Black & White

     What is black and white in real life? Good is a matter of perspective. Warfare is terrorism of the rich. Terrorists are Freedom fighters among their comrades and supporters. A bully is just letting off steam. A victim is being steamrolled by life. An incarcerated felon is a victim of society. Meanwhile that felon's own victims were rubes, suckers who deserved to be ripped off for being vulnerable. Vulnerability is painting a target on one's self. Mindful awareness of weaknesses is a strong sign of consciousness and a step towards clarity and self-fulfillment. Egoism is at the drive of self-improvement. Stasis is a waste of potential. Direction is arbitrary and potential is subjective. Subjectivity is immeasurable against the greater good. Good is a matter of perspective.

      Extremes of behavior and thought are key tools we can use to explore our own consciousness. Nobody plays Grand Theft Auto in order to have everyday boring experiences. The escape from reality of dreams and fantasy is inherently propelled by pushing the experience to the next level. The highs and lows of being in love, pendulum-swinging through moments open so many chambers that if explored expand our self-awareness. The rush is exhilarating and when new far too intoxicating to handle. Hence the reckless love-decisions of capricious youth. With enough exploration of these extremes comes a solid basis in moderation, in the middle road, with a clear peripheral perspective. Nothing is black and white, but knowing how it feels, how it sways, the slippery slopes, the best and worst case scenarios, the pull of moments, the directions, the ebb and flow of life we can more efficiently navigate with least effort down the middle of the stream.

     Sacrificing too much of one's self makes it impossible to continue to strive, I discovered. This simple thought was a heavy revelation for me over the past two years and continues to ring true daily. Whether the amount of recovery I require after heavy exercise or the amount I can pay every month on debts, the magnitude and focus of friendships, time spent versus time on my own craft, the give and take, the investment and expectation of every equation grows more natural the more I see extremes as being tools of polarity, and not real life ideals. Between the masculine and feminine aspects of our own selves, the outward and inner activity is a jazz dance that yields so much more power and energy than either extreme pursued on its own. Between two worlds is a universe.