Perception

 Perception is existence, for it is how we perceive things that gives them meaning. Life itself bares no particular significance without the presence of perception. Vision is how the brain processes images to be sent to the brain. Intelligence is the brain's ability to rationalize such images and provide us with an unbiased portrait of what lay before us. Perception, on the other hand, is how the soul views, absorbs, and understands that which we see. It is how one perceives that determines whether the glass is half empty or half full; it is how one perceives that differentiates a living hell from heaven on earth. Perception is the thick shroud of uncertainty which develops around the ever blinded depths of logic. For some, due to their tendencies to perceive things in a positive way (optimists), Perception is a gift. For those who perceive their surroundings in a more negative way (pessimists), perception is a curse. Though the perceptual spectrum is far more diverse than simply optimism and pessimism, i digress. I for one, would classify myself as a realist. A realist is one who sees things how they truly are; one who lacks the misleading haze known as perception. Just as optimists may be thought to be blessed, and pessimists cursed, I find that realists are subsequently left ignored. Personally, I prefer being left ignored, for my point of view is never clouded with distortion; this world is distorted enough already. To me, to be ignored is to be blessed... in far more ways than one.

All That Glittlers Is Not Gold

Alas, I have returned to the comfort of my own bed from the unfamiliar lands I have for so long been travelling. Though I arrived home at the airport with no more than thickly packed suit-cases in my hands, I returned to this world with much more than that. The souvenirs of utmost importance which I possess from my three-week journey cannot be stored inside any sort of tangible luggage, nor detected by the heaps of security equipment found in every international airport. Essentially, neither can these precious reminders of my travels be felt by the groping hands of your local TSA agent. This is as it is due to the fact that what I brought back with me from my leave to Europe has become a part of me itself. Even under the circumstances that I could leave behind and forget the memories of my excursion, I couldn't possibly leave behind how those memories have altered me.

Through the lessons I have learned and the knowledge I have gained, my experiences in living as part of an unfamiliar culture have bent and shaped my personality, mind, and soul. In this sense, if I returned to America with nothing but the clothes on my back, I would not have returned empty handed. Simply because memories and gained insight cannot be claimed through customs upon returning to the streets from whence you came does not mean that they are of less significance than material objects. In opposition, I for one believe strongly in the absolute dominance of the intangible over the tangible in such circumstances. The reason that things such as moral values, intelligence, memories, etc. contain no price tag is not because they are of less value than that which can be priced, but because they are to precious for their value to be measured in currency.

Fortunately for me, I have attained memories and knowledge in excess. In a time where the economy is failing, and in a materialistic sense I could easily be considered poor, I know that I am truly rich where it actually matters (as cliche as it may sound). As a wise man once said, "All that glitters is not gold."

So now, as I recline in my stiff mattress surrounded by my belongings that aren't quite up to par, though I am reminded by my surroundings that I may be financially inept, I am simultaneously comforted by the fact that what I possess is of much greater value than all of the money in the world; what I have gained in Portugal is far more precious than what a stockbroker gains on wall street; what I have learned through experience is of more significance than that which they teach in Harvard. And with these thoughts, I can put aside my sorrows and let my own little luxuries croon me to sleep; and what pleasant dreams I will have.