Philosophical Physics as Taught by the Supersession of an Old Testament Priest

For Ed and Collin, who wasted no time in answering back from the void. The following ramblings are for you.



Better Than Ezra is a 90's-to-present band whose single greatest album in my humble yet right opinion is How Does Your Garden Grow (A Series of Nocturnes). This album is their most experimental both in lyrical subject matter and musical composition. Vibraphone, Rhodes pianos, and the flowing cadence of Kevin Griffin unite to form a truly beautiful 58 minutes and 25 seconds of music. An aural testament to the 9th decade of the last century not to mention a cultural anchor for my pre-twenties self. This all is significant for one simple reason: Track 10 is titled Particle.

While i assume that this song is about the subject's drug use, it's very title has inspired my philosophy for all of human interaction.

Something in me believes that we (humanity) are all colliding particles in the ever expanding nuclear fission of life. We careen about this crazy thing we call life (ie. space and time; ignited by birth, no less), bumping into one another in seemingly the most random of instances, and whether we care to admit it or not, we exchange a part of ourselves in this interaction. Call it a collision.



We are altered (be it subtle or otherwise) by this collision, and as we hurtle towards forthcoming particles we carry with us all the evidence of our past collisions. Over time these collisions begin to shape us and define us whether for better or worse. They begin to make us who and why we are. And even though all collisions shape us, as our ever-maturing life continues its outward expansion, a select few colliding moments stand out as significant.

Now it is important to note that the duration time of a collision is irrelevant. All that matters is the intensity with which we particles have collided. Decades or mere seconds, it really does not matter. A collision lasting 2 minutes with the right particle (person, just to keep the metaphor clear) can leave you changed far more than years mildly bumping into others.

These unique collisions have special meaning because of their impact. How hard they hit us. These are all the pungent memories that, love them or hate them, we just cannot shake. They are sliding down the hospital wall because you can no longer stand after realizing that your friend in the next room is mortal. They are 40 hours without sleep as you and your wife just cant wait to see Times Square. They are the warmth and peace of home. They are driving at midnight with a friend through middle Tennessee as snow slowly begins to descend on the windshield.

Each one of these moments is an impacting collision with unique particle. And even if that particle is passing into the truly unknown we still feel their impact by their very vacancy. I guess sometimes we do not even notice a collision until the other particle is leaving us.

My point is this: the very memory of these collisions can instantly return the sights, smells, thoughts and emotions to us, thus signifying their impact and weight in our lives. All of these sensory reminders are wonderful, but they are only present in our memory because a collision took place. And for a collision to take place it means another particle has to be present.

And this is what it means, particle.

To run the human race.

To be a particular human. (i don't even know if that's a pun)

To PARTICIPATE.

We are ugly and we are messy. We are wide-eyed and insatiably curious. We are amazingly creative and yet we destroy just about anything we touch (i believe that is called the rise and fall of civilization, which has been going on for quite sometime now). However, when its all said and done, we are simply a bunch of particles colliding with one another, forming this beautiful explosion called life.

Join me for my next entry as i wax articulate about my last few moments of life. Frankly i'm banking on a mental film featuring a montage of several unique collisions, backed by a sound track of my choosing, and directed by Michael Mann.

And that's life . . . what can i tell you. - Anthony Hopkins, Meet Joe Black

If I could do it again
I'd make more mistakes
I'd not be so scared of falling

If I could do it again,
I'd climb more trees
I'd pick and I'd eat more wild
blackberries

(Give me moments)
Just give me moments (give me moments)
Not hours or days (give me moments)
Just give me moments (give me moments)
- Bloc Party, Waiting for the 7:18