Defining the Abstract

I love reading my classmate, Becca's, blogs; I can usually relate so well to the things she mentions, and they spark my own thoughts. Her recent blog about the horrendous wind storms is another one I can relate to. I loved how she described the wind: "I love wind, as a rule. I'm fascinated by a force made visible only by what it's affecting, made audible only by loose ends" (http://backyardtransliteration.blogspot.com/2009/02/ja-es-ist-doch-windig.html). I would have never thought to describe something invisible as visible because of the objects surrounding it.

There are so many abstract things all around us. Most of the time we simply accept them as abstract and move on, but if we actually stopped to think about these abstract things we might be able to find a tangible way of connecting with them. Let’s take the concept of love (being that it’s Valentine’s Day). Love is an abstract concept, but we see it all around us. I see it between my parents who have been married for 27 years. I see it between my Dad and my grandmother who have been mother and son for 52 years. I even see it between my dogs who refuse to go anywhere without the other one present.

Nature has a way of trying to trick us. It is filled with abstract and mysterious things and happenings. If we would just slow down long enough to notice and contemplate things, we might actually feel more connected to nature and life.