Posted 3-14-19
Have you ever thought about the almost symbiotic relationship of dramatically contrasting objects? Said differently, have you noticed how it sometimes takes bold differences for us to see the beauty in something?
I was thinking about contrasts as I drove to work this morning. The birds were still asleep (as were the Applegates) when I left and as I headed south toward Springfield, there was a tremendous lightning show on display. What made them even more beautiful is how they made the bold, black sky glow and almost explode in contrast. Notice the stunning brightness, but also notice the equally breathtaking backdrop colors. Some of the bolts were not unlike these:
Similarly, any jeweler worth his or her salt displays gemstones, especially diamonds, against a crushed black velvet to really make the gems pop and increased their perceived value.
But this experience is not only visual. Little do we know it, but the vast majority of the songs we hear and tend to like everyday are in common time signatures: 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8. (Quick tutorial on time signatures in case your Elementary music class has worn off. 😉 ) These signatures are easy to tap your toe to, more readily memorized and are built to enjoy. However, place oddball time signatures like that of Dave Brubek, The Beatles and others (7/4 and a couple in 5/4: (this or this) or even 9/8 ) and you may have trouble relating to the music in your normal, familiar way. You may not even be able to clap to them… Why is this? There is a science to it, for sure. Here is a quick link that tries to tell why: Link. Personally, somewhat to the dismay of my super-musical children (including a music teacher daughter), I call novel music–music that doesn’t fit in and gives you a weird vibe—“floppy shoes” music. Like you need floppy (clown) shoes to fully appreciate the beauty in the differences.
How about contrasting tastes in food? Yup…and you don’t even have to be ice cream and Vlasics pregnant to like it. Contrasts are great there too. 🙂 Check out one of my favorite sandwich shops’ Halle(peño) Berry sandwich ( Mozzarella Cheese, fresh grilled jalapeños and cream cheese on our toasted bread. Topped off with Grape Jelly). Perhaps some Oreo Pizza elsewhere would strike your fancy? There is a science to this as well.
My point in asking you to consider the beauty in differences isn’t only to remind you to be careful with having unknown (to you) biases that keep you from trying new things and considering other opinions, but my goal is to help you consider different things differently. Generations are all different. I am a late 40’s Generation X member, and my parents are Baby Boomers while my grandparents are Builders/Silent/Greatest Generation. We all have dramatically different characteristics. Before we prejudge an entire generation, lets spend some time looking at the many comparisons and contrasts that make each and every generation a thing of beauty.
That is part of the plan of the Covered Bridges portion of this land of Digital Cornbread. Learn about people younger and older than yourself. See if you can understand the inherent beauty among the deviation from the norm…your norm, that is. Every generation has things to learn about each other and will be better for taking the time to try. Who knows, the more you learn, you just might develop new artistic tastes, don a pair of floppy shoes, and sit down with a person 20 or 70 years different than you and learn a thing or two. It can’t hurt to try. 🙂 Someday you may be the caregiver of a person who is much younger or older than you. The more you know and learn to love now, the easier understanding and serving them will be later.