Dive Deeper

 

I just finished watching, 'The Great Flood,' on Netflix. I'm not exactly sure what is was about but it was still pretty good. I think the main plot was a mother proving her undying loyalty to her digital son as our world was being annihilated and she had to keep redoing the same day until she got it right because humanity depended on it. 

Yeah. There's a lot in life I don't understand. Sometimes people will write something on Bluesky and I have no idea what they're trying to convey yet they get two thousand likes and comments just as cryptic. I wonder if it's due to how I socialize? I read a great deal, but I don't have a lot of human interactions. This reminds me of the Peter Sellers movie where he learned about life by watching television. When I went back to college a few years ago, I was in a class where we had to read, 'The Odyssey.' Frankly, I thought it was stupid and Odysseus pissed me off with his slow pace getting home after the condom war. But as we discussed the chronologically of the book, I panicked. I couldn't actually follow what the other students were discussing in any impactful way. I understood the story on the surface level but going into any depth was beyond me. To me, he was just a guy wasting time, fooling around with the ladies and with Zeus and company, I didn't find any hidden meaning. And then there are times I feel I see something in a story or true life drama others fail to see. I do try to keep up with the latest lingo, even though most people stick to basic English. 

So, how we use communication definitely alters the brain and how we think, in my opinion. Since I have not conversed with anyone to validate my opinion, I'll believe me.

Another communication issue is my hearing. I can hear a clock ticking in another room but when someone speaks, I find myself lip-reading. They can get in my face and still be unintelligible. If they enunciate in a moderate tone, it's fine, but people don't enunciate, at least not the people I hang around with. They talk into their lap or their phone. I know I'm becoming more isolated because I am embarrassed about my hearing loss. Hearing aids are no good because the background noise is like a fighter jet going through while the person standing before me gets frustrated if I ask them to repeat what they said. I have read that hearing loss is connected to dementia in later years. This frightens me. I hear the world differently. I always have. But it can also be useful when you can't hear the noise, or the words, because I then focus on the mannerisms. I'm pretty good when it comes to knowing when someone is lying when I see them speaking. It's true about the eye movement, hand gestures, little tells. People act differently when they are lying. Watch Karoline when she lies. Her nose goes up, her mouth tightens.

Some days I prefer the silence, but I don't want to be a body, rolled into a corner, unengaged with humanity. What's the point of being, then?

A sociology professor once noted that most people think on a surface level. One example would be any loyal maga. They hear Trump speak and never question, never delve further into why he says what he says as he smirks and waves his hands. You have to wonder why he bans ASL from his rants. One obvious reason is that he is a narcissist who can't stand not being the center of attention. The other, someone is interpreting his lies. Remember the videographer who panned around  a nearly empty rally room as Trump said it was filled to the rafters? That's an interpreter who exposes the truth. 

So perhaps you'd like to do an experiment today. Listen to someone. It's Sunday. The day of pundits, priests and pedophiles. Ask the why, the reason, the point, the truthiness, the source. Get in there and take it apart and see what more you'll come away with. I think you'll be surprised by what you learn and where it leads you. Sometimes a rose is just a rose, a comment, just a comment. I think the well goes deeper. Dive in.