What Muse-

Good evening everyone,

I was driving in the canyon the other day (why is another story), and I forgot my iPod, and of course I could not get a decent signal for any radio stations. So I spent the way down the canyon with the sound of my tires on the road and the thoughts in my head.

I got to thinking about my hobbies. Not so much about what I do (or could do) with my hobbies, but why I do them. Not only that, but why I chose physics for a major. And to me they are not just hobbies, but passions. And the trail of thoughts lead to this post.

When I chose physics for a major, people just gave me a funny look like they bit into a sour piece of candy, and just asked 'why'? The answer is that I find the natural world fascinating. I love to find out how things work, and what they could do. I love to find out the strange behavior of things, because often times the old saying holds true: sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. And I not only like to know, but doing the work for it often times gives me a high. The way the math equations flow, predict and cement excites me, and the possibilities of 'what could be' do so even more.

I love cameras. My affection for the tools of the trade goes beyond just the use. I love the aesthetics, function and complexity. But as much as I geek out over the cameras, I love what they produce more. There is a picture of Tuesday Weld in the current issue of B+W Magazine that I can't stop staring at.

Any picture is worth a thousand words. But have you ever seen a picture you could not think of any words for? Have you ever seen a picture that just takes your breath away? A picture that with one glance, the world's weight is shot clear of your mind and your soul is electrified?

Any book can entertain. It can thrill, excite and make you laugh. But have you ever read a book that inspired you? Made you want to change? Do something else, something new and important?

That is what I think people need more of in their lives. You may not be able to pay the bills with it, but you can chase your dreams all you want. And I am tempted to use the phrase "to your hearts content" here, but that is a dangerous statement. I think that through contentment comes atrophy, something terrible for any mind, body and soul.

Instead challenge yourself with these things that spark your interest. Do not merely try to duplicate, but create. Confront yourself with opposing ideas. You may ground yourself in what you already have. You may find something new.

That's why I do what I do, and as much of it as I can.

Thank you for reading through my cliché tripe. I know it sounds like something out of a bad movie. But you should try. At least try. You may not become a giant, or stand on the shoulders of any. You may sink into anonymity as another bastard child of creativity and fate. But at least the journey is worth taking.

So, then, what is your muse? What excites you? What makes you curious?

T