I have been pondering a lot lately, realizing things like this. My mind is really interesting, I think anyway; It provides itself with many things to contemplate.

I don’t know much about the physiology of the brain but I am thinking that this is why:
The brain has many areas serving different functions, areas for your senses, spatial orientation, memory, etc. Each of these gets a different amount of use depending on what kind of person you are. I guess it would be comparable to a muscle, if you use it it grows, but it also atrophies if it isn’t exercised.

A great example that relates to what I am talking about is shown in a study i read about. In this study monks preformed a type of meditation, leaving their thoughts behind and just observing something, a flower, light, anything. As they continued this activity throughout their lives the area of the brain corresponding with digesting sensory information was much larger than those who did not.

By the way, if you have never tried meditation it is a great way to exercise the brain and relax. Keep in mind though, if you are older and trying to start, the portion of your brain required may have atrophied and it may take some time.

From personal experience this is true. I can live in my thoughts, visualize, work things through. This is definitely a result of many years of schooling, learning, making connections. There isn’t much sensory input you can get from sitting in class. The down side to this is that everything else blows by me. If it isn’t a theory or idea, say a sight or smell, I can be entirely oblivious to it.

Lately I have been trying to revive that part of my brain, sitting and just looking at things, noticing detail. It is much harder than it sounds, and if you don’t believe me then try it. But it causes me to wonder, is our education system taking away one of the most basic joys in life. The ability to experience our world. Other areas are affected as well: emotions, morals, memory, anything that makes you yourself.

This idea may be a basis of culture itself when you think about it. Entire communities and nations often follow the same systems, mainly education. How much does this mold the mind?

compassion
boisterous
introspective

and, in certain context:

clarity

In the past two weeks (largely and amazingly unbenownst to me) my activities and hobbies have been culminating, preparing to reveal the fruits of my labor to me on this one exemplary week. This is a wondrous occurance masking a laboriously busy week. To begin, if I may, recap to you some of the ingredients in my high school experience’s capstone.

Months ago I, along with Shelly and Zach, qualified to compete in state for FFA’s Agricultural Sales competition. This contest is Mr. Stone’s “baby” and needless to say we were all jubilant in the fact that we had reached that first goal. We now had a month to prepare for state competition, and our goal was firmly planted in attended National FFA Convention that coming year; We must take first of second at state.

After we qualified in Sales Shelly, Emily, and I got fourth in the district entomology contest that next week. We had just qualified for state in another contest. Joy was in our breath as we told Mr. Stone; We had attempted to compete at state entomology the last year, failing only because of a stupid mistake of mine, costing us eight points. Mr. Stone response was a bit worry some, for he feared we would forsake sales to compete in bugs. After a bit of checking his apprehension was laid to rest in that bugs was on Thursday of Convention and sales was Friday.

In FBLA I had also qualified for state in Networking Concepts and Network Design along with Bradley. I would have taken another state competition, but was tricked out of it by a last minute schedule change.

Surprisingly, my friends were able to convince me to try out for the musical. Not being a public speaker, my nerves were ous, that faded though, as practices began and the boisterous cast raised my spirits. I had applied for a supporting role, but somehow came up with a lead (not to mention two speeches, a solo, and a dance). I was Prez in “The Pajama Game”.

While all this was occurring, track was steadily underway. I was doing average, as I always do in sports; Keeping in shape was my main priority with sports, aside from readying my competition with Bryan.

As you can imagine, those activities kept me decently busy. What I failed to realize was how busy I could actually become, and the large amount of life I had bitten off and was currently chewing. These things, rolling full force into the week I am currently weeking, in addition to the other things cropping up this week have deposited me in a very rare situation. I currently have an endless supply of things to do, but enough time to step though them one day at a time. What this means for me I will share after I recap the beginning of my week in one jumbled up little paragraph.

I entered this week off a busy previous one and a partly relaxing weekend. I find I have twelve scholarships due, history terms and essays to write, a history test, a calculus quiz, track meets, physics labs, senior shirts to produce, ultimate Frisbee tournaments, church planning meetings, and copious other things to do. Under-toning all this are the events coming together from last week State FFA, FBLA, track, and play practice takes it up a notch going until ten each night. My life can be seen in the following diagram:

Miraculously there were very few conflicts during the majorly important things.

All of that on my platter and one little NathanielGuy to do it all. It is currently Tuesday evening, and in the act of writing this I have postponed studying for a test, homework, and sleep. Where the extra effort required for me to do something akin to writing an amazingly long article, even I do not know. I have discovered some things though, and one of the greatest is that I am enjoying this. I could go on a tangent of how everyone today (and the Buddhist faith) is striving to be in perfect comfort, looking for happiness there; What this week has shown me is that happiness is not there, for me at least. I have found my happiness stems from strife, work, and determination. I have more energy an motivation when I am sleep-deprived and stretched thin than ever have I had with hours at my disposal. Elation is my feeling at this point, in the middle of the week, and I have not even received a reward for my work. What this means to me, I shall leave to explore another night. The obvious lessons are here to read, and I am left wondering about the identity of my next endeavor, excited for the opportunity.

All I see is forced happiness, in a sea of pointlessness.

The idea of living is taken so seriously, we forget to live at all.

I want to break the drudgery, through the fog of existence.

You can look at your hands, like you look at the television.

Or you can see them.

Something so simple, gives me more joy than forever in that haze.

Try it.

Stop.

Listen.

Look at your hands… and see them; Turn them over.

What have those hands done?

What thoughts does that bring?

Now think of your dreams you once had.

Not the goals, the dreams.

Dreams of nothing, dreams of substance: dreams.

Dream them, if only for this moment just be in that dream.

Escaping the haze… unveiling our consciousness: it seems so unfamiliar, distant. My dream is of closeness with this feeling. The serenity it provides.

Lets make our own magic.