Scenery has a lot of meanings. It can be a lake,ocean,mountain or a village or city from an aerial view. It can also be constructed as a backdrop for a play or musical. We love to go to museums to see this or that but do we oft consider that all you really have to do is look out the window. 

Here in Flalaland we are chock a block with joys to the senses. Flora abounds and the water has such a mysterious blend of serenity and power. There is a big old live oak in our backyard. It has been there a long time and I wonder how many people have really stopped to notice. I feel right now as if I am looking at it for the first time. Leaves, branches and girth are symbols of grace, color, and strength. How many hurricanes has this guy been through and lived to tell the tale?

On the lake there is a big old alligator just cruising, looking for lunch. There is every type of waterfowl soaring and diving in the same endeavor. They didn’t play golf today or see a concert last night but they still seem to have it pretty good. They are not worried about inflation or AI and it doesn’t sound that bad. 

The sky? What can I say? Cumulus abounds.

You can take a Rorschach test every few minutes. One of my buddies was a weatherman of sorts in the Air Force before satellites. Macadoodle waxes eloquently about the diversity of our cloud cover while beating balls on the range. Not sure if he knows what he is talking about but it sounds pretty good to me. 

We have lived in some pretty beautiful and wonderful places. The ocean,mountains, desert, and cities all have a part of the newsreel Kathy and I call life. People call the Sonoran brown and ugly. They just don’t get it. Watch the sun rise and set in the mountains of Colorado. How about the vast ocean beyond the confines of Hawaii? The crazy part is that if you live there it doesn’t cost a dime. You don’t need a palatial mansion or trendy condo. 

I once took a friend for a ride on the Colorado River Road that stretches from Dotsero to Bond on the outskirts of the Vail Valley. I used to take it every so often to remind myself why I lived there.

As we passed an old Airstream that overlooked an astounding valley he said, “Isn’t that sad that is where that poor bastard has to live.” I was speechless at his lack of soul and then I remembered he was from New York. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 There was even beauty in a place called Viet Nam. Cam Rahn Bay and the French Quarters of Saigon were a tease of what could be without war. I was blown away when a friend of mine showed me a recent picture of our theater of war, replete with waterfront condos and outdoor cafes. I wonder if Gaza or Ukraine will ever be pretty again?

We do bad things to our scenery. We pump plastics into our lakes and oceans to the point where we ingest plastics from the fish we eat to the water we drink. In the Middle Ages we threw human waste out of the window onto the street. In a way we are still doing it.

I have often wondered if we took every vehicle or piece of machinery that lies rusting on major highways and local byways and put that all in one spot how big that mountain would be? Not a pretty sight for sure.

Scenery changes with the seasons and that is kind of cool. Going back to our mountain aeries at different times of the year gave you a totally different vibe. From the snow packed slopes in winter, to the meadows ablaze with wildflowers midsummer or the aspens in the fall, you have a show that even George Lucas or Dreamworks would find hard to equal. Budget? Zero. Admission? Free. 

I have been watching the Senior Golf Open this weekend. It is interesting that in addition to the Links like beauty of Newport Country Club, they feature the mansions of the Vanderbilts and other swells. I spent two years there in the US Navy. Ocean Drive was fantastic without the falderal. Get the Sunday paper and sit in your car for a front-row seat. Of course it was also a great makeout heaven at night. Want to come up and see my etchings? 

Scenery can be man-made. You see it on the stage and movie sets. It creates illusions, nightmares and fantasies. Of course, we have amped this up with all sorts of technical embellishments. Outer space and avatars will take you into a whole new reality. Can you top this? The Oscars for special effects are truly earned. 

In closing let’s get back to reality. Maybe I am getting old but my senses seem to be getting better. I am finally sitting down and just enjoying what’s around me. There are more greens and blues than I knew existed. A stupid tree or bush is really an art form if you look closely. Is this too sappy? I hope not. 

We can look at scenery or we can create our own. We can film in black and white or technicolor. We can do close-ups or panoramic shots. No matter what it is ours and we are free to choose. What’s in your pallette? 

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

There are 12 times more trees on Earth than there are stars in the Milky Way. Who needs Mr Hubbel?

Tornadoes, hurricanes, and flooding can devastate entire towns at once, but the weather condition that proves deadliest to humans is actually heat.

Phantom of the Opera, Peter Pan, Cats are among the many Broadway  sets/scenery that were off the charts. 

On the movie side, Ben Hur,Cleopatra, Harry Potter and Star Wars comes to mind. 

