My appreciation of a bright blue sky came to fruition about a couple of years ago. I was on my way to work, and at the time I was feeling down about the whole idea of life. I was walking down to where I usually take the bus to commute, when I noticed that the day was unusually bright (when you are depressed and down, it is a really good idea to divert your mind to other things and the bright light that day was practically screaming "Oohhh, pick me, pick me!"). It was bright, clear blue, with not the slightest hint of a cloud. The wind was only a whisper, and the buzzing noise of the busy city that was Jakarta had a bit of a muted quality to it (as if there was an ear muffler strapped on my head). It was as if the blueness of the sky drowned out the city noises, like it was a sound instead of a color. It was probably overly dramatic to say that my depression lifted instantly, but at that moment, it did. It felt like a wind just blew over a dusty surface, revealing a previously hidden gloss. No amount of Frisium or any other anti-depressant could ever replace that kind of effect.
A Scratch in the Sky
[It turned out to be a hot, sweaty day (blue sky with no clouds was usually a strong hint of a hot, sweaty day in Jakarta) but at least the depression lifted.]
Cloudy days, now that's a different thing. When the sky hide itself behind clouds, many people would say that it was a nice day to be inside the house and enjoy the many creature comforts that could be found in their individual dwellings. Maybe it's been hard-wired since the days of when humans were still living in caves. Rainy days, can't do nothing 'bout it, might as well put away our hunting spears away and go back to sleep in the cave. Something like that. The color of the gray sky is also quite melancholic, and if you're not in the reflective mood this can be quite a disadvantage to your psyche (I know it would be quite a disadvantage for me). But, no one can't deny that it's a really good time to get some quality Zzzzz.
Living in the state of California (near San Francisco, to be exact) for about one and a half month brought me to a deeper realization how a simple thing like a blue sky can really affect your mood, and give some healing. It was summertime in US soil, but the soil of my heart was growing cold. However, one thing in the US that never escaped notice was how big and wide the spaces are there. The sense of wide open spaces are so jarring there that one coming from a crowded place like Asia (such as myself) couldn't help but realize it, in a good way. Living in a small town of Pleasant Hill, where the highest building around was only 4 or 5 stories tall, the view of the sky was not the slightest obscured. There, you'd realized how vast the sky was, and the blueness of it was probably as deep as the ocean (even though it was on the other deep end of the vertical plane). It was hypnotizing, and it soothed the aching heart.
A Palm Tree among the Blue Skies
[The recipe for a tired soul: take a fresh picking of a blue sky (make sure you pick the most blue), squeeze, heat the blue juice until some vaporizes. Take a deep breath of the vapor and relax, drink the juice through your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your skin. (You can do the same thing as well when you catch a cold, but an extra dose of orange juice would probably help as well).]
I wonder whether it was why people, hypnotized by the sky, build skyscraper and try to reach it or even pierce it (like the Tower of Babel). But it did no good because it only obscures the view for those land dwellers. Maybe that's why it was so hard to find the truth these days, because there were so many skyscrapers out there.
Though that doesn't sound right, but it sure do feels right.
People would sometime ask whether or not you're a 'beach' or a 'mountain' person. There was a time when I would say without hesitation that I was more of a 'mountain' person, though I did have a thing or two about beaches. However, if asked now, I'd probably say that I love both equally. Both have their own qualities: mountains are more quiet, reflective and meditative; while beaches are more playful and youthful. And both have special relations to the blue sky.
Blue Skies on top of Lassen
It was a few years ago when I was staying over at a friend's villa in Puncak, a mountaineous area just outside of Jakarta. The surrounding environment was still quite green and natural (trees everywhere), and I was at this big field of grass on the hill right across from where my friend's villa was. Thought that it was probably nice to just lie down on the grass and stare at the sky. The sky that day was bright blue, with a helping of clear white clouds, just like whip cream on a fresh, blue-colored frappucino. But as I was doing so, I came to the realization of how small I was in the face of the vast sky, and it felt as if the weight of it all was crushing down on me. At the same time, I imagined how it felt if gravity was turned upside down. To be falling down to the infinte deep of the sky. I stood up feeling dizzy. That was the only time I became quite frightful of the sky.
It is just a silly musing, but I couldn't help but draw a comparison between the mountains and the beaches or the sea for that matter. While mountains try hard to reach into the sky, the sea does exactly that without even trying. If you want to see proof, just go to any beach on a really good day and look at the horizon. There, the blue sky came down to meet the sea at the end of the horizon. We might try hard to meditate, to reflect, in trying to reach the truth. But sometimes the innocence and the playfulness of youth itself attracts the truth even without any intentions of doing so.
Yes, this is an ode to a good, blue sky. That canopy high in the air that sees everything that goes on in the world below, yet often times taken for granted.
Blue skies are indeed good remedy for a tired soul.
A Mac Book, however, is a good alternative (and a completely different thing).
Vegas ended, and it was time to drive back to Los Angeles. I didn't go straight back to San Francisco, though. Stayed overnight at my buddy's place in Orange County. The next day he and his wife took me to go visit some of the nearest beaches there in Los Angeles. Forgot the names, but as the picture on the right suggests, one of them was called Newport. The beaches were okay, though nothing compared to the likes you'd find in Bali, or even the Philippines. Duh. But they did have some nice looking women there. Feast for the eyes.