It’s called “the box.” All of us spend time in the box.
But every so often certain people find themselves thinking outside the box. Outside of that box is a galaxy and you feel all alone in a vast spectrum of space as you, temporarily, float farther and farther away from the realm of normalcy, far from the box.
You’re so far out, so far away from the box, so far away from all the other people who inhabit the box that all the fish-line in the world strung end to end would not be long enough to reel you in.
I’ll come back to this post at a later date to give a proper name to that box. For now I’ll just call that box TLB which is an acronym for The Linear Box.
People who rarely stray outside the box are linear thinkers with very little highs and lows. Some people who think outside the box have the type of mind that, in tangential fashion, careen away from the box.
(ca·reen
1. To lurch or swerve while in motion.
2. To rush headlong or carelessly)
Of course you’re not alone in the galaxy found outside the box, it just feels that way. It is there, in the galaxy outside the box, where you’ll find certain scientists, artists, lawyers, homeless people, detectives, field generals, even criminals. Of course many of them might be lucky enough to have one thing in common: they’re good at what they do, real good, with a bit of swashbuckle tucked in a corner of their soul.
The person known for straying outside the box might be agnostic or a religious zealot. That doesn’t matter. The galaxy outside the box is a form of heaven that does not contain a god or an overlord. It is not desirable to stay outside the box on a continuous, around the clock basis, 365 days a year. To do so would not be heaven. To do so would, arguably, be a state of mind that resembles a condition relative to insanity.
As for me, Peter Mack (which is my real world name and not a pseudonym), I’ve been called a lot of things. For instance, I’ve been called “delusional.”
You’re not a famous person, you toil away working as a store clerk. Which means any person can point to your words and ideas and laugh. That’s one way for them to claim that those word and ideas are not legitimate. They are in essence claiming your words, ideas and actions “have no weight.”
What they (the detractors) and you (the accused) don’t realize is that a Maya Angelou or a Muhammad Ali or a Stephen Hawking might have the same words and ideas. The average person often leaps to assign a favorable rating to an icon’s words and actions which insures instant, automatic legitimacy. Many of those people who assign instant praise to an icon are impulsive fans in knee-jerk mode blinded by fame and hype.
There is danger when the average layperson, or fan, assigns instant legitimacy to the work, words and actions of someone famous. Danger for both parties in that the recipient (the icon or celebrity receiving the high-praise) may not be sure if the praise, the accolades, are worthy. Danger for the fan in that they come off looking like just another sucker. Another sucker caught in the throes of hero worship.
The thing is the suckers and detractors make up the majority of the population.
The majority matters less if you’re in a gang with major clout. If you’re a famous person in the Celebrity Club then you’re one of the few who can come close to nullifying the majority.
(gang
1. a group of people with compatible tastes or mutual interests who gather together for social reasons.
2. a group of persons working together; squad; shift: a gang of laborers.)
I believe, in some cases, that if your words and ideas were presented to a celebrity or a societal icon there is a good chance that the icon would approve of your words and ideas. They might even be in awe of them. Maybe even a little jealous.
I have a couple of documents stored away for safekeeping. You can think of the words on those documents whenever a detractor assigns a negative label to any of your so-called weird, far-out ideas. You remember these words:
Document #1:
“There’s a wonderful delusional quality I possess that allows me to attempt things that are really bad ideas.”
Will Smith discussing the creation process.
Document #2:
“To tell you the truth, I’m kind of glad I can’t analyze it and tell you exactly what it all means. I sort of like that sense of mystery – or sense of stupidity.”
Paul McCartney discussing the creation process.
If I can get a hold of Stephen Hawking’s contact info I’m going to ask him one certain question about the creative process, just one. I doubt if he’ll respond back to me. I imagine he’s busy, has a lot of things to do. It might be harder for him to do things like answer mail, tons of mail, and make it through the day than it is for most able bodied people. And don’t forget, I’m an idiot…which is another reason why he may not respond back to me(?)
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