Sunday, September 11, 2011

We are Infections! Yes we are.

I have been thinking today. There are basically three kinds of people. Those that infect others, those that get infected and those that don’t infect yet profusely refuse infection. And from my experience, the most pleasant of the three to be around are those that have managed to create a healthy balance of all three. And the most unpleasant are the ones that cling to one trait and refuse the others. Believe it or not a little bit of infection and infecting is good for the soul and so also is resistance to infection.

I make it sound like a disease and I suppose in a sense it is.

I believe every person starts at a point, as a blank sheet, a clean slate. The experiences we have and the people we encounter begin slowly to paint a picture on the sheet that is us (And yes, we infect others as much as they infect us). And for the first few steps of the journey, we take in what we are presented with, partly because of its novelty and partly because we are waiting for the picture to become clearer, to make sense.

Some people are lucky enough to see almost right away that something is wrong with the picture painted and they resist it, and instead create a new theme for the painters to follow (remember the painters are the people we encounter and the experiences we live), and creating a theme is all about us deciding for ourselves how we want our pictures to be painted and what it will reveal eventually.

Others are less lucky they wait until the picture is almost done and recognizable before they halt it. Two things happen here, there is then either a heavy feeling of hopelessness at realizing how much damage has been done and submitting to the ugliness of that picture as one’s fate, or beginning the process of erasing it. Now the second option takes a lot of strength courage and determination.

Erasing a painting is nothing like erasing lead on paper. We’re talking colours, hues, textures – trying to make all of that a bland blankness is extremely difficult but not impossible. So in order to even arrive at a point where the general idea of the picture painted is dissolved, a chopping, chiseling and shedding of one’s personality occurs until by the time you arrive at that dirty but plain blandness of an erased picture you are someone else, albeit still you.

Again at this point, you can decide to hike up your spunk a notch higher and attempt to draw a new picture on the dirty canvass, maybe not with as many colours, but textures and hues and shadows, and with enough determination you might be able to create a silhouette that is breathtaking. Not all is lost. Alternatively, you can rest. And most people do and it’s understandable too.

The third kind of person is the sort I call the coward. That’s the one that doesn’t like the picture painted, stops it midway, refuses to decide on a theme and basically is suspicious of anyone that attempts intimacy. Worse still hasn’t the courage to retrace their steps to recreate the picture. So, they carry on with a half painted canvass that says nothing yet is loudly colourful.

Interestingly though, the whole experience makes us to a certain degree infective, some are rather imposing with themselves on other, probably for fear that if they don’t ‘do’, they will be ‘done for’. Others are just too exhausted from resisting that they settle for whatever infection is imposed on them and the cowards although hardly ever infect anyone, fight infection profusely.

Infection is not altogether a bad thing because (believe it or not) there are those that have learned the hard way and have realized that life is all about sowing what you reap. They infect positively because it’s what they hope to get in return, even if not from the same channel.

What I am saying is, NO ONE ever has the perfect picture painted by just being passive. Activity can create or destroy, but the ability to be recognize the creating power and to reach for it, takes initiative….SO, the question is, what does your painting say? What do you want it to say? And what are you doing to make it say just that?

8 comments:

OPineJournal said...

I hear you sweet one, and I think we know what we are doing - the tapestry, fresco, painting, sculpture and symphony are all being written anew.

Wonderful ideas here - parasites come to mind too... it's perhaps part of the person who refuses to be infected... the closed mind.

Have a good day love!

NAAN POCEN said...

That is the whole point; the active participation in re-creating. That IS what makes the difference, and yes, the closed minded suffer the most..... I hope your day goes well too Sweetie.

Dojle74 said...

I think that in the beginning most people at least me and there are exceptions, as always, are some sort of mix between the first and second kind of person. Unfortunately as we grow older we tend to infect and get infected less and slowly become the third kind of person. I've noticed that in myself and I think it's sad and it would be nice to be able to reverse that process. I think I was in balance about 5-10 years ago...

NAAN POCEN said...

Hi Boris :-). It's not a hopeless case once one recognizes where one is. When we get stuck at a stage and don't even realize it, is when we are doomed, so hey! You can rework your painting, and there is no such thing as 'too late' trust me, I should know :-). How have you been by the way?

Dojle74 said...

I know you're right. I've seen old people that are full of ideas and are truly inspiring and they also listen to other people. But then again I see young bitter people who live int their own shell and nothing gets in or out and I wonder how they got there and I don't know how. I'm living a busy family life and the only time I have time to be online is at work. Life's good, so what about you? I've read your blog posts so I guess I really didn't have to ask that question but it's always nice to know that there are people who care and actually ask that question every now and then =).

NAAN POCEN said...

Those that just keep that bitterness bottled up inside, suffer for it more than those they are bitter with, so it's somewhat puzzling why they keep at it.....but hey! each to his own :)....and life is a lot lighter and fun if we just hold on to some simplicity and be human, you know? Anyway, enjoy your day. I'm sure your little girl is quite the young lady now. Time does fly with parenting, have you noticed?

Dojle74 said...

Did I mention we got twins too? Life is very busy in a good way and yes she is becoming a lady =)

NAAN POCEN said...

WOW! Congratulations! I envy you the twins, except the part where they keep you awake and make spend all your money....lol, kidding. They must be such joy to have around. Excellent News!