Random thought of the day....

There is much going on in my life, most of which is post worthy. As usual, this means I'm not posting anything. I've got to figure that out sometime.

In the meantime, here is a Random Thought of the Day:

While checking out the headlines I came across "Sound of Music" Plan Protested, which talks about how there are plans to turn the von Trapp's Austrian house into a hotel and how the neighbors aren't fond of this idea. Standard stuff. However, in the middle of the article, there is this paragraph:

Baron Georg Ludwig von Trapp, the real-life widower, lived in the villa with his family from 1923 to 1938. After the Nazis confiscated the property in 1939, SS chief Heinrich Himmler moved in and stayed until 1945.

And my first thought was "Why would anyone want to stay in a house where Himmler lived?".

My daughter had an interesting comment the other day. She said: "Did you realize that every breath you take has been breathed by someone else -- thousands and thousands of people have already breathed the air that you do." (Being who she is, she followed that by saying "Einstein could have breathed the air already!".)

I just don't think I want to breathe the air that Himmler breathed. Or sleep in a room where he could have happily planned the death of millions. Most importantly, I wouldn't want to do either of those things without acknowledging what I was doing.

It seems like such a odd, throw-away line in the article. As much as I love the story in "The Sound of Music" and admire the perseverance of the van Trapp's, Himmler's presence in the house has much more of a historical impact. How many people visit the site without ever thinking about the evil that resided there after the von Trapp's left? How does the van Trapp's escape from Austria/defiance of the Nazis overshadow Himmler's role in the very Holocaust they were running from? How does Himmler get reduced down to an afterthought in an article about romance-driven tourist attraction?

It's a strange world we live in.

Dimensional Shift

There's the theory of infinite dimensions -- where there is every possible future from every possible divergence point. I like that theory. It ties into my favorite theory of time travel where, when you travel back in time you really are shifting between the dimensions and will return to a different present.

Usually, when the infinite dimensions theory is explored, there is a noticeable change between dimensions -- Sliders was good at that. Red meant go and green meant stop. Women controlled society. The US lost the Revolutionary war. Those are the points that alternative histories are based on. Fun exercises in "What if?".

The thing about infinite dimensions, though, is that the differences are both massive and minute. The dimensions that are near to one another may not be noticeably different. Perhaps you could slide from your dimension into another one without even perceiving a difference. How much difference would've it made to the dimension if I would have driven to work today instead of walking or if I'd eaten the grapefruit that sat on my desk instead of throwing it away?

Still, there would be some difference, some disconnect that comes from living in a new world, in one that you didn't help create. A dissidence when you talk to people, perhaps more noticeable when dealing with those closest to you. A small layer of detachment or cushion of unreality that surrounds your actions.

I'm living, lately, in that dimensional shift.

It's not to the point where I'm going left when everyone else is going right. It's not that I say up and everyone else is yelling down. It's more like I'm a degree off plumb. I'm a heartbeat ahead or behind. It's like I'm not passionate enough or I'm too passionate about things others don't care about. Everyone else is onto something different (or not quite ready for it) while I'm all wrapped up in whatever "it" is. My thoughts are always too slow or too incomplete. People are willing to take part until I have something to share, then, everyone is off one something new, and I'm racing to catch up (or stopping to go back).

There's that weird dimensional separation that doesn't allow a true connection. It always sounds good, but I never quite measure up. There's nothing wrong, but it's not right, either.

Since I have no idea how I got here, I've got no idea how to shift back.