Heroes Not Zombies

I’ve done psychological analyses which tell me that curiosity is one of my main attributes. But, to be fair, I didn’t need a test to tell me that. I’ve always been really curious. When I was a little boy I used to subscribe to a fortnightly magazine called “Knowledge”, one of those part work publications which you collected into special folders every few weeks. I loved it. I looked forward to it and found it fascinating, whether it was about science, art, geography, history, or whatever. When I graduated from university I used my first month’s pay as a Junior Doctor to buy a complete set of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. I still have it, although, the truth is, I use wikipedia and internet search engines to go exploring these days.

I’m pretty sure that this curiosity which I have has enabled me to learn what I needed to learn during my training and was also at the heart of my delight in hearing the stories of all the patients who consulted me over about a forty year period.

I’ve learned since those early days that curiosity is a great trait to have if you want to develop your brain…..and, in particular, if you want to develop the right hemisphere of the brain. Seeking out what’s new, having new experiences and hearing new stories, develops the healthy interconnections between brain cells and shape the brain itself. Trying to understand and to learn are, for me, expressions of my underlying curiosity.

I think that’s why I enjoy this particular image so much. I took it whilst on holiday in South Africa a few years ago.

What do you see? Take a moment to explore it. Are you aware of any questions arising for you? Follow that curiosity!

You probably noticed some strange objects in the sky first, and that’s the starting point for firing up your curiosity. Because I exposed the shot for the sky, and it’s taken at sunset, the sea and whatever is in the foreground is really dark. You can’t really see them, but holding onto wires attached to each of those sky objects, is a person, surfing on the waves. This is kite surfing. There are three of them close together on the left, and a single one, on the right.

If you look very carefully you’ll see a crescent moon high up in the sky and the shape of the moon in this phase is similar to that of the kites. That pleases me enormously! I love these resonances, echoes and symmetries. They create the beginnings of patterns that help deepen the meanings we can experience in whatever we see.

What I also notice is a large ship right on the horizon, and immediately I start to wonder….where has it come from, where is it going, what is it carrying? Is it a freight ship, or a passenger one? Those questions fire up my imagination and get me thinking about adventures, travel and exploration.

Well, I suppose I just want to share this image with you because I find it so utterly pleasing and I hope you will do too, but in addition I think it’s one of those images which makes us wonder – and wondering makes for a better life!