20061117

Thoughts on Thinking

"What do you think when you have not developed a natural language yet?" -- My one year old daughter can look at me, analyse and interpret my actions and act on that, without ever having a phrase or sentence to cross her mind. Not once will she think something like "oh, it's that what he means", simply because she knows no vocabulary or syntax to formulate that sentence. Still she must have the equivalent of such a thought, since she does what I ask of her.

If my daughter can think without formulating her thoughts into words, would it then be possible that all our thoughts are speechless at first and that we have developed a parallel thought process that can turn those thoughts into a natural language?

20061112

Do not stand at my grave and weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there -- I do not die.

by Mary Frye

20061107

Kissing a train

Yesterday the train suddenly came to a full stop halfway on the track. They said that it was because a man had stepped in front of the train and that we now had to wait for the police and ambulance.

Strange experience that a man can be hit by a vehicle without the passengers actually noticing. When you hit somebody with a car there is definitely a thump, maybe even a crash if he hits the windshield, but with a train there is nothing. Only the reaction of the train driver and the slight inconvenience of the passengers who have to wait for two hours to be on their way again.

Kissing a train is not a good way to go.

20061101

momentary eternity

To live in the everlasting length of one breath, free from thought. That's when the color of emotions can truly illuminate you and you will find freedom in the passing of an instant.