having arguments in a morning because the tube is packed, but if you were in Cornwall you would be shocked that someone could get so stressed!
We have been conditioned like this all of our lives through television, radio, etc. The influence of mass society is responsible for many of the common beliefs we hold in our culture. I'm not saying that this is a conspiracy, this is just how the society we've grown up in has evolved.
Dostoevsky wrote several times about this subject, claiming that most people are happy with the security mass society brings. He says that men and women are willing to give up their autonomy and freedom in return for guidance and authority.
Whilst I can see this in everyday life, not everyone is satisfied with the 9-5 routine, especially now in the shadow of 9-11.
For many years I was focussed on getting my dream job in marketing. Having achieved that the logical steps for me now are mortgage, marriage and children. But why are they the logical steps? Because that's the social norm!
Again, I'm not saying that this path is wrong or that by following this route you are conforming to a system.
My point is this: If I've been conditioned to a certain way of living can I realistically expect to fully understand or appreciate life having only seen it from one perspective?
I'm not saying that travelling is the elixir of life. For me travelling is merely an opportunity for me to get a better understanding of life, by seeing first-hand the infinite number of ways it can be lived. Hopefully in the process I will learn more about myself and will get even more out of my life when I eventually return. That way should I choose to get married, or have children, I will know that it is the right decision for me.
I hope this explanation hasn't come across as overtly pretentious? It's extremely difficult to explain this topic without sounding pompous; most people would probably say shut-up and enjoy the scenery! Anyway, I wanted to explain to my friends and family that this isn't me taking time-out for a year, it's the exact opposite!
So as to prove the above point, a colleague has just wandered over to talk about travelling. When I told them I was 27 next year they said, "Shouldn't you be sorting out a mortgage before you go travelling. By the time you get back it might be too late!"
I rest my case.
