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269 – Random

Click the video above for several minutes of background waves while reading.

I like to walk on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

It’s a foggy morning with a warm temperature and a light breeze. The waves are more active than normal because a rain front is approaching. 

Visibility is limited – but manageable. I first notice people walking toward me as shadowy silhouettes emerging from the fog – but eventually, I can identify the colors of their clothing. I can’t see birds flying, but the sanderlings are scurrying, and I occasionally pass gulls. 

Photo by Mathias Reding on Pexels.com

My mind must also be foggy because rather than focusing on a theme, it’s bouncing around with a hit-and-miss approach. While my long-time readers know I prefer structure and focus to my essays, I wonder if I can take advantage of the hits and misses. After all, random sampling has its place and advantages. 

You know – random as in unsystematic, arbitrary, unplanned, and erratic, Random as in nonlinear, unknown, unspecified, and even accidental. Why not turn my inability to focus into a collection of random thoughts? After all, something may come from them in the future.

I see the foggy appearance of a heron ahead – alone and stoically staring at the water. I chuckle wondering if the heron may be waiting on a fisherman. As I get closer, I notice people walking toward me; plus an elderly lady ahead with a cane taking pictures of a small group of gulls. 

Photo by Hilary Halliwell on Pexels.com

As I passed, I should ask if she wants me to take her picture – but I kept walking. My decision sticks with me. Knowing my turnaround point is soon, I knew I wouldn’t pass if given a second opportunity, but I wouldn’t know until she was back in view.
 
My mind bounces to quantum physics. It seems like an odd topic, but I was thinking about classical physics the other day. Yes, I have a science background, but it is in biology. I know the basics of general physics, but quantum physics is a mystery. I recently listened to a short podcast with a quantum physicist. I don’t know why, but quantum physicists can also be philosophical—no wonder they can explain the intersection of science and religion.  

My understanding of quantum terminology is (at best) shallow (if at all). To me, the terms are at the intersection of mysterious, love, and poetic. Terms, such as entanglement, uncertainty, mutual attraction, speed of light, relativity, dark matter, string theory, event horizon, and going beyond linear time fit that description. Connecting those thoughts is a different matter – and beyond me. 

I think about Stephen Hawking explaining unwinding time. That thought is difficult to understand, let alone explain – plus its implications for philosophy and religion. I wish I knew enough to understand it, or personally know Neils Degraf Tyson to explain it to me. Then again, he could probably answer if the power of love is greater than the speed of light.  

Photo by Fritz Jaspers on Pexels.com

Turning around for the return trip, I wonder about the elderly lady with the cane. If I see her, I will not pass up the opportunity to take her picture – so I hasten my pace. 

Ahead of me, I notice her shadow – so my pace quickens again. I approach her and then ask if she would like me to take her picture – and her answer with a smile confirmed I made the right choice. After a brief chat, I continue my journey. 

I draft this essay during my birthday week in February 2024. The older I’ve gotten, the more I reflect on the days around my birthday. I may be younger than the lady with the cane – and certainly in better physical condition – maybe even health. Thinking that I’ve surpassed my mother’s life by more than 13 years is a bit sobering – but also a realization that she died young – one month shy of 59. 

I think about the range of people I know who have died – from Effie, in my third-grade class to a range of high school and college classmates who died young – to a good friend shot in his living room – and others. Maybe the time, space, and relativity of quantum physics are playing with my thoughts.  

During almost two hours of walking this morning, my mind bounced around other topics such as fences, meandering, waiting, triangles, and empty – additional thoughts for recently drafted essays. I chuckle recalling a reader mentioning that my mind must be in constant draft mode. In this case, I think Random worked as a topic – and I may have found a way to make random thoughts work. After all, I will have more opportunities because I like walking on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

I’m linking to Jo’s Monday Walk as she concludes her time in Sevilla. Tell her I sent you.

Next Post: Memories – Saturday 11 January @ 1:00 AM (Eastern US)

43 thoughts on “269 – Random”

  1. What a joy to read this post, Frank. I like to think of this as the flowing of thoughts rather than ‘bouncing.’ Sometimes it seems if the mind has to sweep thoughts away. Enjoy your morning walk that could be viewed as some mental housekeeping.

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      1. So glad to have been able to provide an alternative perspective. The whole mental housekeeping reflection is likely the result of justifying but it just seems like it’s feasible. How else can you explain some of those moments when the brain is a bit over-active? 😉 Have a great day!

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  2. Good morning, Frank. I agree with Tails Around the Ranch that this post flowed naturally rather than bounced. I think it’s the way many people think about things as they walk, so it seemed very natural. I also think now you understand what I meant about physics and poetry; it’s the quantum physics that I totally don’t understand that also draws me–time and space.

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    1. Merril,
      Thanks for supporting Monika about the flow of this essay. The flow initially bothered me, but I can now trash that thought. Thank you. Time and spaces is quite the topic – and I’ve read enough of your poems to know the impact of time and space on your poems. Cheers to Quantum Physics doing that for us – even though we don’t get it. 🙂

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  3. Random thoughts can take us down some interesting pathways and land us in some surprising places. Quantum physics is a mystery, and as you suggest, as difficult to wrap our minds around as the nature of love and poetry. Enjoyed the flow of your stream of consciousness narrative, Frank.

