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returning form ireland

- Hey, how was Ireland?

- Ireland was beautiful.. but humanity is horrible.

- [looks a bit worried] Why, what happened?

- Can you promise me that you will never, ever sacrifice your humanity for anything, especially money? That little bit of humanity left in us, that bit of conscience, is the only thing that has yet to be eliminated from most people, although not everyone realises that because they're blinded by materials and pointless pieces of paper. But that little bit of humanity is the only thing that can make us realise the situation we've found ourselves in, and how we are Nature, we're not separated.

We may find ways to perpetuate our existence while destroying everything that's necessary to us, but it's not going to last forever. We are part of Nature, and by destroying it we are destroying ourselves. How far down the line do we have to go to realise the power that lies in us to save us?

- [looking very perplexed] Hey, you alright?

- Nothing's alright. We live in an illusion and we refuse waking up or opening our eyes because of some pieces of paper that someone once told us have value. What value is money when you can't breathe air? How is money going to fill up the ozone holes? How is money going to fill the hungry? What is going to save the world is energy, technology, and resources. We have to get rid of money and stand back, so we can see who we really are and what we can really be.

a conversation

I spoke with Tony, a guy who picked me up when I hitch-hiked towards Bré, in Ireland.

He was telling me how he speaks Irish, but no one is really bothering learning it, he told me about a really old cemetary and St. Monochg, that Dublin was originally spelt 'Baile Ath Ciath', he started talking about the world in general (politics and the lot), and how they changed the Irish writing, and they made things shorter etc.

How money is destroying our heritage, our environment, our own true possession which is the gift to walk on such a beautiful planet, how 20 years ago you'd see foxes, birds flying everywhere, and all sorts of animals over the country side when driving the car; but now nothing. How all of this, including the corruption of the cops in Greece and everywhere, is beacuse of money.

"When I was in the USA, I was in the Navy and we travelled all over the world for many years. And wherever I went to, I saw corruption. You know, 'something's wrong with with your papers, how much?' Money, whiskey, cigarette, anything - corruption was there."

So it seems that wherever/for as long as there is money, there is going to be corruption.

"Exactly."

[...]

One could say that people are a lot happier in societies where they care less about money, or use them less.

"I think that the best life is where they don't use money at all."

Now, this coming from a person with the experiences that Tony's had in his life, is something I should at least try to keep in mind.



I think the difference between London and Dublin is that Dublin has some integrity, while London doesn't. London is an amazing place, where you can see Art from all over the world, ancient ruins from all over the world, listen to music from all over the world, see movies from all over the world, eat food from all over the world; but when it comes to what London has iherited throughout history, all that remains is the Big Ben and the Tower Bridge. I'm not saying London doesn't have an interesting history, but my point is rather that this interesting history behind London has been hindered by the incredible amalgam of cultures. But unfortunately, all this is just an illusion. You can't really appreciate something unless you go to the place it comes from. And I am not talking about intent here, I'm talking about Heritage and culture.

Chinese food in London has nothing to do with actual Chinese food in China; the Egyptian and Greek ruins in the British Museum are nothing compared to seeing ruines in Egypt or Greece; italian olive il in London is not the same as italian olive oil in Italy; and hearing traditional Irish music in a concert hall is nothing compared to seeing people play in a pub in a village in Ireland where they barely speak any English.

It seems that the British should stop taking things from other cultures and start travelling more. Or rather, travel more without trying to make everything the same as their home. Travelling is indeed one damn good mind-opening experience.

"The further away you go
from the things you are familiar with,
the closer you come
to finding who you really are"

"Στον κόσμο, δύο είναι τα πιο μεγάλα πράγματα: εσύ, και όλα τα άλλα που δεν είσαι εσύ."

"Τι είναι η ιστορία αν όχι αναμνήσεις σε κάδρο σε κρύες αίθουσες, σε μουσεία, σε μια μεγάλη πόλη;"

a waterfall

I'm staring at Powerscourt Waterfall right now. It's just magic. I can keep looking at it for hours, just like a painting. But the problem with paintings, I think, lies in the approach people have in watching/experiencing then. In painting one is constantly trying to look for intent, instead of beauty. One must know something about the painter or the painting, or the movement, or the era, or the place it was painted, in order to appreciate it more. In nature, there is no intent. Things Are. A waterfall Is. I don't need to know how it was created, know where the water goes to, or see the rive it's coming from, or know it's the largest waterfall in Ireland to appreciate it. It's just there, and so am I, and that's all it takes: just experiencing something for what it is. Unfortunately, because Art is created with intent, it's more difficult to do that. (Since even if an artist creates a piec eof art they claim has no _ intention, even the decision to create that piece of art has intent.)

Maybe we shouldn't even try to ignore intent in Art because it's inherent in it, by definition. That's why there's nothing artistic about this waterfall. Nature is not Art, Nature is not a creation, nature just is. It exists. Time just 'is', so is space. Instead, direction has been imbued within each one of us, in the form of goals, ambitions, the past, the future, that we cannot quite comprehend things that just are.



"In a world that moves so quickly, the ability to stop and look back should be highly appreciated."

-Miguel Monteiro Sena


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