Because my mind drifts...

Strangely enough, I found myself thinking of evolution today. I was biting in to an apple and thought about the design. Actually built to fall to the ground when ripe. A complicated process of germination requiring several levels.

Some of the insane will simply indicate that this is indicative of a designer. They have never studied random number patterns. What I thought is that these are new. The forests of the Jurassic had no apples. There weren't grasses either. The very plants that allowed the rise of mammals came along with us. They and we adapted together. Could a human survive on ferns and meat? Possibly. But we would not thrive. Man do not cultivate plants in jungles. 65 million years ago, a freak accident changed the game. The plants and animals that could hibernate survived. Although nature would again dance in the sun, it hid in the cave and burrow first.

So, the next time you imagine walking with dinosaurs, think of the jungles of our current world. Imagine the prisons the French built that didn't require walls.... just to be surrounded by jungle. Think of the things that do live there now.... the snakes and bugs.... Everything was far bigger, but the end result is the same. We are not designed for it. We would be the only thing sweating. We could be tracked for miles and although we could find sustenance, it would be meager.

Apples exist because mammals exist and vice versa. The bird large enough to eat an apple or spread the seeds would be a raptor. If a niche arose would something fill it... yes. However, that assumes that apple trees stay around that long and that something else doesn't arise to replace them.

We generally assume that plant life is static and animals adapt to it. We sometimes forget that flowers may have existed without bees, but they wouldn't thrive. They would be one of those rare accidents that have made our planet what it is. The wind would spread pollen as would contact with other animals, but neither of these would be all that effective. And flowering plants are not very resilient. By definition, an ecosystem is interdependent. The bees need the flowers and vice versa. Would there be similar things replace them? Maybe. The niches do seem to produce similar forms. However, assuming a niche will always be there is a mistake. There is nothing constant. There are no rules. We are just one species on one planet. We change the world every day.

And it changes us.

That time of year...

I felt it in the winds this morning. The rains have come. To those unfamiliar with weather on the Northeast seaboard, during the autumn months a slow drizzle becomes the norm. Cold November rain is a cliche here. Rain is common through December. Snow will begin in January. Philadelphia is a beautiful place to watch the seasons pass. Although the inhabitants may disagree, we do not suffer the summers of our Southern neighbors or the winters of our Northern. Very often the city itself lies right on the frost line and although the thousand mirrors do form a pocket of heat, the surrounding area finds itself topping off in the 80s rather than the 90s. I have experienced an August or two that were horrid and a month wherein the temperature did not go above 20 (Fahrenheit) but there are always exceptions.

The end result is a few million people that have multiple umbrellas. We don't have block heaters. Central air is still uncommon. First frost brings panic, while by March people will consider snow as a daily part of their lives.

For now, I just settle in and don sweaters. The rains have come. They bring cold with them. The sun wanes. Nature prepares to sleep.

Back to default...

The idiosyncrasies of live sound dull when prefaced like that. None the less, it seems appropriate. I have returned to my everyday life. There are still clothes drying in the bathroom and another box of things coming. But, I'm back at work and back to the gym. The coffee flows here and there are fresh apples. The train is full of the unsuspecting and unimaginative. There are bills to pay and petitions to sign. It's home.

For although I have taken 2 pilgrimages to the playa and my body dealt with the strain far better this time, the world of timetables is mine. I am not an artist although I am occasionally granted their vision. I create in a world of 1's and 0's. My masterworks are practical solutions and if I have ever achieved elegance, it will not be remembered.

Years ago, I felt as if I was walking into someone else's world and wasn't sure if I belonged. Now, I know that I belong and no longer need to prove it.

I do create. My medium is ether and the time I spend away from that sits heavy on my shoulders. I have run out of challenges in my professional life. I have stopped making the magic and started focusing on schedules and budget. The end result is that my job is simply the mindless tedium that most people seem to live with.

I am not "most people". I am passionate and ridiculously intelligent. I will make the myths before I'm done. Anything less would lack artistry.