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Crikey, I’ve Never Seen That Before
You’ve never been so happy to be aboard a plane for hours and hours.
My family’s Christmas tradition, starting from when I was about 5, was to travel somewhere foreign and exotic. Broadening our perspective and soaring far beyond (and above) our preconceived horizons was always a thrill for me, my two older sisters and my parents. No matter what’s happening in our lives, good or bad, traveling somewhere new always proves to be a magical escapism.
From the New Year’s flight over Antarctica to standing in snow watching my sister ski down an indoor slope in Dubai to sleeping in the desert in Oman to enjoying dinner under the stars with Uluru (Ayers Rock) serving as the backdrop, venturing off to exciting places around the world is something I am eternally grateful to my parents for throughout my life. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover my appreciation for these priceless experiences.
And on equilibrium with the destinations are the memories of the journey.
Seeing the world unfold in ways we never thought possible is why we travel. To hear about a far off place is one thing, but to witness and embrace a new culture in-person is enlightening in the best ways imaginable. The sights, sounds and people far exceed what you anticipate. As divided as the world seems these days, one saving grace I’ve always kept close to my vest (not literally, but you know what I mean) is that everywhere I’ve traveled, the people, rich and poor, have been kind, helpful and inspiring.
Experiencing life’s wonder with friends and family, as well as with friendly strangers, is part of the beauty of it all. When you’re on vacation, anything can happen.
Like going on a spur-of-the-moment late night stroll along a riverbank in Kakadu National Park in the Australian Outback with Ranger Ted in an effort to spot crocodiles. And, for the record, we succeeded. Ranger Ted told us to pause our walk to focus our eyes on these two red dots in the middle of the river. From those two red eyes reflecting in the water to the tip of its tail, the crocodile’s length was ~15 feet.
True story.
That’s why we escape the daily grind for an overseas adventure, isn’t it?
What’s Colder Than Bone Chilling?
2. -4. -20.
Bottom line: It is crazy cold outside!
Interestingly, the temperature readings sync perfectly with the approval rating for such cold weather.
Living in the Midwest typically does not conjure up thoughts of Antarctic-caliber winds, negative temperatures (with and without wind chill readings) or cell chilling cold (it’s beyond bone chilling at this point). Even though it’s the Winter season, there’s usually a limit (or floor, actually) to how cold the weather will drop to on any given day. It can be freezing, but tolerable. Or, to put it another way, it can be livable. Life goes on, just with an extra scarf or sweater. There are infinite examples of frigid days and/or seasons in the Midwest, but having to scrape ice from the outside and inside of one’s car just to achieve minimal driving visibility is new, frustrating territory.
Not cool.
Thankfully, this portal into the lifestyle of the paralyzingly cold and miserable is temporary and limited to only a couple days. However, it does provoke a curiosity about the limits of what’s possible. As unbearable as this recent trip through Mother Nature’s anomalous and unforgiving cold spell has been, it makes you think, for a split second anyways, if there is anything to explore extensively or more extensively in the many environments and locations that support this degree of cold weather for long periods of time.
Is there something spectacular and life-altering to explore in below zero terrains that we have yet to even contemplate? Is there any technology that can be developed to somehow capture this ever present cold weather/wind for a personal or societal advantage?
Strangely enough, the beginning of the movie Gravity comes to mind. There is a description on the screen about how literally unlivable Space is without special equipment for humans. And without extraordinary achievements and understanding of scientific principles and technology, protective gear and necessary rope connections, humans would never have the means to explore Space beyond a nightly gaze at an infinite array of stars. But it all has to start with a crazy idea. Incredibly, it’s actually surprisingly difficult to imagine a world where we aren’t actively in Space for various missions.
Unbelievable only until it happens. And from that point on, the sky is literally the limit.
Unfortunately for most everybody, this spirit of inquisitiveness lasts as long as our body heat after walking outside in -7 (or -20 with wind chill) degree weather. One day though, someone daringly insane will show us all what we have been missing all these Winters. There may even be a discovery that could transform how humans act and interact with Mother Nature during the coldest of days and months.
For now, I’m content with my life decision to not live my life as an Eskimo.
However, hopefully someone will be creative enough to see a seemingly impossible vision through the transparent, bone chilling cold.
If so, we would live in a crazy cold world indeed.
Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?
“Shark Week” conjures up feelings ranging between amazement and paralyzing fear. Truly a cultural spectacle. As it has been mentioned in a previous post (The Two Scariest Words: Dun-Dun), all of mankind (and womankind) can collectively thank the legendary Steven Spielberg for permanently planting the unforgettable soundtrack and classic scenes into our psyche regarding blockbuster entertainment coupled with beach safety.
Actually, given the number of great white sharks near coastlines at popular destinations around the world, a thank you really is in order. Thank you!
One of the annual traditions with “Shark Week” is watching crews for The Discovery Channel push new boundaries, like exploring the present-day existence of Megalodon or the “Rookin'” down in Louisiana. What will be next?
I’m glad you asked.
What fascinates me is not so much what we think of sharks, but what sharks think of us. Within the technological revolution that is currently booted up for generations to come, is there a neuroscientist somewhere who is dreaming up a water-proof device that could be tagged onto a great white shark that somehow measures and sends back its brain activity?
Think about that. More importantly, imagine that.
Before you begin calling mental institutions to reserve me a room (with an ocean view please), watch the clip below and tell me this diver was not interested in a similar endeavor. It’s only unbelievable until you do it.
If we are going to explore a seemingly infinite environment, we must have an equally infinite imagination.
Time to Get Some Hats
Freedom. New Horizons. Curiosity. Adventure. Adrenaline. Limitless.
These words are meant to conjure a state of mind of time and inspiration. They should encourage us to embrace the wildly fearless and randomly proficient spirit of the one and only Kevin…Kevin Rawley that is.
“Little Fockers” was on television this past Saturday. Diving head first into the majestically blue waters of the ambiguously defined character of Kevin, the actor and professional wandering spirit Owen Wilson must first have a light shone on him. His films’ characters exemplify the motivation to look for exciting happenings, regardless of any preconceived notions or restrictions. Take virtually any scene involving him from the movies “Zoolander”, “You, Me and Dupree”, “Midnight in Paris” or the “Meet the Parents” trilogy (so far…)
In a variety of ways, he possesses an “it” factor for living life to its fullest. After reflecting on his many bizarre, yet hilarious scenes from “Meet the Parents” and “Little Fockers”, it sparked an internal curiosity of attempting to experience life as Kevin for a period of time. Perhaps the genesis of this experiment could be done during a Friday. Maybe a Friday and a Saturday. Sans the money from investing in Wireless IPO”s right before they skyrocketed, lower key endeavors are certainly attainable. Just like his characters’ many hats, we too must add our own threads of creativity and motivations towards new opportunities.
Could we carve, build and fashion a breath-taking altar from one giant piece of wood in about 70 hours? Probably not on our first day. But let’s start small, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll be able to teach ourselves to play a little Beethoven on the piano in the morning, prepare a deliciously authentic feast of the Fiji Islands in the evening and sail a beautiful coastline with the star of the Russian Ballet the next week.
Whatever speaks to us.
Keep Everything Vastly Imaginative Now!
Jimmy's Daily Planet 