Tuesday, 01 May 2007

• Currently Listening Stand Still, Look Pretty By The Wreckers, Michelle Branch, Jessica Harp see related

  ANOMALOUS CORRESPONDENCE

  The concept of eyesight, for the most part, is not complex.  Light enters the eye and focuses on the macula on the inner back surface of the eye.  This sets off a cascade of chemical reactions and electrical potentials which are organized by amacrine and horizontal cells.  Magno and parvo ganglion cells transmit these signals through the optic nerve and optic tract to the six layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus in the brain’s thalamus.  The signals are then carried by optic radiations through the parietal and temporal lobes of the brain to the occipital lobe, specifically Area V1, where these signals are translated into eyesight.  Clearly, the whole concept of eyesight is kind of boring.  It’s not too difficult to understand how we, through a process that begins with our eyes, can manifest a perception of the outside world inside our brains.  However, a more interesting concept is how our eyes can manifest a perception of ourselves to the outside world.

  Our eyes are merely extensions of our brains, so it makes sense that we can get a glimpse into someone’s mind by looking in their eyes.  In fact, it’s literally the only part of the body where we can (kind of) look into someone’s brain without cracking their skull open.  Considering how the brain is intimately associated with one’s state of balance, one’s binocular posture is a telling indication of what their personality is like.  A dejected, absorbed, and forlorn person like me typically manifests an esophoria of 15 prism diopters at 40 centimeters, whereas someone who is outgoing, aloof, and carefree would manifest a high exophoria.  This is how I am when I’m drunk.

  A few days ago I was at the bar area of the Gordon Biersch Brewery in Burbank.  I was sitting at a bar table by myself watching Yao Ming draw a double team, which allowed Rafer Alston to drill a straight-away three-pointer.  After five Dunkles beers, I noticed that I was seeing crossed (vs. uncrossed) double vision, meaning that my right eye was seeing the left image, and vice-versa.  Beer made me exophoric, which made me laugh.  Going from an eso to an exo would be like having two personalities.  At this time I also noticed that two people were now sitting at my table.  I had no idea for how long they were sitting there.

  The woman who sat across from me and to my right was strikingly beautiful.  She spoke first, “Are you okay?  You look a little zoned out.”

  “Umm… I’m great, miss.  How are you?” I politely replied.

  “Well, that’s good.  My name is Helena.  And this is my friend Bruce.”  She pointed to the short, non-attractive bald man sitting across to my left.  “The bar is packed.  Do you mind if we share your table?”

  “Not at all!” I said, probably a little too enthusiastically.  “Misery loves company!  My name is Rex.”

  “Rex, what are you miserable about?” Helena asked.

  “Umm… well…  it’s not that I’m ‘miserable’.  But I kind of am, I suppose.  I’m thinking about making a major career change.  I don’t really know.  I’m feeling a little unsettled about things.  I’m not too comfortable with my job--”

  “Then do it!”  Bruce said.

  “Yeah, well, you see…but I’m not really passionate about anything else though.  I mean, there are some things I’m passionate about, but I don’t know if I would want to change my life for them.  I kind of want to move to Seattle.”

  “Why Seattle?  It’s too gloomy and rainy over there.   Try San Diego.”  Bruce said.

  “Actually, I heard Seattle is very nice,” said Helena.  “What’s stopping you?”

  “Well, I kind of really like Los Angeles, though.  I’ll probably check out Seattle really soon to check it out, you know, but… San Diego sucks, Bruce.” 

  This seemed to perturb Bruce a little bit.  I think I saw a hair to two fall off his head.  Meanwhile, the more Helena drank, the more she glowed.

  “Rex, you should follow you heart,” Helena said.

  “That’s easier said than done!  If I could follow my heart, believe me, I would!  But what happens when your heart is wrong?  Is your heart ever wrong?  There’s no good answer to that question!”

  “You are wherever your heart is.  Rex, home is where the heart is,” Helena said.

  “But everyone’s heart doesn’t beat the same!  Because--”

  “Why are we quoting The Killers?” Bruce interjected.

  “—no matter how much you follow your heart, there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t agree with you.  Sometimes having a strong heart just means having to alienate people!”

  “Do you think you have a strong heart?” Bruce asked.

  “I don’t know.  Sometimes I think I do.  Other times I think I’m just stupid.”

  “I think you’re kind of stupid.”  Bruce said.

  “Maybe I am!  But I was quoting Green Day, not The Killers, fucktard!”

  “Rex,” Helena interrupted before I could throw a beer bottle at Bruce, “Find out whatever it is you’re passionate about.”

  “And I think you should find your dick and use it,” Bruce said and left the table.

  “I’ve always believed that passion fosters progress,” Helena said.   “Are we in correspondence with that?”

  Helena left the table and disappeared.

  This was a rather anomalous event that occurred and it’s probably a story that didn’t need to be told.  Meeting strangers at a bar is not substantial.  Honestly, the most remarkable thing about that night was my constant double vision after all my drinks.  Alcohol doesn’t normally give me double vision, but I must have been really relaxed that night.  My inability to fuse two crossed images made me realize two things:  (1) You are never truly alone, and (2) You always have more friends when you’re seeing double.

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