(All lyrics are property and copyrighted by Cloud Cult - Basically, I'm saying they're not mine.)
Compare the six days of the book of Genesis,
To the four billion years of geologic time -
On this scale, one day equals about 666 billion years...
All day Monday, until Tuesday noon,
Creation was busy getting the earth going,
Life began on Tuesday noon
And the beautiful organic wholeness of it
Developed over the next four days...
At 4 P.M. Saturday, the big reptiles came,
Five hours later, when the Redwoods appeared there were no longer big reptiles...
At 3 minutes before midnight, man appeared
One-fourth of a second before midnight, Christ revolted,
One-fortieth of a second before midnight, the industrial revolution began...
We are surrounded by people who think that what we have been doing for
One-fortieth of a second can go on indefinitely,
They are considered normal, but they are stark, raving, mad...
So you're probably wondering why my first post reeks of the word ‘cliché' with the whole lyric deal... I'll explain:
NUMBER ONE:
Cloud Cult is a beyond amazing band - you should listen to them, no joke they're worth at least 100 Cool Indie Kid points. So mad props to Leah H. for introducing them to me through midnight car rides to Perkins!
NUMBER DOS: <-- I'm a fan of the bilingual interjection.
For some reason, I really like it when people squish down the span of existence into a user friendly format that anyone can grasp... in this case, a week.
Why?
Because I know everyone has been put in a position - in a classroom, while watching TV, reading, whatever - where some crucial date unleashes itself upon them. Then we're expected to understand the value and importance of this date, or even worse, learn something from it. And I've witnessed people react to this in one of two ways: (nice, a list within a list... it's sad I know)
- Those that straighten their scholar cap and try to drain every ounce of meaning out of it...
OR
- The majority of us who sit back and say, "What in the hell does this have to do with me?"
And yes, I realize not everyone fits into my sweet grouping... But for my purposes, it fits.
My point to all of this though?
I wholeheartedly believe that understanding the past is key to how we shape our futures... How after school special of me, right? But that's hard to do if you don't feel a connection once so ever to that event. Who could honestly blame you though? You shouldn't be expected to make a bond with something that happened hundreds, or thousands, or maybe millions of years ago. You're on two different sides of the spectrum.
It's like having to spend quality time with your parents or someone else that creates a nice age gap. I'm willing to bet that chances are there will be a conflict to what the two of you find important, fun, or interesting. This same situation can be said about history and us.
Now, how does this all relate to the lyrics I posted?
Well, that's why I like condensing existence. If you are able to grasp the time scale in a fashion that is familiar to you, I believe you have a better chance of seeing that what Shakespeare contributed to society wasn't really as long ago as it seems - kind of like being struck with the notion your parents were once teenagers too. But there is more to it than realizing those events weren't as far apart as we think.
There needs to be the element of relation to make a connection. You totally see it all the time in those cliché movies where the only job some underdog teacher can get is in a of-course-its-crappy-because-its-an-inner-city school and just to their luck, the classroom they're assigned is full of the no-one-ever-believed-in-me-so-now-I'm-a-delinquent students. But they make learning come ALIVEEEE and give the kids a new sense of hope, blah, blah, blah... But there is something golden to that. See, they always find some way to parallel what they're teaching to relate to the lives of their students. Which is what we need more of today.
Now for the final ingredient, that whole mess of believing the time we live in now is immortal. In a way it is, but more so in the form of future ink and paper contribution. I think this comes from our lack of realizing we barely make a glitch in the radar in the grand scheme of existence and everything is constantly reinventing itself. We barely have breathing room on the time line when it's strung out. And in a way that contradicts what I've been saying, because why should we dwell on past if existence keeps shedding its skin so much?
Well, we need to embrace our past so we can take away the most we can from it. That way we can make what little time we're allotted one that was worth while, both on a personal level and on a bigger picture level. There really is no point in living a life that is filled with trivial moments; it's just a waste of something that could of been used for the greater good. Which is why we need to make that connection I've been rambling on about, realize our invincibility isn't as immortal as we thought it was, and do something.
Even if that doing something is just you becoming a better person. That'll make more of a difference than you really think. Every person you meet affects your life in some shape or form, so you might as well make that impression one that's golden. And maybe then you can go on and be responsible for something that affects everyone, everywhere for the better.
And you know, I can totally see all of this coming off as a jumbled mess of random thought and I apologize for that - no seriously, thank you A.D.H.D.
And I couldn't tell you exactly what I would want someone to take from reading what I'll write. The most I could ask for is just someone to read it, period. Taking away something good from it would just be an amazing bonus I suppose.
And I don't even know exactly what I want to take away from this experience either. Obviously the scholarship money would be beyond awesome. But personally I'm more so hoping for some type of inner fulfillment whether it's in the form of self-improve or releasing built-up whatever.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
I completely agree with your point on how very short our lives our and how the best chance we have for immortality is through pen and ink. "think this comes from our lack of realizing we barely make a glitch in the radar in the grand scheme of existence and everything is constantly reinventing itself. We barely have breathing room on the time line when it's strung out."
And you're right that when we can see how we are truly connected with each other and our parents were teenagers too .. we can move past the pen and ink and onto doing something more. What we need is that connection and the hope--- and I agree there is FAR too little hope today AND FAR too many excuses.
What struck me most was your wish for people to just read what you have to say. YES! Like the poet said "and the powerful play goes on and you can contribute a verse" You are contributing a verse- the rest of us just need to read what you have to say.
I loved your posting and gave it five stars, but I do have a major point of contention with what you say; namely, that there's no point in living a life filled with trivial moments, and that such a life is "just a waste of something that could of been used for the greater good." I discovered long ago that life is a series of trivial moments and what we take from them, and in fact, it's the trivial moments that link us together and make your statement that "every person you meet affects your life in some shape or form" true.
Just think. Think of that familiar stranger who may have suddenly crossed your path on a bad day and given you a smile that is forever after yours to keep. Think of the blathering girl at the supermarket check-out line who drops some gem in your lap like, "people are always talking about their problems, you know? But I think there's still a lot of good in the world." Think of seeing yourself in the little girl coming home from school who carefully avoids every crack on the sidewalk, and of pausing to watch an animal sleeping with the look of all-encompassing peace that you can hardly remember ever having yourself.
What could be more trivial than life? Broken down, every particle of every moment of every day is a small thing, especially when you step back and see the present for the speck of dust in time that it is as you did so lucidly in your posting. That realization shouldn't push us to embrace our past and strive to make the world a better place; it should make us slow down, look around, and love the trivial. Doing nothing, perhaps, but living on, loving life for what it is.
I read through your blog- it was very nice. I think I wear a scholar cap and I like to over think things, I will mull over your blog for a long time.