Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Chasing Rabbits

"If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both." - Native American saying (via Goodreads)

I currently pursue multiple rabbits, but I do have a somewhat hierarchical order of bunnies arranged by priority. If I catch one, then I allow myself a second chase and continue in that fashion. Indeed, some of the beasts I bolt after are not rabbits at all, but horses to ride as I further the rabbit hunt.

Allow me to explain.

Horses, unlike rabbits, can be ridden by humans - as can ostriches - and will help in the long-term pursuit as a vehicular creature. It does one well to thank and nurture one's horses. I've never literally owned actual horses, but I have interacted with many. They're gorgeous animals, and they deserve our respect.... In fact, I not only respect horses, I revere them and hope to keep them one day. Possibly rabbits too, but I digress. (I'm not Radagast, after all!) The point, metaphorically speaking, is that one must often invest in one thing so as to achieve another.

For instance, I'm a writer and a blogger. I currently don't know much about computational workings beyond the basics, but knowing even the bare minimum about how computers function can help immensely in writing. In the blogosphere, it's essential. Now, if I were somehow not interested in how these things perform their duties (disclaimer: I actually find them fascinating), and hadn't the motivation to learn, I'd essentially be screwed. Computers can be a means to an end. As a side note, I have a book about computer basics, but it's Windows-oriented and I currently use a Mac. Perhaps I could use a simulator of some sort before I get my hands on an actual PC?

Another example might be acting. Bruce Miller's book, The Actor as Storyteller, argues that many effective film actors begin on stage. The transition to the screen is more rewarding than the opposite because those who perform in stage plays require more discipline. One cannot exactly cut or edit with a live audience! They must solidify not only their deep understanding of the script, but also their resolve for theatrical greatness. Personally, I like fantasy and science fiction. These are not always impossible in a traditional theatre, but my amounts of dragons and spaceships would be very expensive to pull off without video editing! Whether acting in plays or writing them, I am trying to think of more ideas that genuinely interest me that don't involve people shooting green lightning from their palms. These concepts do exist, and I'm trying to tap them in order to further my experience as both an actor and writer. I still write prose fiction and screenplays involving "big magic," and hopefully I will be able to perform in this sort of thing later on, but for now, I'm tinkering away at other things that also delight me. Hopefully, if Mistborn and The Dark Tower ever hit the silver screen, I will be involved in some way.

On the side, I chase a few other sorts of rabbit as well, but having said equine tends to assist the process. Classical and New Age music, acrylic painting, European broadsword fighting, Asian stir-frying, and Irish step dancing seem like fun, but are not absolutely paramount to my continued existence. Close, but not quite. These are "bonus bunnies" that I'd love to catch but will not despair without. Astrophysics and biochemistry are also vital, but not everyone needs to be the one doing either.

Of course, this is all a metaphor, however I may have exhausted its meaning. That's what I do - I plumb things for deeper possible meaning. I don't literally chase wild animals, for I wish no undue harm or stress to anything. That being said, I think I've made my point. Or at least, I hope that I have.

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