When we lived in Vail, I worked as a volunteer INFO person on the mountain in winter. While riding up on the #2 Avanti lift I was with three guests. As we neared the top I announced,” You are about to see one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world, the New York Range.” One of the passengers said,”Have you ever been to Nepal?” I wanted to say, “No a…hole, I haven’t ”  but I backed off. Surprising huh?

I had a great breakfast with a good buddy the other day. In a manner of speaking, we have both been through a variety of life’s skirmishes in the last few months. His were far worse than mine. As we sat, the questions became more personal and probing. Not nosy as much as showing genuine care and interest. It felt good on both sides. 

Afterward, I started pondering about the nature of friendships or relationships if you will. What creates them? What prevents them? Why are we so reticent about letting people in? Is it pride,fear, or even shame? A lot of questions for my poor little brain. All the while, good fun. 

It seems we are social beings. We like to interact and be noticed. We want to be worthy of someone’s attention, to be worthwhile. But what if we are not? Our crazy world scores everything. How you act, what you say, what you are wearing. It causes so many people to back off entirely. Who needs it?  

We fear a lot of things these days. The world is not a pretty place. There are revolts and coups. It seems the big guys are building bigger, better and faster missiles that preclude any sort of early warning. At home, a cyberattack can wipe out your life’s savings. There are a lot of crackpots with guns. Road rage? Fuhgeddaboutit. Better to stay out of harm’s way….physically and socially. 

Why would anyone in their right mind speak up? There are people laying in the weeds just to pounce upon any misstep or faux pas. We seek out friendly spaces that are beyond predictable. We build our own little fortresses. We want comfort even if it is at the cost of discovery.  It’s just not worth it. 

Remember when you first met someone? They seemed nice. You are attracted and want to get to know them better. You open up just a tad bit more every time you meet. You want to be so careful as to not look totally stupid. Each step is a balancing act between openness and wariness. You become more comfortable. More trusting. Maybe even show a few warts here and there. 

Now if you are Joe or Jane Cool, you have never given it a thought. Feel free to exit now. I will probably bore you. But for the rest of us schmucks, interactions with others can at times be a tightrope. At some point we have to be vulnerable, to be dare I say, authentic. This is where the rubber meets the road. 

Life is full of hit and runs. We are all at a cocktail party. Hi’s and air kisses abound. We chat briefly about this or that. How’s the weather? Do you want to hear about my golf game? No and I don’t want to be graced by descriptions of your children and grandchildren. It is not a place for deep conversation but we do look for some form of connectivity. Kathy and I will talk later and say,”That person or persons really seemed nice.” Maybe we can get to know them better.

My wife is more selective than I am and it is a good thing. A buddy of mine said I could talk to a tree. I want to know everybody. I reach out a lot and have been burned a lot. Tragic flaw! Do I want to be amigos with everyone? No, but I want to be open to the possibilities. It is something I have done over the years. Maybe my moat is just not that wide. 

Authenticity to me is simply what I believe and being true to that. I hope that comes across in friendships and in my writing. It is intriguing because there is a debate as to whether that is ingrained from early childhood or an adaptation over the years. I think I will go with the latter. As we learn, we grow. Yet I have to have a basic set of principles. They may come in conflict with yours but I have to know that you are being true to yours also. It is a thing that combines trust with compassion. 

It is odd that we are ingrained from childhood with the opposites. Don’t talk that way. If you take left or right viewpoints, you must be hanging around with the wrong type of people. Exploration and experimentation are becoming more and more taboo. Loving parents want to protect us from all harm. No negative situations. No controversy. Stick with me kid and you will go places. Then again maybe not. 

A relationship or friendship does not have to involve romance or be overly serious. It can be friends just sitting down to talk. But beyond the superficial, you have to be real, honest and yes, vulnerable.  You take risks. There are no guarantees. Our world is imperfect. Not everyone will like you. So what? Think of all the opportunities you might miss.

I take chances with my writing. I am not looking to prove anything. I am taking chances you might laugh at me but maybe, just maybe I will find a couple of kindred spirits who want to share something of themselves.  And that my friends might lead to a deeper friendship for us. I could not think of anything better.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

A surprising or unexpected reward causes an extra dopamine release. So every time we do something with an uncertain outcome—taking a “risk”—increased dopamine is released while we are determining what happens. This release alerts other parts of the brain that the activity or situation is new and deserves attention.

One study estimated that it usually takes around 219 hours to become good friends with someone while engaging in small-talk. But it is also common for people who have known each other for years to continue in surface level interaction, failing to develop a deeper level of relating.

Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but rather an expression of courage and authenticity. It is very meaningful to realize you are not the only one that feels a certain way. 

Brené Brown is a researcher and storyteller who’s spent two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Look her up on Ted Talks. She has a lot to say. Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.