Initially todays post was going to be a reflection upon some life changing stuff I've gotten to do along with sharing pictures from some of that stuff. That plan changed when for some reason my mind landed upon the words to the famous stanza from Tennyson's In Memoriam.
"'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all."
The immediate meaning of this poem resonates with people so incredibly well that it has almost become idiomatic within our collective vocabularies. I think that there is something beyond the basic idea that having a wonderful life with someone makes it worth losing them. Whether Tennyson intended this or not I think it can be gathered that an additional meaning is when you truly love someone they fundamentally and permanently change you into a more complete and better person to such an extent that you stay that way after they leave. I would really like to be with that person. I sometimes feel as if after spending so much time introspectively I am reaching the "final lap" of that being productive or useful. As flawed as it is Maslow's Hierarchy of needs somewhat illustrates the point I am trying to make.
I am 11/11 on "high level" needs but I am ~14/17 when it comes to "basic/low level" needs which is not only really backwards, but generally fucked up. On the other hand though how bitchin' will it be when I finally do end up in a healthy relationship and I already have all of my internal issues worked out? I probably even prefer in this way.
The next thought I had came while writing the previous paragraph so its a bit less complete. What if you substitute "love" for other weaker types of love such as platonic love or love of things, does the same idea of permanent change work? I think so but to a weaker extent. Without any doubt in my mind I can say I have had friends that I would be a much worse of person without having met. To such a degree that is unpleasant to even think about that scenario. The side that I am less sure of is whether or not things can have that effect. My best guess is that it really depends on what kind of role that thing plays in your life, personally I don't know that any object other than computers or cities have impacted me on a deep level.
On that note and in light of all the homework I have to do here are some of those aforementioned pictures to finish this off.
Chillin' inside The Cavern where The Beatles got their start.
This is a couch in the cabinet room that I spend some of my best times in high school sitting on. One day we found out it had rats living in it.
This what the teachers lounge of the aerospace engineering dept. at MIT looks like. Or at least what it looked like on the night Nathan and I broke into the aerospace building there.
My one and only NBA game. If you squint you can see Derrick Rose.
Laguna Beach is definitely one of the prettiest places I've ever been but it is also amazing for collecting yourself and soul searching.
Lady GaGa having everyone in the crowd take pictures of the fame monster to kill it.
The best part is that all of that has happened in the past 3.5 years. The future looks quite bright.
I'm so jealous of all of these pictures and even more jealous that you've actually been there. I went to the Beatles Museum inside the Hard Rock in Universal and it was amazing. I got to stand under the archway made out of the bricks from this area you were in. Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there is something pretty special about that arch. I was fortunate to get to be there pretty soon after they had rebuilt it otherwise I would have missed it.
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