Suquamish, WA - 14 Sep 2024
I just finished watching the movie IF. It was one of those movies that makes a body feel good inside. I don't recall if I ever had an imaginary friend, though I suspect I probably did at some point. Now I am all grown up and know some sciencey things that kids don't know, like the fact the brain has an assortment of wave states. The one that gets out of bed with us is the theta state and it is that little place on the fringe between dreaming and wakefulness.
Perhaps you can recall that feeling when first rising, before the coffee comes on board. The brain is a little fuzzy and the dream you had last night is right in front of you, but is fading fast. Well, that is theta. And it is really cool.
I like to do my writing as soon as I get up. Coffee is brewing, but I am writing and letting my brain float where it will. Most of what I write down looks downright nuts when I look back at it, but every now and then I can see that little story or dream hiding in the morass of racing thoughts and convoluted intentions. Then I have that coffee and poof, it all vanishes in a little cloud of smoke. Fantasy gives way to reality. But, is it fantasy?
Some sciencey folks think that kids can exist in the theta state even while they are awake. Ever listen to one talk? Sometimes they are telling little stories to no one in particular or they are having conversations with someone who can't be seen. It's cool to watch and even cooler to sit down and participate in. Sadly, as we get older and our brains mature, the state is repressed and we become "normal".
That got me to thinking about my younger days. I always had a story and I would sometimes write it down. Maybe in words, sometimes in pictures, but I could always recite them and they were magnificent. To this day I have stories. Generally I would consider them too weird for the general public, but they always make it to a page somewhere. Sometimes I will be asked a question or get quizzed on something. Often I just make something up, The interesting thing is the more far fetched it is people will often take it as gospel and believe every word I said. If they would just pause and think about it they would realize the story just can't be true, no matter how convincing it may sound. Conversely, if I speak the truth, no one will believe me and they think I made the whole thing up. I never quite understood that, but folks will believe what they want no matter how off the wall it is. Did you know that Haitian immigrants in Springfield Ohio are eating cats and dogs? It's true, really, it is.
Keep on truckin'
-Mike