OBSERVATIONS FROM AN OUTPOST
I AM STATIONED AT AN OUTPOST CHIEFLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBSERVATION, BUT ALSO, I SUSPECT, TO CHALLENGE MYSELF MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS AND WILL STAY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE LANDSCAPE AROUND THE OUTPOST IS BARREN: CONCRETE, ROCK, AND THE OCCASIONAL TREE.
EVERY OBSERVATION BEGINS THE SAME WAY. FIRST, I NOTICE GENERALITIES. THEN, UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION, I NOTICE SURFACE DETAILS. PATTERNS EMERGE.
DOCUMENTATION IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE, AS IS FOCUS. I ATTEMPT TO FOCUS ON SURFACE, TO NOTICE RATHER THAN COMPARE. I ATTEMPT TO STICK TO THE TASK AT HAND.
I WAS WARNED THERE WOULD BE INSPECTORS WHO WOULD COME TO THE OUTPOST AND CHECK ON MY OBSERVATIONS. ALSO, THERE WAS SOME MENTION, I RECALL, OF HOBBYIST ROCK COLLECTORS WITH PLASTIC PAILS. SO FAR, I HAVE SEEN NEITHER.
IT IS DIFFICULT. OCCASIONALLY ONE FALLS PREY TO THE CHILD’S GAME OF PICKING SHAPES OUT OF NATURAL PATTERNS. IN THE SAME WAY THAT A CHILD LOOKS AT A CLOUD AND SEES A HORSE, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR EVEN THE MOST PROFESSIONAL OF OBSERVERS TO LOOK AT A GIVEN SURFACE AND SEE A SHOE, A RACCOON, OR DONKEY WALKER. THESE THOUGHTS ARE MEANINGLESS. THEY LEAD, INVARIABLY, TO MEMORIES, ASSOCIATIONS, AND FAULTY SPECULATIONS. MEMORIES, ALTHOUGH NECESSARY, ARE INHERENTLY INACCURATE.
I JOURNEY FURTHER AND FURTHER FROM THE OUTPOST IN A SEARCH FOR NEW SUBJECT MATTER. I BRING A CAMERA, NOTEBOOK, FOOD, WATER, AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. SOMETIMES THE TERRAIN BECOMES DIFFICULT, AND INSTEAD OF THINKING ABOUT THE TASK AT HAND, MY MIND WANDERS. THE FURTHER I TRAVEL, THE MORE TREES I SEE. WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, THE LEAVES MOVE.
Filed under: AN ALTERNATE TRUTH, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Search
-
Blogroll
