Expanding my horizons
One of my all-time favourite life experiences is when you suddenly see that some domain of human experience is much more interesting and complex and beautiful than you had previously realised, and indeed than you had imagined it could possibly be.
plumsbitch 's link to some startling (although not at all to my taste) underwear here, is the most recent example of this. I had no idea that underwear could be so interesting and different from high street stuff. Likewise, the half dozen or so performances of modern dance I have seen have made me feel as if I am suddenly apprehending a whole domain of human art and endeavour which was previously unknown to me. I can dimly perceive whole layers of complexity and meaning that I had no idea existed. People who have eaten Heston Blumenthal's food say the same sort of thing - 'I had no idea food could be like this'. (I am wondering about going to The Fat Duck for my 40th in a couple of years time, if it's still around. It's a hell of a lot of money for a meal, but if it turned out to be another instance of this feeling I'd happily pay more than that).
I love the feeling of widened horizons and new possibilities that it creates. It's one of the reasons being an academic works for me - every now and then I get intellectual instances of that, and I'm getting paid to experience them. How cool is that?! I'm a bit prone to claustrophobia, physically, but especially mentally and emotionally, and this feeling is the opposite of claustrophobia.
If that's making any sense to you, what domains of human experience give you that feeling? What should I discover next in the ceaseless hedonistic thrill-seeking that is my life at the moment? (Well, a person can dream. Well, she could if she was actually getting any sleep in which to dream. A person can dream of dreaming).
plumsbitch 's link to some startling (although not at all to my taste) underwear here, is the most recent example of this. I had no idea that underwear could be so interesting and different from high street stuff. Likewise, the half dozen or so performances of modern dance I have seen have made me feel as if I am suddenly apprehending a whole domain of human art and endeavour which was previously unknown to me. I can dimly perceive whole layers of complexity and meaning that I had no idea existed. People who have eaten Heston Blumenthal's food say the same sort of thing - 'I had no idea food could be like this'. (I am wondering about going to The Fat Duck for my 40th in a couple of years time, if it's still around. It's a hell of a lot of money for a meal, but if it turned out to be another instance of this feeling I'd happily pay more than that).
I love the feeling of widened horizons and new possibilities that it creates. It's one of the reasons being an academic works for me - every now and then I get intellectual instances of that, and I'm getting paid to experience them. How cool is that?! I'm a bit prone to claustrophobia, physically, but especially mentally and emotionally, and this feeling is the opposite of claustrophobia.
If that's making any sense to you, what domains of human experience give you that feeling? What should I discover next in the ceaseless hedonistic thrill-seeking that is my life at the moment? (Well, a person can dream. Well, she could if she was actually getting any sleep in which to dream. A person can dream of dreaming).