Selfies in Mr. Miyagi’s backyard, sort of.
I think that some of the best examples of Juxtaposition* I've experienced recently were at the Japanese Garden today watching people take selfies.
Really a lovely place. I can't say our children were giddy with excitement initially, but after absorbing the quiet beauty and timelessness of the environment for a bit, a simple joy started to emerge: an appreciation for all the details; the moss, the intricate arrangements of everything, the simple pairings of natural and human-made; and also the suspension of Time: the opposite of the instant gratification that is so handy and available most of the time. The pleasure in waiting entire minutes for a bamboo water feature to fill up, slowly rotate to release its load, and begin the process again. It's cliche, but something so comforting about being surrounded by simple, deliberate beauty that's not concerned with immediacy.
Also, our son enjoyed the fish, but imagined what it would be like if they lived in saltwater and he was a shark in there with them.
What would you do?
I asked.
Well.
he said.
If I was a shark, then sharks aren't vegetarian so I'd probably try to eat them.
Total tranquility. Until the beasts rise up to devour us all.
“Today was a very cold and bitter day, as cold and bitter as a cup of hot chocolate, if the cup of hot chocolate had vinegar added to it and were placed in a refrigerator for several hours.”
― Lemony Snicket
Thank goodness for hot chocolate that's warm, and vinegar-free, and comes with two straws. Happy Feb, universe
*one of my favorite words and concepts