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    1. Barbara,
      Glad you enjoyed their ramblings with the twisting pathways in my mind that day – and yes, to interesting places. I’m so used to successfully focusing on a topic – but these days happen – and I decided to put it into writing. 🙂 Thanks for walking along.

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  4. Ah, you were having what I call, Spiral thoughts! And great ones too! Especially the quantum stuff, the lady with the cane, and your mother! I was sad to read that your mother passed relatively young. My mom lived to 77 and my dad to 79. Not even reaching 60 seems young to me. I am turning 63 in a few days. Like you, I think of family and friends who passed much earlier in life and I feel abSOULutely blessed to have lived as long as I have! I even tempted fate a few (or maybe several) times!

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    1. Shelia,

      “Spiral thoughts” … I like that! 🙂

      There something cathartic about reaching an age older than a parent. That often pops into my mind around my birthday, which as I stated in the essay, is when I wrote it. Let alone thinking of others (such as classmates) who died so young. Thanks for sharing a bit about those in your life!

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  5. You did successfully focus on a topic…random…and did a grand job. It seems the older I get the more random my thoughts are. Some people would call it senility, but I prefer to think of it as still having the ability to think of and remember many things.

    I am sorry that your mom passed away at such a young age. My sister was also 59 when she died and my dad was 64 when he left us. Your mom was a beautiful woman. Thank you for sharing those photos. I know they’re deeply personal.

    It was a random thought that started me following you Frank, and it has worked out well, at least for me, maybe not so much for you! You have to endure my random, and sometimes rambling, comments!

    Love the video.

    Ginger🦋

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    1. Ginger,

      First and foremost, I don’t think you ramble and I appreciate your comments that include a touch of humor. In other words, I’m thrilled that you found this place and decided to participate. THANK YOU!

      Death is something every one of us encounters – and it affects each of us differently. Yet, I think of what happened to my mother in multiple ways – and they are positive. But, it still gets to me thinking that I’m older than her by double digits.

      Many thanks for the kind words about this essay … and again, thank you!

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  6. I love that photo of the disgruntled heron, Frank, and the cello performance at the end. What’s more random than that? I’m glad you took the lady’s photo, and then I wonder how you spend the rest of your days by the sea? Home for breakfast… and then? Do you go exploring, or do you have a routine? Whatever it is, I thank you for including me in your days.

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    1. Jo,
      Integrating a heron and cello is definitely random. 🙂 Here’s a typical day during snowbird season. Up early … Internet … breakfast … walk on the beach for 3.2 km (2 miles) one way … then walk back … usually time to kill …. lunch … lounge a bit …. walk 3.2 km in opposite direction … and back …. shower … dinner …. watch TV. Now for the twists … There is a great bar next door with good musicians. One weeknight there for a favorite musician … eat dinner there … Sometimes we go other nights or during the day. (Music starts at 11 AM, except Sunday is 12:30 pm) .. Go out to dinner several times a week … like to golf once a week. Go to the theater on rainy days. That’s it in a nutshell … of course there are variations.

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  8. So true about physics and philosophy being closely related. Ironic how I find it difficult to grasp physics. Science was my worst subject in school. Yet philosophy fuels me.

    My mind often jumps randomly. 😏

    Looked like a picture of your mom in Rome? Sad you lost her when she was so young. I recently hit the same age my mom was when she had a heart attack and needed open heart surgery. Thankfully, she made it through and is still with us today, 22 years later.

    Hopefully, the fog by you has cleared. It cleared here in the midwest now, but the sky is filmy.

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    1. Lori,

      Philosophy and physics seem like an odd couple, but they found a great bond in cosmology – and physicists are some of the leading experts in the field integrating science and religion.

      Regarding the pictures of my mother, the lower left is in Florence while the other two are in her hometown (about an hour from Florence). Thanks for walking along and glad you appreciated the random bouncing around of topics.

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  10. 🙂 Random refers to mathematics I thought

    and time to mathematics with physics and philosophy in any case.

    Random or chance is my last question I am thinking about , before sleeping.

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    1. Kerfe,

      Fog is unquestionably unique. When it rolls in here (especially in February), it seems to stick around for several days along the coast … sometimes just at the coast. I like your use of connecting physics and poetry through mystery. Brilliant! …. thank you for that.

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    1. Resa,

      As you’ve come to know, I enjoy focusing … and can do it for a long time – but not all the time and every time. The brain just doesn’t work that way! I like the analogy of linking flow and time of the sea to thinking . That’s a real good one … so much so, I wish I would have thought of that! Meanwhile, that’s a great song for Amy Winehouse … of course I’m also picturing the California Raisins commercials. (Did they make it across the border?)

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  16. “Random” works for me……looking back my life has been scattered – and I’ve allowed myself to be pulled in whatever direction whim or circumstance dictated. Focusing has always been a little tough for me as so many things capture my imagination and I follow them wherever they lead. I liked this “walk” – sometimes when we aren’t focused and our mind wanders we discover things we would not have noticed otherwise. Surprises – I like surprises.

    Pam

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    1. Pam,
      So happy that you enjoyed this essay because I was unsure if it would work. Plus, I had a difficult time determining a one-word title! I can focus, and for long periods of time – but like anyone else, not always. Who knows how many times this has happened, but I’m happy that I went with it. Your point about random in life is true go everyone – and it would be a good point to bring up sometime! Thank you for that!!!!

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  18. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Palacio de Las Dueñas | Still Restlessjo

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