Thursday, July 23, 2009

Imperfection.

Ever since I learned that there was going to be a total solar eclipse in the southern islands of Japan I wanted to be there.

However, these islands are very small and it is difficult to get there. As time passed, and the news about sold-out air tickets and overpacked boats circulated, it became clear that I cannot be on these remote islands on the 22nd of July, 2009.

For a while I thought of flying to Shanghai, where the total eclipse belt would pass. My schedule made it impossible to realize. I had appointments on the days and before and after.

Gradually, I reconciled myself with the idea of observing the partial solar eclipse. I did just that.

On the day of the solar eclipse, I placed myself in a forest and watched the disfiguration of the sun in the sky. As the moon passed between the sun and the earth, the world around me turned into dusk. But not totally dark. Soon the sun began to shine again.

Thus I learned to accept an imperfection in life. I realized that there is certain glory in an imperfection. The lingering aftertaste of unfulfilled expectations.

Imperfections are beautiful.

6 comments:

Einstein's Brain said...

I saw that here in Seoul. I didn't get a photo of it, even though I had my camera. I should have had a different lens.

Anonymous said...

A soft crescent sun in the whity gray sky...

The phenomenon that the modest moon veils the bright sun brings many myths to the southern islands of Japan. I suppor the theory " mutual shyness ", that is when the honest moon god treads on the sun goddess's heel, the sunlight is deaden to coceal the two.

" I realized that there is certain glory in an imperfection. The lingering aftertaste of unfulfilled expectatins."

Fine phrase.
Life is full of the expectant void.

Utako said...

Sorry.
I forgot my name in the above comment.

Anonymous said...

A seemingly imperfect thing is gloriously beautiful because it is perfection in disguise. Imperfections that are perfections remind me of fractals.

Anonymous said...

Imperfection in general can be perfection and vice versa.
I wonder if it is a question of one´s comprehention of an object (and a reflection of inner self) how one reads the message from the object.

morp said...

I have long thought about expectations and how to be rid of them. They make each experience we have difficult to accept because of what we thought they could be. If we could be rid of expectations, we would accept each experience as it is, and really see the beauty of it. It seems you have done that! You seem to have forgotten to become disappointed, which is a great thing.