Okay, two links to the same site in two days is a bit much, but actually, this article made me cry a little. I spend so much of my time wrapped up in the study of the past, occasionally I forget to look up and see how amazing this world truly is. After Avatar came out, I heard about people who were actually depressed because Pandora didn't exist, and they wanted to go there. I think it's really, really important to remember that no fictional world, no, not even the fictional universe in Firefly, can measure up to the incredible world we walk through every day.
Yes, sometimes it doesn't seem like this world is that cool - we know it, and it's just everyday for us. So we imagine a world with magical stand-ins for Native Americans, where we can be one with brightly-coloured flying horse-things, and magic air jellyfish. Or we pretend we're defending the universe Wild, Wild West, with laser guns and cool clothes. I know, I pretend to be in another world on a regular basis. The thing we have is never as amazing as the thing we don't have, and can't get.
But look at the images in that article. Damn. This world is literally awesome, and we should remember to regard it with the proper awe and delight that it deserves sometimes.
Let's let James Cameron keep Pandora. I'll take science over magic any day.
Yes, sometimes it doesn't seem like this world is that cool - we know it, and it's just everyday for us. So we imagine a world with magical stand-ins for Native Americans, where we can be one with brightly-coloured flying horse-things, and magic air jellyfish. Or we pretend we're defending the universe Wild, Wild West, with laser guns and cool clothes. I know, I pretend to be in another world on a regular basis. The thing we have is never as amazing as the thing we don't have, and can't get.
But look at the images in that article. Damn. This world is literally awesome, and we should remember to regard it with the proper awe and delight that it deserves sometimes.
Let's let James Cameron keep Pandora. I'll take science over magic any day.
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I mean, on the force of sheer prettiness and cool stuff that happens and sweet animals and whatever, the world we live in is just as neat as the neat worlds we can come up with in our heads. I've seen landscapes that made me gasp aloud. And almost any square mile of ocean has stuff in it that would blow any film maker's mind.
Buuuut, I think the people who are like "aw, the world sucks because it's not as great as that planet" and think that like the tall blue aliens are their spirit animals or whatever are probably not in touch with enough of the stuff that makes life on this planet worthwhile, which at the end of the day is more about love and community, and really doesn't have much to do with how swank the rocks and butterflies and microbes are.
Long before I ever heard of any James Cameron, I was looking out my window wishing a unicorn was going to come and take me to a magical land, the place I really belong. Part of me still kind of wishes it would, and if a unicorn showed up and gave me that choice? Even now, I don't think I'd pick here if I thought I had a chance of acceptance there. And my vision of Otherworld has always been a sort of place that includes plenty to be afraid of, too.
What I guess I mean is, the world may well have an atmosphere made of pure vaporized wonderment, but that doesn't mean much when you don't feel you have a place in it.
This morning I was stuck in traffic and cursing it. Then I looked out the window. Just in time to catch two hawks swooping into the treeline next to the highway. I got to watch them for about 30 seconds, and it turned my whole morning around.