Thursday night: I sat in my reading chair, listened to soothing tones, and read my non-fiction for an hour. My eyes captured the sight of the shapes printed onto the pages. Those shapes were interpreted to be letters, words, sentences that shaped into arguments, meaning, and knowledge. This particular week, the book is about social e-commerce. Neural pathways are firing as much as they can as I work to process and add the new pieces of data into my schema.
The music gets me into a focused and alert state and keeps me there throughout the time. I underline key points and summarize them by hand at the end of every chapter. It’s the way I’ve been reading for the past few years–the first time where I actually absorb the knowledge for good.
My mind races as it imagines the real-world application of bits of information contained therein. The possibilities are endless and excite me. I text one of the concepts to a friend, send an email about another to a co-worker.
I’m enthralled in the complex beauty that is woven into the words on the pages. Some seem painfully intuitive yet unrealized until read. Others, unique assets developed only through countless hours of experience.
The song ended, the hour up. I closed my book thinking about all that I had read, and all the possibilities in front of me. It was time for bed, excited for the next steps as I close my eyes for sleep.
Friday night: I sat on my couch, adjusted the surround sound and watched TV for an hour. My eyes adjusting and overwhelmed by the strong light of images projected on the giant screen. Those wavelengths interpreted to be colors, pixels, shapes that merged into characters, settings, and other pictures. This particular night, the show was a crime drama. My brain flooded with light capturing as much as it can as I work to absorb and narrate the new pieces of light into my mind.
The music gets me into a suspenseful state that both ebbs and flows throughout the show. I watch the scenes and imagine them happening in my life as it cuts to black for a bit to simulate a commercial break but none come on in this digital state. It’s the way I’ve been watching TV for the past few years—my mind wondering if what I saw could come true for me.
My mind races as it imagines participating in the violence and sex contained therein. The possibilities are so real and both scare and entice me. I sit silently daydreaming about the gorgeous heroine, imaging what I would do if faced with a violent situation like this.
I’m enthralled in the base states of man that are woven into the images on the screen. Some seemingly painful and unimaginable until just then. Others, unique asses developed in post production through countless hours of retouching.
The song comes on and signals the end. I shut off my TV thinking about all that I had seen, and all the possibilities in my mind. It was time for bed, but too excited by the light of violence and sex to consider sleep.
So take these two evenings and understand it well. Where one was led to learn the other to vegetate. Where one involves higher order thinking the other base. Sight and sound existed set by the reader in one, by the TV in the other. One resulted in contemplating constructive application and sharing with others, the other, imaginations of lust and violence held within.
So I say to you: think before you sit. Which chair do you choose? Which tale shall be yours? Are you of Thursday or of Friday?